diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index cd1ef00acebfd4d821b02be30b04b376aaec992f..b5647b4fe48e55ebfc4607ac036acca853d73853 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Tue Jan  6 10:47:33 CET 2009 Jim Meyering <meyering@redhat.com>
+
+	avoid syntax-check (po-check) failure due to FP match on gettext.m4
+	* Makefile.maint (po-check): Exclude .m4 files.
+
 Tue Jan  6 10:45:04 CET 2009 Daniel Veillard <veillard@redhat.com>
 
 	* qemud/remote.c: fix compilation without SASL, patch by John Levon
diff --git a/Makefile.maint b/Makefile.maint
index 4e2d347a20840f362a7cc3962c86f0333e960380..cfbdf56fd2cc722bca4a2acd60cc4a2fd75a46e0 100644
--- a/Makefile.maint
+++ b/Makefile.maint
@@ -558,6 +558,7 @@ po-check:
 	  files=;							\
 	  for file in $$($(VC_LIST_EXCEPT)); do				\
 	    case $$file in						\
+	      *.m4) continue;;						\
 	      *.?|*.??) ;;						\
 	      *) continue;;						\
 	    esac;							\