diff --git a/po-python/Makefile.in.in b/po-python/Makefile.in.in
index 69d446c52e..8cb9a50aae 100644
--- a/po-python/Makefile.in.in
+++ b/po-python/Makefile.in.in
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ all-yes: $(CATALOGS)
 all-no:
 
 $(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot: $(POTFILES)
+	@if test "x$(INTLTOOL_UPDATE)" = "x/bin/true"; then \
+		echo "Warning: pot generation deactivated on VPATH builds."; \
+		echo "         See commit c96006919."; \
+	fi
 	$(GENPOT)
 
 install: install-data
@@ -180,6 +184,11 @@ dist distdir: $(DISTFILES)
 	done
 
 update-po: Makefile
+	@if test "x$(INTLTOOL_UPDATE)" = "x/bin/true"; then \
+		echo "Error: po generation deactivated on VPATH builds."; \
+		echo "       See commit c96006919."; \
+		false; \
+	fi
 	$(MAKE) $(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot
 	tmpdir=`pwd`; \
 	linguas="$(USE_LINGUAS)"; \
diff --git a/po-python/POTFILES.in b/po-python/POTFILES.in
index ae22ec4ed5..2c322f7d5c 100644
--- a/po-python/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po-python/POTFILES.in
@@ -3,18 +3,18 @@
 
 [encoding: UTF-8]
 
-plug-ins/pygimp/gimpfu.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/gimpfu.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.py
 
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/colorxhtml.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/gradients-save-as-css.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/histogram-export.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/foggify.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/palette-offset.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/palette-sort.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/py-slice.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/python-console.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/shadow_bevel.py
-plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/spyro_plus.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/colorxhtml.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/gradients-save-as-css.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/histogram-export.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/foggify.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/palette-offset.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/palette-sort.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/py-slice.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/python-console.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/shadow_bevel.py
+#plug-ins/pygimp/plug-ins/spyro_plus.py
 
 plug-ins/python/palette-to-gradient.py