diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a94dc23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+autoconf
+autoheader
+
+echo bootstrapping translation files ...
+cd po
+intltool-update --pot
+for lang in $(cat LINGUAS); do
+    if [ -e "$lang.po" ]
+    then
+        echo "updating language file $lang.po ..."
+        intltool-update "$lang"
+    else
+        echo "creating new language file $lang.po ..."
+        msginit --locale="$lang"
+    fi
+done
+cd ..
+
diff --git a/po/HOWTO b/po/HOWTO
deleted file mode 100644
index 51fa34b..0000000
--- a/po/HOWTO
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-# Translation HOWTO for note-taking and personal reference
-
-# Add a new language
-
-Creates a new empty .po file for a specific translation
-
-        msginit --locale=LL  #  LL is the language code used
-
-
-Updates the .po file from the template, while merging existing template strings. Should be called when 
-the translatable strings have changed?
-
-        intltool-update LL   # LL is the language code used
-
-
-# File types
-
-./po directory contains all files needed for translation
-
-./po/telegram-purple.pot is a translation template for creating other .po for specific translations. The file is
-                         created by letting intltool-update --pot search through all source files (defined in
-                         potfiles.in) that contain translatable strings.
-
-./po/de.po            German locale, created by calling msginit --locale=de from telegram-purple.pot
-
diff --git a/po/HOWTO.md b/po/HOWTO.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f85362e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/po/HOWTO.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+Translation Howto
+=================
+
+To add the new language, append the language code LL to po/LINGUAS, and run autogen.sh. You 
+rill be prompted for a contact email. The .po files for the language should then show up in ./po/LL.po
+
+
+        echo LL >> po/LINGUAS
+        ./autogen.sh
+
+
+To update the translatable strings:
+
+
+        ./autogen.sh
+
+