diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0a6cff8d59..324495d80b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ cdata.set_quoted('PLUGINDIR', join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('libdi
 cdata.set_quoted('VERSION', gst_version)
 # FIXME: --with-memory-alignment],[8,N,malloc,pagesize (default is 32)]) option
 cdata.set('MEMORY_ALIGNMENT_MALLOC', 1)
+cdata.set('ENABLE_NLS', get_option('nls'))
 cdata.set_quoted('GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED', join_paths(prefix, helpers_install_dir, 'gst-plugin-scanner'))
 cdata.set_quoted('GST_PTP_HELPER_INSTALLED', join_paths(prefix, helpers_install_dir, 'gst-ptp-helper'))
 cdata.set_quoted('GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_SUBDIR', libexecdir,
@@ -473,7 +474,7 @@ subdir('tests')
 subdir('data')
 
 # xgettext is optional (on Windows for instance)
-if find_program('xgettext', required : false).found()
+if get_option('nls') and find_program('xgettext', required : false).found()
   subdir('po')
 endif
 
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 4dfb5a87cd..80da4086e5 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ option('gtkdoc', type : 'boolean', value : true, yield : true,
         description : 'Generate API documentation with gtk-doc')
 option('introspection', type : 'boolean', value : true, yield : true,
         description : 'Generate gobject-introspection bindings')
+option('nls', type : 'boolean', value : true, yield: true,
+        description : 'Enable native language support (translations)')
 option('package-name', type : 'string', yield : true,
        description : 'package name to use in plugins')
 option('package-origin', type : 'string', value : 'Unknown package origin', yield : true,