diff --git a/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py b/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py
index 3c41cee2cd..a27a6c007f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py
+++ b/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py
@@ -1,20 +1,39 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env python
 # Written by Martin v. Loewis <loewis@informatik.hu-berlin.de>
-# Modified by Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>
 
 """Generate binary message catalog from textual translation description.
 
 This program converts a textual Uniforum-style message catalog (.po file) into
 a binary GNU catalog (.mo file).  This is essentially the same function as the
 GNU msgfmt program, however, it is a simpler implementation.
+
+Usage: msgfmt.py [OPTIONS] filename.po
+
+Options:
+    -o file
+    --output-file=file
+        Specify the output file to write to.  If omitted, output will go to a
+        file named filename.mo (based off the input file name).
+
+    -h
+    --help
+        Print this message and exit.
+
+    -V
+    --version
+        Display version information and exit.
 """
 
 import sys
 import os
+import getopt
 import struct
 import array
 
-__version__ = "1.2"
+__version__ = "1.1"
+
+MESSAGES = {}
+
 
 def usage(code, msg=''):
     print >> sys.stderr, __doc__
@@ -23,16 +42,16 @@ def usage(code, msg=''):
     sys.exit(code)
 
 
-
-def add(id, str, fuzzy, MESSAGES):
+def add(id, str, fuzzy):
     "Add a non-fuzzy translation to the dictionary."
+    global MESSAGES
     if not fuzzy and str:
         MESSAGES[id] = str
 
 
-
-def generate(MESSAGES):
+def generate():
     "Return the generated output."
+    global MESSAGES
     keys = MESSAGES.keys()
     # the keys are sorted in the .mo file
     keys.sort()
@@ -44,6 +63,7 @@ def generate(MESSAGES):
         offsets.append((len(ids), len(id), len(strs), len(MESSAGES[id])))
         ids += id + '\0'
         strs += MESSAGES[id] + '\0'
+    output = ''
     # The header is 7 32-bit unsigned integers.  We don't use hash tables, so
     # the keys start right after the index tables.
     # translated string.
@@ -71,9 +91,7 @@ def generate(MESSAGES):
     return output
 
 
-
 def make(filename, outfile):
-    MESSAGES = {}
     ID = 1
     STR = 2
 
@@ -101,7 +119,7 @@ def make(filename, outfile):
         lno += 1
         # If we get a comment line after a msgstr, this is a new entry
         if l[0] == '#' and section == STR:
-            add(msgid, msgstr, fuzzy, MESSAGES)
+            add(msgid, msgstr, fuzzy)
             section = None
             fuzzy = 0
         # Record a fuzzy mark
@@ -111,16 +129,39 @@ def make(filename, outfile):
         if l[0] == '#':
             continue
         # Now we are in a msgid section, output previous section
-        if l.startswith('msgid'):
+        if l.startswith('msgid') and not l.startswith('msgid_plural'):
             if section == STR:
-                add(msgid, msgstr, fuzzy, MESSAGES)
+                add(msgid, msgstr, fuzzy)
             section = ID
             l = l[5:]
             msgid = msgstr = ''
+            is_plural = False
+        # This is a message with plural forms
+        elif l.startswith('msgid_plural'):
+            if section != ID:
+                print >> sys.stderr, 'msgid_plural not preceeded by msgid on %s:%d' %\
+                    (infile, lno)
+                sys.exit(1)
+            l = l[12:]
+            msgid += '\0' # separator of singular and plural
+            is_plural = True
         # Now we are in a msgstr section
         elif l.startswith('msgstr'):
             section = STR
-            l = l[6:]
+            if l.startswith('msgstr['):
+                if not is_plural:
+                    print >> sys.stderr, 'plural without msgid_plural on %s:%d' %\
+                        (infile, lno)
+                    sys.exit(1)
+                l = l.split(']', 1)[1]
+                if msgstr:
+                    msgstr += '\0' # Separator of the various plural forms
+            else:
+                if is_plural:
+                    print >> sys.stderr, 'indexed msgstr required for plural on  %s:%d' %\
+                        (infile, lno)
+                    sys.exit(1)
+                l = l[6:]
         # Skip empty lines
         l = l.strip()
         if not l:
@@ -138,22 +179,40 @@ def make(filename, outfile):
             sys.exit(1)
     # Add last entry
     if section == STR:
-        add(msgid, msgstr, fuzzy, MESSAGES)
+        add(msgid, msgstr, fuzzy)
 
     # Compute output
-    output = generate(MESSAGES)
+    output = generate()
 
+    outfile.write(output)
+
+
+def main():
     try:
-        outfile.write(output)
-    except IOError,msg:
-        print >> sys.stderr, msg
+        opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'hVo:',
+                                   ['help', 'version', 'output-file='])
+    except getopt.error, msg:
+        usage(1, msg)
 
+    outfile = None
+    # parse options
+    for opt, arg in opts:
+        if opt in ('-h', '--help'):
+            usage(0)
+        elif opt in ('-V', '--version'):
+            print >> sys.stderr, "msgfmt.py", __version__
+            sys.exit(0)
+        elif opt in ('-o', '--output-file'):
+            outfile = arg
+    # do it
+    if not args:
+        print >> sys.stderr, 'No input file given'
+        print >> sys.stderr, "Try `msgfmt --help' for more information."
+        return
 
-
-def main(outfile, args=sys.argv[1:]):
     for filename in args:
         make(filename, outfile)
-    return 0
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    sys.exit(main(sys.stdout))
+    main()
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/localization.py b/src/calibre/utils/localization.py
index 294d8f7640..43b4fbcc89 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/localization.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/localization.py
@@ -71,13 +71,13 @@ def set_translators():
     lang = get_lang()
     if lang:
         buf = iso639 = None
-        if os.access(lang+'.po', os.R_OK):
+        mpath = get_lc_messages_path(lang)
+        if os.access(mpath+'.po', os.R_OK):
             from calibre.translations.msgfmt import make
             buf = cStringIO.StringIO()
-            make(lang+'.po', buf)
+            make(mpath+'.po', buf)
             buf = cStringIO.StringIO(buf.getvalue())
 
-        mpath = get_lc_messages_path(lang)
         if mpath is not None:
             with ZipFile(P('localization/locales.zip',
                 allow_user_override=False), 'r') as zf: