diff --git a/japanese/tomoe/Makefile b/japanese/tomoe/Makefile
index d266216392c7..144986406857 100644
--- a/japanese/tomoe/Makefile
+++ b/japanese/tomoe/Makefile
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ PLIST_SUB+=	UNIHAN="@comment "
 CONFIGURE_ENV+=	CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -I${LOCALBASE}/include" \
 		PYTHON_VERSION=${PYTHON_VERSION:S;python;;} \
 		pyexecdir=${PYTHON_SITELIBDIR} \
-		GMSGFMT='/usr/local/bin/msgfmt'
+		GMSGFMT="${LOCALBASE}/bin/msgfmt"
 
 .if defined(WITH_UNIHAN)
 post-extract:
diff --git a/japanese/uim-tomoe-gtk/Makefile b/japanese/uim-tomoe-gtk/Makefile
index cb027e6d7ca7..c2b2db17c117 100644
--- a/japanese/uim-tomoe-gtk/Makefile
+++ b/japanese/uim-tomoe-gtk/Makefile
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ GNU_CONFIGURE=	yes
 PLIST_FILES=	bin/uim-tomoe-gtk \
 		share/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES/uim-tomoe-gtk.mo
 
-CONFIGURE_ENV+=	GMSGFMT='/usr/local/bin/msgfmt'
+CONFIGURE_ENV+=	GMSGFMT="${LOCALBASE}/bin/msgfmt"
 
 .include <bsd.port.mk>