diff --git a/manual/build.py b/manual/build.py
index 4c397b80b4..2c7283fc32 100755
--- a/manual/build.py
+++ b/manual/build.py
@@ -63,16 +63,27 @@ def build_manual(language, base):
     from calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.container import epub_to_azw3
     epub_to_azw3(epub_dest)
 
+def build_pot(base):
+    cmd = [SPHINX_BUILD, '-b', 'gettext', '-t', 'online', '.', base]
+    print (' '.join(cmd))
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd)
+    os.remove(j(base, 'generated.pot'))
+    return base
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     os.chdir(d(a(__file__)))
     os.environ['__appname__'] = __appname__
     os.environ['__version__'] = __version__
     if len(sys.argv) == 1:
         base = j(tempfile.gettempdir(), 'manual')
-        os.environ['CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_LANG'] = 'en'
-        sphinx_build('en', base, t='online', quiet=False)
+        os.environ['CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_LANG'] = language = 'en'
+        sphinx_build(language, base, t='online', quiet=False)
     else:
         language, base  = sys.argv[1:]
-        os.environ['CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_LANG'] = language
-        build_manual(language, base)
-    print ('Manual for', language, 'built in', j(base, 'html'))
+        if language == 'gettext':
+            build_pot(base)
+        else:
+            os.environ['CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_LANG'] = language
+            build_manual(language, base)
+    if language != 'gettext':
+        print ('Manual for', language, 'built in', j(base, 'html'))
diff --git a/setup/translations.py b/setup/translations.py
index ea9f9d9b84..480970dcb7 100644
--- a/setup/translations.py
+++ b/setup/translations.py
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ class POT(Command):  # {{{
 
     def get_user_manual_docs(self):
         self.info('Generating translation templates for user_manual')
-        base = '.build/gettext'
-        subprocess.check_call(['sphinx-build', '-b', 'gettext', '.', base], cwd=self.MANUAL)
-        base, tbase = self.j(self.MANUAL, base), self.j(self.TRANSLATIONS, 'manual')
+        base = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        subprocess.check_call(['calibre-debug', self.j(self.d(self.SRC), 'manual', 'build.py'), 'gettext', base])
+        tbase = self.j(self.TRANSLATIONS, 'manual')
         for x in os.listdir(base):
             if not x.endswith('.pot'):
                 continue
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ class POT(Command):  # {{{
                 self.git('add .tx/config')
             self.upload_pot(dest, resource=slug)
             self.git(['add', dest])
+        shutil.rmtree(base)
 
     def run(self, opts):
         require_git_master()