diff --git a/po/ChangeLog b/po/ChangeLog
index 50b68a216..e3cc2b7f1 100644
--- a/po/ChangeLog
+++ b/po/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2000-05-07  Kenneth Christiansen  <kenneth@gnome.dk>
+
+	* update.sh: Updated update.sh to support
+          merging, --help, easier porting to new
+          packages, et al
+	
 2000-05-07  Valek Filippov  <frob@df.ru>
 
 	* ru.po: updated russian translation.
diff --git a/po/update.sh b/po/update.sh
index e3e69d59f..b2d2a50cd 100755
--- a/po/update.sh
+++ b/po/update.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,39 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-xgettext --default-domain=mc --directory=.. \
+PACKAGE="mc"
+
+if [ "x$1" = "x--help" ]; then
+
+echo Usage: ./update.sh langcode
+echo --help                  display this help and exit
+echo
+echo Examples of use:
+echo ./update.sh ----- just creates a new pot file from the source
+echo ./update.sh da -- created new pot file and updated the da.po file 
+
+elif [ "x$1" = "x" ]; then 
+
+echo "Building the $PACKAGE.pot ..."
+
+xgettext --default-domain=$PACKAGE --directory=.. \
   --add-comments --keyword=_ --keyword=N_ \
   --files-from=./POTFILES.in \
-&& test ! -f mc.po \
-   || ( rm -f ./mc.pot \
-    && mv mc.po ./mc.pot )
+&& test ! -f $PACKAGE.po \
+   || ( rm -f ./$PACKAGE.pot \
+&& mv $PACKAGE.po ./$PACKAGE.pot );
+
+else
+
+xgettext --default-domain=$PACKAGE --directory=.. \
+  --add-comments --keyword=_ --keyword=N_ \
+  --files-from=./POTFILES.in \
+&& test ! -f $PACKAGE.po \
+   || ( rm -f ./PACKAGE.pot \
+&& mv $PACKAGE.po ./$PACKAGE.pot );
+
+echo Now merging $1.po with $PACKAGE.pot, and creating an updated $1.po 
+
+mv $1.po $1.po.old && msgmerge $1.po.old $PACKAGE.pot -o $1.po \
+&& rm $1.po.old;
+
+fi;