diff --git a/init/fish.in b/init/fish.in
index 27b190124..f47a695f9 100644
--- a/init/fish.in
+++ b/init/fish.in
@@ -77,13 +77,14 @@ end
 # used by other init files.
 #
 
-if test 1 = "@HAVE_GETTEXT@"; and which gettext >/dev/null ^/dev/null
-	function _ -d "Alias for the gettext command"
-		gettext fish $argv
-	end
-else
-	function _ -d "Alias for the gettext command"
-		printf "%s" $argv
+function _ -d "Alias for the gettext command"
+	printf "%s" $argv
+end
+if test 1 = "@HAVE_GETTEXT@"
+	if which gettext ^/dev/null >/dev/null
+		function _ -d "Alias for the gettext command"
+			gettext fish $argv
+		end
 	end
 end