diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/makemessages.py b/django/core/management/commands/makemessages.py
index e693e17400..060def5d5a 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/makemessages.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/makemessages.py
@@ -250,18 +250,6 @@ class Command(NoArgsCommand):
                     "if you want to enable i18n for your project or application.")
 
         check_programs('xgettext')
-        # We require gettext version 0.15 or newer.
-        output, errors, status = popen_wrapper(['xgettext', '--version'])
-        if status != STATUS_OK:
-            raise CommandError("Error running xgettext. Note that Django "
-                        "internationalization requires GNU gettext 0.15 or newer.")
-        match = re.search(r'(?P<major>\d+)\.(?P<minor>\d+)', output)
-        if match:
-            xversion = (int(match.group('major')), int(match.group('minor')))
-            if xversion < (0, 15):
-                raise CommandError("Django internationalization requires GNU "
-                        "gettext 0.15 or newer. You are using version %s, please "
-                        "upgrade your gettext toolset." % match.group())
 
         potfile = self.build_pot_file(localedir)
 
diff --git a/tests/i18n/commands/tests.py b/tests/i18n/commands/tests.py
deleted file mode 100644
index f9e3c20fff..0000000000
--- a/tests/i18n/commands/tests.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-import os
-import re
-from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
-
-from django.core.management.utils import find_command
-
-can_run_extraction_tests = False
-can_run_compilation_tests = False
-
-# checks if it can find xgettext on the PATH and
-# imports the extraction tests if yes
-xgettext_cmd = find_command('xgettext')
-if xgettext_cmd:
-    p = Popen('%s --version' % xgettext_cmd, shell=True, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, close_fds=os.name != 'nt', universal_newlines=True)
-    output = p.communicate()[0]
-    match = re.search(r'(?P<major>\d+)\.(?P<minor>\d+)', output)
-    if match:
-        xversion = (int(match.group('major')), int(match.group('minor')))
-        if xversion >= (0, 15):
-            can_run_extraction_tests = True
-    del p
-
-if find_command('msgfmt'):
-    can_run_compilation_tests = True
diff --git a/tests/i18n/tests.py b/tests/i18n/tests.py
index 9f1e366c9f..777b9c4f75 100644
--- a/tests/i18n/tests.py
+++ b/tests/i18n/tests.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import pickle
 from threading import local
 
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.management.utils import find_command
 from django.template import Template, Context
 from django.template.base import TemplateSyntaxError
 from django.test import TestCase, RequestFactory
@@ -33,14 +34,13 @@ from django.utils.translation import (activate, deactivate,
     npgettext, npgettext_lazy,
     check_for_language)
 
-from .commands.tests import can_run_extraction_tests, can_run_compilation_tests
-if can_run_extraction_tests:
+if find_command('xgettext'):
     from .commands.extraction import (ExtractorTests, BasicExtractorTests,
         JavascriptExtractorTests, IgnoredExtractorTests, SymlinkExtractorTests,
         CopyPluralFormsExtractorTests, NoWrapExtractorTests,
         NoLocationExtractorTests, KeepPotFileExtractorTests,
         MultipleLocaleExtractionTests)
-if can_run_compilation_tests:
+if find_command('msgfmt'):
     from .commands.compilation import (PoFileTests, PoFileContentsTests,
         PercentRenderingTests, MultipleLocaleCompilationTests,
         CompilationErrorHandling)