diff --git a/configure b/configure
index dee39d45f..cf648fb26 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -17554,7 +17554,6 @@ done
 # gettext() will be defined to gettext_libintl in libintl.h.
 # Since gcc prefers /usr/local/include to /usr/include, we need to
 # make sure we use the gettext() that matches the include file.
-# First check that it links w/o additional libs, then try with -lintl.
 if test "$enable_nls" != "no"; then
     if test "$enable_nls" != "yes"; then
 	CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -I${enable_nls}/include"
@@ -17574,16 +17573,22 @@ if test "$enable_nls" != "no"; then
     fi
 
     fi
-    { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for gettext" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for gettext... " >&6; }
-    if ${sudo_cv_gettext+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-
-    cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+    OLIBS="$LIBS"
+    for l in "libc" "-lintl" "-lintl -liconv"; do
+	if test "$l" = "libc"; then
+	    # If user specified a dir for libintl ignore libc
+	    if test "$enable_nls" != "yes"; then
+		continue
+	    fi
+	else
+	    LIBS="$OLIBS $l"
+	fi
+	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for gettext in $l" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for gettext in $l... " >&6; }
+	cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 
-	    #include <libintl.h>
+		#include <libintl.h>
 int
 main ()
 {
@@ -17594,108 +17599,27 @@ main ()
 
 _ACEOF
 if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  sudo_cv_gettext=yes
-else
-  sudo_cv_gettext=no
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-
-fi
-
-    { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $sudo_cv_gettext" >&5
-$as_echo "$sudo_cv_gettext" >&6; }
-    if test "$sudo_cv_gettext" != "yes"; then
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for gettext in -lintl" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for gettext in -lintl... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lintl  $LIBS"
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char gettext ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return gettext ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext=no
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext" >&6; }
-if test "x$ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext" = xyes; then :
-  LIBINTL="-lintl"
-else
-
-	    { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for gettext in -lintl" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for gettext in -lintl... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext_liconv+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lintl -liconv $LIBS"
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char gettext ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return gettext ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext_liconv=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext_liconv=no
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext_liconv" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext_liconv" >&6; }
-if test "x$ac_cv_lib_intl_gettext_liconv" = xyes; then :
-  LIBINTL="-lintl -liconv"
+  enable_nls=yes
 else
   enable_nls=no
-fi
-
 
 fi
-
-    fi
-    if test "$enable_nls" != "no"; then
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $enable_nls" >&5
+$as_echo "$enable_nls" >&6; }
+	if test "$enable_nls" = "yes"; then
+	    break
+	fi
+    done
+    LIBS="$OLIBS"
+    if test "$enable_nls" = "yes"; then
 	$as_echo "#define HAVE_LIBINTL_H 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 	SUDO_NLS=enabled
+	if test "$l" != "libc"; then
+	    LIBINTL="$l"
+	fi
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index f822ef8ce..fa07cd08d 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2212,31 +2212,39 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(getprogname, , [
 # gettext() will be defined to gettext_libintl in libintl.h.
 # Since gcc prefers /usr/local/include to /usr/include, we need to
 # make sure we use the gettext() that matches the include file.
-# First check that it links w/o additional libs, then try with -lintl.
 if test "$enable_nls" != "no"; then
     if test "$enable_nls" != "yes"; then
 	CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -I${enable_nls}/include"
 	SUDO_APPEND_LIBPATH(LDFLAGS, [$enable_nls/lib])
     fi
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for gettext])
-    AC_CACHE_VAL(sudo_cv_gettext, [
-    AC_LINK_IFELSE(
-	[
-	    AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <libintl.h>]], [(void)gettext((char *)0);])
-	], [sudo_cv_gettext=yes], [sudo_cv_gettext=no])
-    ])
-    AC_MSG_RESULT($sudo_cv_gettext)
-    if test "$sudo_cv_gettext" != "yes"; then
-	AC_CHECK_LIB(intl, gettext,
-	    [LIBINTL="-lintl"],
-	[
-	    AC_CHECK_LIB(intl, gettext, [LIBINTL="-lintl -liconv"],
-		[enable_nls=no], [-liconv])
-	])
-    fi
-    if test "$enable_nls" != "no"; then
+    OLIBS="$LIBS"
+    for l in "libc" "-lintl" "-lintl -liconv"; do
+	if test "$l" = "libc"; then
+	    # If user specified a dir for libintl ignore libc
+	    if test "$enable_nls" != "yes"; then
+		continue
+	    fi
+	else
+	    LIBS="$OLIBS $l"
+	fi
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for gettext in $l])
+	AC_LINK_IFELSE(
+	    [
+		AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <libintl.h>]], [(void)gettext((char *)0);])
+	    ], [enable_nls=yes], [enable_nls=no]
+	)
+	AC_MSG_RESULT($enable_nls)
+	if test "$enable_nls" = "yes"; then
+	    break
+	fi
+    done
+    LIBS="$OLIBS"
+    if test "$enable_nls" = "yes"; then
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBINTL_H)
 	SUDO_NLS=enabled
+	if test "$l" != "libc"; then
+	    LIBINTL="$l"
+	fi
     fi
 fi