diff --git a/depends.txt b/depends.txt
index 4451908..c2a3e1b 100644
--- a/depends.txt
+++ b/depends.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 default
 stairs
 moreblocks?
+intllib?
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 63be0c5..c2870a7 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 local settings = Settings(minetest.get_modpath("quartz").."/settings.txt")
 
+-- internationalization boilerplate
+local MP = minetest.get_modpath(minetest.get_current_modname())
+local S, NS = dofile(MP.."/intllib.lua")
+
 --
 --  Item Registration
 --
 
 --  Quartz Crystal
 minetest.register_craftitem("quartz:quartz_crystal", {
-	description = "Quartz Crystal",
+	description = S("Quartz Crystal"),
 	inventory_image = "quartz_crystal_full.png",
 })
 minetest.register_craftitem("quartz:quartz_crystal_piece", {
-	description = "Quartz Crystal Piece",
+	description = S("Quartz Crystal Piece"),
 	inventory_image = "quartz_crystal_piece.png",
 })
 
@@ -20,7 +24,7 @@ minetest.register_craftitem("quartz:quartz_crystal_piece", {
 
 --  Ore
 minetest.register_node("quartz:quartz_ore", {
-	description = "Quartz Ore",
+	description = S("Quartz Ore"),
 	tiles = {"default_stone.png^quartz_ore.png"},
 	groups = {cracky=3, stone=1},
 	drop = 'quartz:quartz_crystal',
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ minetest.register_ore({
 
 -- Quartz Block
 minetest.register_node("quartz:block", {
-	description = "Quartz Block",
+	description = S("Quartz Block"),
 	tiles = {"quartz_block.png"},
 	groups = {cracky=3, oddly_breakable_by_hand=1},
 	sounds = default.node_sound_glass_defaults(),
@@ -48,7 +52,7 @@ minetest.register_node("quartz:block", {
 
 -- Chiseled Quartz
 minetest.register_node("quartz:chiseled", {
-	description = "Chiseled Quartz",
+	description = S("Chiseled Quartz"),
 	tiles = {"quartz_chiseled.png"},
 	groups = {cracky=3, oddly_breakable_by_hand=1},
 	sounds = default.node_sound_glass_defaults(),
@@ -56,7 +60,7 @@ minetest.register_node("quartz:chiseled", {
 
 -- Quartz Pillar
 minetest.register_node("quartz:pillar", {
-	description = "Quartz Pillar",
+	description = S("Quartz Pillar"),
 	paramtype2 = "facedir",
 	tiles = {"quartz_pillar_top.png", "quartz_pillar_top.png", "quartz_pillar_side.png"},
 	groups = {cracky=3, oddly_breakable_by_hand=1},
@@ -68,15 +72,15 @@ minetest.register_node("quartz:pillar", {
 stairs.register_stair_and_slab("quartzblock", "quartz:block",
 		{cracky=3, oddly_breakable_by_hand=1},
 		{"quartz_block.png"},
-		"Quartz stair",
-		"Quartz slab",
+		S("Quartz stair"),
+		S("Quartz slab"),
 		default.node_sound_glass_defaults())
 
-stairs.register_slab("quartzstair", "quartz:pillar",
+stairs.register_stair_and_slab("quartzstair", "quartz:pillar",
 		{cracky=3, oddly_breakable_by_hand=1},
 		{"quartz_pillar_top.png", "quartz_pillar_top.png", "quartz_pillar_side.png"},
-		"Quartz Pillar stair",
-		"Quartz Pillar slab",
+		S("Quartz Pillar stair"),
+		S("Quartz Pillar slab"),
 		default.node_sound_glass_defaults())
 
 --
diff --git a/intllib.lua b/intllib.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6669d72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/intllib.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+-- Fallback functions for when `intllib` is not installed.
+-- Code released under Unlicense <http://unlicense.org>.
+
+-- Get the latest version of this file at:
+--   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/minetest-mods/intllib/master/lib/intllib.lua
+
+local function format(str, ...)
+	local args = { ... }
+	local function repl(escape, open, num, close)
+		if escape == "" then
+			local replacement = tostring(args[tonumber(num)])
+			if open == "" then
+				replacement = replacement..close
+			end
+			return replacement
+		else
+			return "@"..open..num..close
+		end
+	end
+	return (str:gsub("(@?)@(%(?)(%d+)(%)?)", repl))
+end
+
+local gettext, ngettext
+if minetest.get_modpath("intllib") then
+	if intllib.make_gettext_pair then
+		-- New method using gettext.
+		gettext, ngettext = intllib.make_gettext_pair()
+	else
+		-- Old method using text files.
+		gettext = intllib.Getter()
+	end
+end
+
+-- Fill in missing functions.
+
+gettext = gettext or function(msgid, ...)
+	return format(msgid, ...)
+end
+
+ngettext = ngettext or function(msgid, msgid_plural, n, ...)
+	return format(n==1 and msgid or msgid_plural, ...)
+end
+
+return gettext, ngettext
diff --git a/locale/template.pot b/locale/template.pot
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c78dda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/locale/template.pot
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# SOME DESCRIPTIVE TITLE.
+# Copyright (C) YEAR THE PACKAGE'S COPYRIGHT HOLDER
+# This file is distributed under the same license as the PACKAGE package.
+# FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR.
+#
+#, fuzzy
+msgid ""
+msgstr ""
+"Project-Id-Version: PACKAGE VERSION\n"
+"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2017-02-19 21:50-0700\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
+"Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
+"Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
+"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
+"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=CHARSET\n"
+"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
+
+#: init.lua:13
+msgid "Quartz Crystal"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:17
+msgid "Quartz Crystal Piece"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:27
+msgid "Quartz Ore"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:47
+msgid "Quartz Block"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:55
+msgid "Chiseled Quartz"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:63
+msgid "Quartz Pillar"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:75
+msgid "Quartz stair"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:76
+msgid "Quartz slab"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:82
+msgid "Quartz Pillar stair"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: init.lua:83
+msgid "Quartz Pillar slab"
+msgstr ""