diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1a9b23b679..e663619fb2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ lib = lib
 # DESTDIR =
 pathsep = :
 
+localedir_relative = $(patsubst $(prefix)/%,%,$(localedir))
 mandir_relative = $(patsubst $(prefix)/%,%,$(mandir))
 infodir_relative = $(patsubst $(prefix)/%,%,$(infodir))
 htmldir_relative = $(patsubst $(prefix)/%,%,$(htmldir))
@@ -1735,6 +1736,7 @@ bindir_relative_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(bindir_relative))
 mandir_relative_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(mandir_relative))
 infodir_relative_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(infodir_relative))
 localedir_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(localedir))
+localedir_relative_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(localedir_relative))
 gitexecdir_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(gitexecdir))
 template_dir_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(template_dir))
 htmldir_relative_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(htmldir_relative))
@@ -2171,7 +2173,7 @@ attr.sp attr.s attr.o: EXTRA_CPPFLAGS = \
 
 gettext.sp gettext.s gettext.o: GIT-PREFIX
 gettext.sp gettext.s gettext.o: EXTRA_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-DGIT_LOCALE_PATH='"$(localedir_SQ)"'
+	-DGIT_LOCALE_PATH='"$(localedir_relative_SQ)"'
 
 http-push.sp http.sp http-walker.sp remote-curl.sp imap-send.sp: SPARSE_FLAGS += \
 	-DCURL_DISABLE_TYPECHECK