diff --git a/linux/Config.tools.in b/linux/Config.tools.in
index 09bcfabf15..5ada98d9e8 100644
--- a/linux/Config.tools.in
+++ b/linux/Config.tools.in
@@ -3,11 +3,17 @@ menu "Linux Kernel Tools"
 config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_TOOL_CPUPOWER
 	bool "cpupower"
 	depends on !BR2_bfin # pciutils
+	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR || !BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT # gettext
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_PCIUTILS
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GETTEXT if BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT
 	help
 	  cpupower is a collection of tools to examine and tune power
 	  saving related features of your processor.
 
+comment "cpupower needs a toolchain w/ wchar"
+	depends on !BR2_bfin
+	depends on !BR2_USE_WCHAR && BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT
+
 config BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_TOOL_PERF
 	bool "perf"
 	help
diff --git a/linux/linux-tool-cpupower.mk b/linux/linux-tool-cpupower.mk
index 4551cda1f1..095a5efad1 100644
--- a/linux/linux-tool-cpupower.mk
+++ b/linux/linux-tool-cpupower.mk
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@
 
 LINUX_TOOLS += cpupower
 
-CPUPOWER_DEPENDENCIES = pciutils
+CPUPOWER_DEPENDENCIES = pciutils $(if $(BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT),gettext)
 
 CPUPOWER_MAKE_OPTS = CROSS=$(TARGET_CROSS) \
 	CPUFREQ_BENCH=false \
+	NLS=false \
+	$(if $(BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT),LDFLAGS=-lintl) \
 	DEBUG=false
 
 define CPUPOWER_BUILD_CMDS