diff --git a/lib/libalpm/po/Makevars b/lib/libalpm/po/Makevars
index 1b1b8279..d7515220 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/po/Makevars
+++ b/lib/libalpm/po/Makevars
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ top_builddir = ../../../
 
 # These options get passed to xgettext.
 XGETTEXT_OPTIONS = \
-  --keyword=_ --flag=_:1:pass-c-format \
-  --keyword=N_ --flag=N_:1:pass-c-format
+  --keyword=_ --flag=_:1:c-format \
+  --keyword=N_ --flag=N_:1:c-format
 
 # This is the copyright holder that gets inserted into the header of the
 # $(DOMAIN).pot file.  Set this to the copyright holder of the surrounding
diff --git a/po/Makevars b/po/Makevars
index 94d8294a..38a4692e 100644
--- a/po/Makevars
+++ b/po/Makevars
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ top_builddir = ../
 
 # These options get passed to xgettext.
 XGETTEXT_OPTIONS = \
-  --keyword=_ --flag=_:1:pass-c-format \
-  --keyword=N_ --flag=N_:1:pass-c-format
+  --keyword=_ --flag=_:1:c-format \
+  --keyword=N_ --flag=N_:1:c-format
 
 # This is the copyright holder that gets inserted into the header of the
 # $(DOMAIN).pot file.