diff --git a/data/Makefile.am b/data/Makefile.am
index 19608660b..b00bb3b17 100644
--- a/data/Makefile.am
+++ b/data/Makefile.am
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ desktop_DATA = gnome-shell.desktop gnome-shell-extension-prefs.desktop
 	    -e "s|@VERSION[@]|$(VERSION)|" \
 	    $< > $@ || rm $@
 
-# Placeholder until we add intltool
-%.desktop:%.desktop.in
-	$(AM_V_GEN) sed s/^_// < $< > $@ || rm $@
+@INTLTOOL_DESKTOP_RULE@
 
 searchprovidersdir = $(pkgdatadir)/open-search-providers
 dist_searchproviders_DATA =				\
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.skip b/po/POTFILES.skip
index 1677f82b5..c3a821cf3 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.skip
+++ b/po/POTFILES.skip
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-data/gnome-shell.desktop.in
-data/gnome-shell-extension-prefs.desktop.in
 data/org.gnome.shell.evolution.calendar.gschema.xml.in
 src/calendar-server/evolution-calendar.desktop.in