diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c527d3fb..67ab7abd 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class BuildData(build):
             if rc != 0:
               raise Warning, "msgfmt returned %d" % rc
           except Exception, e:
-            error("Building gettext files failed.  Try setup.py --without-gettext [build|install]")
+            error("Building gettext files failed. Ensure you have gettext installed. Alternatively, try setup.py --without-gettext [build|install]")
             error("Error: %s" % str(e))
             sys.exit(1)
 
@@ -63,14 +63,23 @@ class BuildData(build):
       INTLTOOL_MERGE='intltool-merge'
       desktop_in='data/terminator.desktop.in'
       desktop_data='data/terminator.desktop'
-      os.system ("C_ALL=C " + INTLTOOL_MERGE + " -d -u -c " + TOP_BUILDDIR +
+      rc = os.system ("C_ALL=C " + INTLTOOL_MERGE + " -d -u -c " + TOP_BUILDDIR +
                  "/po/.intltool-merge-cache " + TOP_BUILDDIR + "/po " +
                  desktop_in + " " + desktop_data)
+      if rc != 0:
+        # run the desktop_in through a command to strip the "_" characters
+        with open(desktop_in) as file_in, open(desktop_data, 'w') as file_data:
+          [file_data.write(line.lstrip('_')) for line in file_in]
+
       appdata_in='data/terminator.appdata.xml.in'
       appdata_data='data/terminator.appdata.xml'
-      os.system ("C_ALL=C " + INTLTOOL_MERGE + " -x -u -c " + TOP_BUILDDIR +
+      rc = os.system ("C_ALL=C " + INTLTOOL_MERGE + " -x -u -c " + TOP_BUILDDIR +
                  "/po/.intltool-merge-cache " + TOP_BUILDDIR + "/po " +
                  appdata_in + " " + appdata_data)
+      if rc != 0:
+        # run the appdata_in through a command to strip the "_" characters
+        with open(appdata_in) as file_in, open(appdata_data, 'w') as file_data:
+          [file_data.write(line.replace('<_','<').replace('</_','</')) for line in file_in]
 
 class Uninstall(Command):
   description = "Attempt an uninstall from an install --record file"