diff --git a/package/gettext/gettext-03-option-to-disable-tools.patch b/package/gettext/gettext-03-option-to-disable-tools.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 24a99965b..000000000
--- a/package/gettext/gettext-03-option-to-disable-tools.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-Add a --disable-tools option
-
-This patch adds a --disable-tools option that allows to disable the
-compilation of the gettext tools, which may not be necessary on a
-small embedded Linux system.
-
-Signed-off-by: Thomas Petazzoni <thomas.petazzoni@free-electrons.com>
-
-Index: b/configure.ac
-===================================================================
---- a/configure.ac
-+++ b/configure.ac
-@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@
- 
- dnl Checks for library functions.
- 
-+AC_ARG_ENABLE([tools], [--disable-tools  do not build tools],
-+		       [enable_tools=$enableval], [enable_tools=yes])
-+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_TOOLS], [test "$enable_tools" = "yes"])
-+
- AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([gettext-runtime gettext-tools])
- 
- dnl Ensure that "configure --help" lists all the command line options that
-Index: b/Makefile.am
-===================================================================
---- a/Makefile.am
-+++ b/Makefile.am
-@@ -20,7 +20,13 @@
- ACLOCAL = build-aux/fixaclocal @ACLOCAL@
- ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
- 
--SUBDIRS = gnulib-local gettext-runtime gettext-tools
-+if ENABLE_TOOLS
-+TOOLS_SUBDIR = gettext-tools
-+else
-+TOOLS_SUBDIR =
-+endif
-+
-+SUBDIRS = gnulib-local gettext-runtime $(TOOLS_SUBDIR)
- 
- EXTRA_DIST = \
-   version.sh DEPENDENCIES PACKAGING HACKING ChangeLog.0 autogen.sh \
diff --git a/package/gettext/gettext-04-remove-examples-tests.patch b/package/gettext/gettext-04-remove-examples-tests.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index f7d88d980..000000000
--- a/package/gettext/gettext-04-remove-examples-tests.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-Disable tests and examples
-
-This patch disables the gettext-tools tests and examples, which are
-generally not necessary.
-
-Signed-off-by: Thomas Petazzoni <thomas.petazzoni@free-electrons.com>
-
-Index: b/gettext-tools/Makefile.am
-===================================================================
---- a/gettext-tools/Makefile.am
-+++ b/gettext-tools/Makefile.am
-@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
- ACLOCAL = ../build-aux/fixaclocal @ACLOCAL@
- ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 -I ../gettext-runtime/m4 -I ../m4 -I gnulib-m4 -I libgrep/gnulib-m4 -I libgettextpo/gnulib-m4
- 
--SUBDIRS = doc intl gnulib-lib libgrep src libgettextpo po projects styles misc man m4 tests gnulib-tests examples
-+SUBDIRS = doc intl gnulib-lib libgrep src libgettextpo po projects styles misc man m4
- 
- EXTRA_DIST = misc/DISCLAIM
- MOSTLYCLEANFILES = core *.stackdump
diff --git a/package/gettext/gettext.mk b/package/gettext/gettext.mk
index 52a72db71..948ab9de5 100644
--- a/package/gettext/gettext.mk
+++ b/package/gettext/gettext.mk
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ GETTEXT_SITE = $(BR2_GNU_MIRROR)/gettext
 GETTEXT_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 GETTEXT_LICENSE = GPLv2+
 GETTEXT_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
-GETTEXT_AUTORECONF = YES
 
 GETTEXT_DEPENDENCIES = $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBICONV),libiconv)
 HOST_GETTEXT_DEPENDENCIES = # we don't want the libiconv dependency
@@ -23,8 +22,7 @@ GETTEXT_CONF_OPT += \
 	--disable-native-java \
 	--disable-csharp \
 	--disable-relocatable \
-	--without-emacs \
-	--disable-tools
+	--without-emacs
 
 HOST_GETTEXT_CONF_OPT = \
 	--disable-libasprintf \
@@ -37,6 +35,21 @@ HOST_GETTEXT_CONF_OPT = \
 	--disable-relocatable \
 	--without-emacs
 
+# For the target version, we only need the runtime, and for the host
+# version, we only need the tools.
+GETTEXT_SUBDIR = gettext-runtime
+HOST_GETTEXT_SUBDIR = gettext-tools
+
+# Disable the build of documentation and examples of gettext-tools,
+# and the build of documentation and tests of gettext-runtime.
+define HOST_GETTEXT_DISABLE_UNNEEDED
+	$(SED) '/^SUBDIRS/s/ doc //;/^SUBDIRS/s/examples$$//' $(@D)/gettext-tools/Makefile.in
+	$(SED) '/^SUBDIRS/s/ doc //;/^SUBDIRS/s/tests$$//' $(@D)/gettext-runtime/Makefile.in
+endef
+
+GETTEXT_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += HOST_GETTEXT_DISABLE_UNNEEDED
+HOST_GETTEXT_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += HOST_GETTEXT_DISABLE_UNNEEDED
+
 # Force build with NLS support, otherwise libintl is not built
 # This is needed because some packages (eg. libglib2) requires
 # locales, but do not properly depend on BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE, and
@@ -46,13 +59,6 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE),)
 GETTEXT_CONF_OPT += --enable-nls
 endif
 
-# When static libs are preferred the .so files aren't created
-ifeq ($(BR2_PREFER_STATIC_LIB),)
-define GETTEXT_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
-	cp -dpf $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/lib/libintl*.so* $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/
-endef
-endif
-
 # Disable interactive confirmation in host gettextize for package fixups
 define HOST_GETTEXT_GETTEXTIZE_CONFIRMATION
 	$(SED) '/read dummy/d' $(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/gettextize