diff --git a/lib/com_err/error.c b/lib/com_err/error.c
index 5d8a1d033..ce48140ce 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/error.c
+++ b/lib/com_err/error.c
@@ -40,20 +40,24 @@ RCSID("$Id$");
 #include <string.h>
 #include <com_right.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBINTL
+#include <libintl.h>
+#else
+#define dgettext(d,s) (s)
+#endif
+
 const char *
 com_right(struct et_list *list, long code)
 {
     struct et_list *p;
     for (p = list; p; p = p->next) {
 	if (code >= p->table->base && code < p->table->base + p->table->n_msgs) {
-	    char *p = p->table->msgs[code - p->table->base];
+	    const char *str = p->table->msgs[code - p->table->base];
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBINTL
 	    char domain[6 + 1 + 20];
 	    snprintf(domain, sizeof(domain), "com_err%d", p->table->base);
-	    return dgettext(domain, p);
-#else
-	    return p;
 #endif
+	    return dgettext(domain, str);
 	}
        
     }