diff --git a/data/meson.build b/data/meson.build
index 868ab9f..080a2a1 100644
--- a/data/meson.build
+++ b/data/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ desktop_file = i18n.merge_file(
   input : 'org.gnome.Calls.desktop.in',
   output : 'org.gnome.Calls.desktop',
   type : 'desktop',
-  po_dir : '../po',
+  po_dir : po_dir,
   install : true,
   install_dir : join_paths(datadir, 'applications')
 )
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ desktop_daemon_file = i18n.merge_file(
   input : 'org.gnome.Calls-daemon.desktop.in',
   output : 'org.gnome.Calls-daemon.desktop',
   type : 'desktop',
-  po_dir : '../po',
+  po_dir : po_dir,
   install : true,
   install_dir : join_paths(sysconfdir, 'xdg/autostart')
 )
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 556209a..b7b5cd8 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ full_servicedir = join_paths(prefix, get_option('datadir'), 'dbus-1', 'services'
 localedir = get_option('localedir')
 full_localedir = join_paths(prefix, localedir)
 full_calls_plugin_libdir = join_paths(prefix, libdir, calls_name, 'plugins')
+po_dir = join_paths(meson.project_source_root(), 'po')
 
 libcall_ui_dep = dependency('call-ui',
   fallback:  ['libcall-ui', 'libcall_ui_dep'],