diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 528f6ec9d..d94892ad5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@ KDE_OPTIONS = nofinal
 ## this option you can leave out. Just, if you use "make dist", you need it
 noinst_HEADERS = dvi.h dviRenderer.h xdvi.h
 
-messages: rc.cpp
-	$(PREPARETIPS) > tips.cpp
-	$(XGETTEXT) *.cpp -o $(podir)/kdvi.pot
-	rm -f tips.cpp
 
 tip_DATA = tips
 tipdir = $(kde_datadir)/kdvi
diff --git a/Messages.sh b/Messages.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca5114cf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Messages.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+$PREPARETIPS > tips.cpp
+$XGETTEXT *.cpp -o $podir/kdvi.pot
+rm -f tips.cpp