diff --git a/po-properties/Makefile.in.in b/po-properties/Makefile.in.in
index c168dc22ca..9aa46174da 100644
--- a/po-properties/Makefile.in.in
+++ b/po-properties/Makefile.in.in
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ all-no:
 $(srcdir)/$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot: $(POTFILES)
 	$(XGETTEXT) --default-domain=$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE) --directory=$(top_srcdir) \
 	  --add-comments --keyword --keyword=P_ \
+	  --from-code=utf-8 \
 	  --files-from=$(srcdir)/POTFILES.in \
 	&& test ! -f $(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).po \
 	   || ( rm -f $(srcdir)/$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot \
diff --git a/po/Makefile.in.in b/po/Makefile.in.in
index 4e8ada3ff9..149721200e 100644
--- a/po/Makefile.in.in
+++ b/po/Makefile.in.in
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ all-no:
 $(srcdir)/$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot: $(POTFILES)
 	$(XGETTEXT) --default-domain=$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE) --directory=$(top_srcdir) \
 	  --add-comments --keyword=_ --keyword=N_ --keyword=C_:1c,2 --keyword=NC_:1c,2 \
+	  --from-code=utf-8 \
 	  --keyword=g_dngettext:2,3 \
 	  --flag=g_dngettext:2:pass-c-format \
           --flag=g_strdup_printf:1:c-format \