diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d39e684e1..521347695 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ AC_SUBST(MCLIBS)
 MAN_DATE="$(LC_ALL=C date "+%B %Y")"
 AC_SUBST(MAN_DATE)
 
+AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_NLS, [test x"$USE_NLS" = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_MAINTAINER_MODE, [test x"$USE_MAINTAINER_MODE" = xyes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_SCREEN_SLANG, [test x"$with_screen" = xslang])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_EDIT, [test -n "$use_edit"])
diff --git a/doc/hints/Makefile.am b/doc/hints/Makefile.am
index deb164bab..6c42d4505 100644
--- a/doc/hints/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/hints/Makefile.am
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-HINTFILES = \
-	mc.hint mc.hint.cs mc.hint.es mc.hint.hu mc.hint.it	\
-	mc.hint.nl mc.hint.pl mc.hint.ru mc.hint.sr mc.hint.uk	\
-	mc.hint.zh
+HINTFILE = mc.hint
+HINTFILES_LANG = \
+        mc.hint.cs mc.hint.es mc.hint.hu mc.hint.it mc.hint.nl \
+        mc.hint.pl mc.hint.ru mc.hint.sr mc.hint.uk mc.hint.zh
 
 hintdir = $(pkgdatadir)/hints
-hint_DATA = $(HINTFILES)
+
+hint_DATA = $(HINTFILE)
+if USE_NLS
+hint_DATA += $(HINTFILES_LANG)
+endif
 
 # Files processed by configure don't need to be here
-EXTRA_DIST = \
-	$(HINTFILES)
+EXTRA_DIST = $(HINTFILE) $(HINTFILES_LANG)
diff --git a/doc/hlp/Makefile.am b/doc/hlp/Makefile.am
index b3fdd8f91..57c0985f8 100644
--- a/doc/hlp/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/hlp/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 DIST_SUBDIRS = es hu it pl ru sr
+if USE_NLS
 SUBDIRS = $(DOC_LINGUAS)
+endif
 
 hlpdir = $(pkgdatadir)/help
 hlp_DATA = mc.hlp
diff --git a/doc/man/Makefile.am b/doc/man/Makefile.am
index a16e92e6b..4af125454 100644
--- a/doc/man/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/man/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 DIST_SUBDIRS = es hu it pl ru sr
+if USE_NLS
 SUBDIRS = $(DOC_LINGUAS)
+endif
 
 man_MANS = mc.1 mcedit.1 mcview.1