diff --git a/django/bin/make-messages.py b/django/bin/make-messages.py
index 34fb68dcfe..bf9e7a1962 100755
--- a/django/bin/make-messages.py
+++ b/django/bin/make-messages.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def make_messages():
                     src = pythonize_re.sub('\n#', src)
                     open(os.path.join(dirpath, '%s.py' % file), "wb").write(src)
                     thefile = '%s.py' % file
-                    cmd = 'xgettext %s -d %s -L Perl --keyword=gettext_noop --keyword=gettext_lazy --keyword=ngettext_lazy --from-code UTF-8 -o - "%s"' % (
+                    cmd = 'xgettext %s -d %s -L Perl --keyword=gettext_noop --keyword=gettext_lazy --keyword=ngettext_lazy:1,2 --from-code UTF-8 -o - "%s"' % (
                         os.path.exists(potfile) and '--omit-header' or '', domain, os.path.join(dirpath, thefile))
                     (stdin, stdout, stderr) = os.popen3(cmd, 'b')
                     msgs = stdout.read()
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def make_messages():
                         open(os.path.join(dirpath, '%s.py' % file), "wb").write(templatize(src))
                         thefile = '%s.py' % file
                     if verbose: sys.stdout.write('processing file %s in %s\n' % (file, dirpath))
-                    cmd = 'xgettext %s -d %s -L Python --keyword=gettext_noop --keyword=gettext_lazy --keyword=ngettext_lazy --from-code UTF-8 -o - "%s"' % (
+                    cmd = 'xgettext %s -d %s -L Python --keyword=gettext_noop --keyword=gettext_lazy --keyword=ngettext_lazy:1,2 --from-code UTF-8 -o - "%s"' % (
                         os.path.exists(potfile) and '--omit-header' or '', domain, os.path.join(dirpath, thefile))
                     (stdin, stdout, stderr) = os.popen3(cmd, 'b')
                     msgs = stdout.read()