diff --git a/apps/Makefile b/apps/Makefile
index 3f99798e67..1cd080e06b 100644
--- a/apps/Makefile
+++ b/apps/Makefile
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@ $(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
 	@mkdir -p `dirname $@`
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
-$(OBJDIR)/lang.o: lang/$(LANGUAGE).lang
+$(OBJDIR)/build.lang: lang/$(LANGUAGE).lang
+	../tools/uplang lang/english.lang $< > $@
+
+$(OBJDIR)/lang.o: $(OBJDIR)/build.lang
 	../tools/genlang -p=$(OBJDIR)/lang $<
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $(OBJDIR)/lang.c -o $@