diff --git a/modules/TDEMacros.cmake b/modules/TDEMacros.cmake
index 972de94..ef49af0 100644
--- a/modules/TDEMacros.cmake
+++ b/modules/TDEMacros.cmake
@@ -1893,16 +1893,25 @@ macro( tde_create_translated_desktop )
     get_filename_component( _out_name ${_basename} NAME )
   endif( )
 
-  # if no po directory specified, try to determine it
-  if( NOT _po_dir )
-    if( EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files/${_basename} AND
-        IS_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files/${_basename} )
-      set( _po_dir ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files/${_basename} )
+  # determine po directory
+  if( _po_dir )
+    set( _po_base ${_po_dir} )
+  else()
+    get_filename_component( _po_base ${_basename} NAME )
+  endif()
+  if( IS_ABSOLUTE ${_po_base} )
+    set( _po_dir ${_po_base} )
+  else()
+    if( EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files/${_po_base} AND
+        IS_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files/${_po_base} )
+      set( _po_dir ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files/${_po_base} )
 
-    elseif( EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/po/desktop_files/${_basename} AND
-            IS_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/po/desktop_files/${_basename} )
-      set( _po_dir ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/po/desktop_files/${_basename} )
+    elseif( EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/po/desktop_files/${_po_base} AND
+            IS_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/po/desktop_files/${_po_base} )
+      set( _po_dir ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/po/desktop_files/${_po_base} )
 
+    else()
+      set( _po_dir ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/translations/desktop_files )
     endif( )
   endif( )