diff --git a/bin/sugar-activity b/bin/sugar-activity
index 00e9063c..a8d4246f 100644
--- a/bin/sugar-activity
+++ b/bin/sugar-activity
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def main():
                                           config.locale_path)
 
     gettext.bindtextdomain(bundle.get_bundle_id(), activity_locale_path)
-    gettext.bindtextdomain('sugar-toolkit-gtk3', config.locale_path)
+    gettext.bindtextdomain('sugar-toolkit', config.locale_path)
     gettext.textdomain(bundle.get_bundle_id())
 
     splitted_module = args[0].rsplit('.', 1)
diff --git a/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py b/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py
index 6a0dbe00..6052cdd1 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ from sugar3.graphics.icon import Icon
 from sugar3.datastore import datastore
 from gi.repository import SugarExt
 
-from gettext import gettext as _
+_ = lambda msg: gettext.dgettext('sugar-toolkit', msg)
 
 SCOPE_PRIVATE = 'private'
 SCOPE_INVITE_ONLY = 'invite'  # shouldn't be shown in UI, it's implicit
diff --git a/src/sugar3/activity/widgets.py b/src/sugar3/activity/widgets.py
index 3cb612a6..1bd9d340 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/activity/widgets.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/activity/widgets.py
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ from sugar3.bundle.activitybundle import ActivityBundle
 from sugar3.graphics import style
 from sugar3.graphics.palettemenu import PaletteMenuBox
 
-from gettext import gettext as _
+
+_ = lambda msg: gettext.dgettext('sugar-toolkit', msg)
 
 
 def _create_activity_icon(metadata):
diff --git a/src/sugar3/graphics/alert.py b/src/sugar3/graphics/alert.py
index 3bf65ca5..d1dc79b6 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/graphics/alert.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/graphics/alert.py
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ import math
 from sugar3.graphics import style
 from sugar3.graphics.icon import Icon
 
-from gettext import gettext as _
+
+_ = lambda msg: gettext.dgettext('sugar-toolkit', msg)
 
 
 class Alert(Gtk.EventBox):
diff --git a/src/sugar3/graphics/colorbutton.py b/src/sugar3/graphics/colorbutton.py
index 3291b46c..1504bbd4 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/graphics/colorbutton.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/graphics/colorbutton.py
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ from sugar3.graphics import style
 from sugar3.graphics.icon import Icon
 from sugar3.graphics.palette import Palette, ToolInvoker, WidgetInvoker
 
-from gettext import gettext as _
+
+_ = lambda msg: gettext.dgettext('sugar-toolkit', msg)
 
 
 def get_svg_color_string(color):
diff --git a/src/sugar3/mime.py b/src/sugar3/mime.py
index 4f4103a4..d5ffbd4c 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/mime.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/mime.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ from gi.repository import Gio
 
 from gi.repository import SugarExt
 
-from gettext import gettext as _
+_ = lambda msg: gettext.dgettext('sugar-base', msg)
 
 GENERIC_TYPE_TEXT = 'Text'
 GENERIC_TYPE_IMAGE = 'Image'
diff --git a/src/sugar3/util.py b/src/sugar3/util.py
index 6ba23a81..4a36e048 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/util.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/util.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ import tempfile
 import logging
 import atexit
 
-from gettext import gettext as _
+
+_ = lambda msg: gettext.dgettext('sugar-toolkit', msg)
 
 
 def printable_hash(in_hash):
@@ -269,9 +270,10 @@ def timestamp_to_elapsed_string(timestamp, max_levels=2):
             if key in _i18n_timestamps_cache:
                 time_period += _i18n_timestamps_cache[key]
             else:
-                tmp = gettext.ngettext(name_singular,
-                                       name_plural,
-                                       elapsed_units)
+                tmp = gettext.dngettext('sugar-toolkit',
+                                        name_singular,
+                                        name_plural,
+                                        elapsed_units)
                 # FIXME: This is a hack so we don't crash when a translation
                 # doesn't contain the expected number of placeholders (#2354)
                 try: