diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4fc3b90a..58291140 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from distutils.core import setup
 from distutils.command.install_data import install_data
-from distutils.command.install import install
+from distutils.dist import Distribution
 from distutils.command.build import build
 from distutils.dep_util import newer
 from distutils.log import info
@@ -16,22 +16,21 @@ from terminatorlib.version import *
 
 PO_DIR = 'po'
 MO_DIR = os.path.join('build', 'mo')
-WITHOUT_GETTEXT = False
 
-# Someone with more distutils clue needs to sort out our --without-gettext nonsense
-class BuildData(build):
-  user_options = build.user_options
-  user_options.append(("without-gettext", None, "Don't build gettext .mo files"))
+class TerminatorDist(Distribution):
+  global_options = Distribution.global_options + [
+    ("without-gettext", None, "Don't build/install gettext .mo files")]
 
-  def initialize_options(self):
-    build.initialize_options(self)
+  def __init__ (self, *args):
     self.without_gettext = False
+    Distribution.__init__(self, *args)
 
 
+class BuildData(build):
   def run (self):
     build.run (self)
 
-    if self.without_gettext or WITHOUT_GETTEXT:
+    if self.distribution.without_gettext:
       return
 
     for po in glob.glob (os.path.join (PO_DIR, '*.po')):
@@ -55,29 +54,7 @@ class BuildData(build):
           sys.exit(1)
 
 
-class Install(install):
-  user_options = install.user_options
-  user_options.append(("without-gettext", None, "Don't install gettext .mo files"))
-
-  def initialize_options(self):
-    install.initialize_options(self)
-    self.without_gettext = False
-
-  def run(self):
-    global WITHOUT_GETTEXT
-    if self.without_gettext:
-      WITHOUT_GETTEXT = True
-    install.run(self)
-
-
 class InstallData(install_data):
-  user_options = install_data.user_options
-  user_options.append(("without-gettext", None, "Don't build gettext .mo files"))
-
-  def initialize_options(self):
-    install_data.initialize_options(self)
-    self.without_gettext = False
-
   def run (self):
     self.data_files.extend (self._find_mo_files ())
     install_data.run (self)
@@ -86,7 +63,7 @@ class InstallData(install_data):
   def _find_mo_files (self):
     data_files = []
 
-    if not (self.without_gettext or WITHOUT_GETTEXT):
+    if not self.distribution.without_gettext:
       for mo in glob.glob (os.path.join (MO_DIR, '*', 'terminator.mo')):
        lang = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(mo))
        dest = os.path.join('share', 'locale', lang, 'LC_MESSAGES')
@@ -121,6 +98,7 @@ setup(name='Terminator',
                   ('share/icons/hicolor/16x16/actions', glob.glob('data/icons/16x16/actions/*.png')),
                  ],
       packages=['terminatorlib'],
-      cmdclass={'build': BuildData, 'install_data': InstallData, 'install': Install}
+      cmdclass={'build': BuildData, 'install_data': InstallData},
+      distclass=TerminatorDist
      )