diff --git a/package/gnuchess/Config.in b/package/gnuchess/Config.in
index aa446f4b22..4993b1adf0 100644
--- a/package/gnuchess/Config.in
+++ b/package/gnuchess/Config.in
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_GNUCHESS
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_FLEX
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_GETTEXT if BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT_IF_LOCALE
 	help
 	  GNU Chess lets most modern computers play a full game of chess.
 
diff --git a/package/gnuchess/gnuchess.mk b/package/gnuchess/gnuchess.mk
index 48e8bc8965..0555cb17b4 100644
--- a/package/gnuchess/gnuchess.mk
+++ b/package/gnuchess/gnuchess.mk
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ GNUCHESS_LICENSE = GPLv2+
 GNUCHESS_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
 GNUCHESS_DEPENDENCIES = host-flex flex
-GNUCHESS_DEPENDENCIES += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_READLINE),readline)
+GNUCHESS_DEPENDENCIES += $(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_READLINE),readline) \
+	$(if $(BR2_NEEDS_GETTEXT_IF_LOCALE),gettext)
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))