diff --git a/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.c b/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.c
index 0feea2281..158823db3 100644
--- a/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.c
+++ b/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.c
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ cc_keyboard_item_finalize (GObject *object)
   g_object_unref (client);
 
   /* Free memory */
+  g_free (item->gettext_package);
   g_free (item->gconf_key);
   g_free (item->description);
   g_free (item->desc_gconf_key);
@@ -412,6 +413,7 @@ binding_changed (GSettings *settings,
 
 gboolean
 cc_keyboard_item_load_from_gconf (CcKeyboardItem *item,
+				  const char *gettext_package,
                                   const char *key)
 {
   GConfClient *client;
@@ -432,12 +434,21 @@ cc_keyboard_item_load_from_gconf (CcKeyboardItem *item,
 
   if (gconf_entry_get_schema_name (entry)) {
     GConfSchema *schema;
+    const char *description;
 
     schema = gconf_client_get_schema (client,
                                       gconf_entry_get_schema_name (entry),
                                       NULL);
     if (schema != NULL) {
-      item->description = g_strdup (gconf_schema_get_short_desc (schema));
+      g_debug ("trying to get translation for '%s' using package '%s'",
+	       gconf_schema_get_short_desc (schema), gettext_package);
+      if (gettext_package != NULL) {
+	bind_textdomain_codeset (gettext_package, "UTF-8");
+	description = dgettext (gettext_package, gconf_schema_get_short_desc (schema));
+      } else {
+	description = _(gconf_schema_get_short_desc (schema));
+      }
+      item->description = g_strdup (description);
       gconf_schema_free (schema);
     }
   }
diff --git a/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.h b/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.h
index 2a879b245..243d898fd 100644
--- a/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.h
+++ b/panels/keyboard/cc-keyboard-item.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ typedef struct
   BindingGroupType group;
   GtkTreeModel *model;
   char *description;
+  char *gettext_package;
   char *binding;
 
   /* GCONF */
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ GType              cc_keyboard_item_get_type (void);
 
 CcKeyboardItem * cc_keyboard_item_new         (CcKeyboardItemType type);
 gboolean cc_keyboard_item_load_from_gconf     (CcKeyboardItem *item,
+					       const char *gettext_package,
 					       const char *key);
 gboolean cc_keyboard_item_load_from_gconf_dir (CcKeyboardItem *item,
 					       const char *key_dir);