diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index b5428bc41..80af88488 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
     if (config.app_runtime != .none) {
         exe.install();
         resources.install();
-        if (builtin.target.os.tag != .freebsd) i18n.install();
+        i18n.install();
     }
 
     // Libghostty
diff --git a/src/build/GhosttyI18n.zig b/src/build/GhosttyI18n.zig
index a1852bb96..dce96628f 100644
--- a/src/build/GhosttyI18n.zig
+++ b/src/build/GhosttyI18n.zig
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const GhosttyI18n = @This();
 
 const std = @import("std");
+const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const Config = @import("Config.zig");
 const gresource = @import("../apprt/gtk/gresource.zig");
 const internal_os = @import("../os/main.zig");
@@ -21,6 +22,11 @@ pub fn init(b: *std.Build, cfg: *const Config) !GhosttyI18n {
     defer steps.deinit();
 
     inline for (internal_os.i18n.locales) |locale| {
+        const target_locale = comptime if (builtin.target.os.tag == .freebsd)
+            std.mem.trimRight(u8, locale, ".UTF-8")
+        else
+            locale;
+
         const msgfmt = b.addSystemCommand(&.{ "msgfmt", "-o", "-" });
         msgfmt.addFileArg(b.path("po/" ++ locale ++ ".po"));
 
@@ -28,7 +34,7 @@ pub fn init(b: *std.Build, cfg: *const Config) !GhosttyI18n {
             msgfmt.captureStdOut(),
             std.fmt.comptimePrint(
                 "share/locale/{s}/LC_MESSAGES/{s}.mo",
-                .{ locale, domain },
+                .{ target_locale, domain },
             ),
         ).step);
     }
diff --git a/src/os/i18n.zig b/src/os/i18n.zig
index 69194b4fb..2d24a720e 100644
--- a/src/os/i18n.zig
+++ b/src/os/i18n.zig
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ pub const InitError = error{
 pub fn init(resources_dir: []const u8) InitError!void {
     // i18n is unsupported on Windows
     switch (builtin.os.tag) {
-        .windows, .freebsd => return,
+        .windows => return,
         else => {
             // Our resources dir is always nested below the share dir that
             // is standard for translations.