diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gettext/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gettext/package.py
index ab4e2e74ec..9f3025d1bc 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gettext/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gettext/package.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
 
+import re
+
 from spack import *
 
 
@@ -12,6 +14,8 @@ class Gettext(AutotoolsPackage, GNUMirrorPackage):
     homepage = "https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/"
     gnu_mirror_path = "gettext/gettext-0.20.1.tar.xz"
 
+    executables = [r'^gettext$']
+
     version('0.21',     sha256='d20fcbb537e02dcf1383197ba05bd0734ef7bf5db06bdb241eb69b7d16b73192')
     version('0.20.2',   sha256='b22b818e644c37f6e3d1643a1943c32c3a9bff726d601e53047d2682019ceaba')
     version('0.20.1',   sha256='53f02fbbec9e798b0faaf7c73272f83608e835c6288dd58be6c9bb54624a3800')
@@ -51,6 +55,13 @@ class Gettext(AutotoolsPackage, GNUMirrorPackage):
     patch('nvhpc-export-symbols.patch', when='%nvhpc')
     patch('nvhpc-long-width.patch', when='%nvhpc')
 
+    @classmethod
+    def determine_version(cls, exe):
+        gettext = Executable(exe)
+        output = gettext('--version', output=str, error=str)
+        match = re.match(r'gettext(?: \(.+\)) ([\d.]+)', output)
+        return match.group(1) if match else None
+
     def configure_args(self):
         spec = self.spec