diff --git a/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_dump.cpp b/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_dump.cpp
index 1c3c94636..f3666c72b 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_dump.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_dump.cpp
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   uint32_t log_level = 0;
   uint64_t block_stop = 0;
 
+  tools::sanitize_locale();
+
   boost::filesystem::path default_data_path {tools::get_default_data_dir()};
   boost::filesystem::path default_testnet_data_path {default_data_path / "testnet"};
   boost::filesystem::path output_file_path;
diff --git a/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_export.cpp b/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_export.cpp
index 1bdaa3d7e..bd463b14e 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_export.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_export.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   uint64_t block_stop = 0;
   bool blocks_dat = false;
 
+  tools::sanitize_locale();
+
   boost::filesystem::path default_data_path {tools::get_default_data_dir()};
   boost::filesystem::path default_testnet_data_path {default_data_path / "testnet"};
   boost::filesystem::path output_file_path;
diff --git a/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_import.cpp b/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_import.cpp
index 26bbbec8b..f20e051f3 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_import.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_utilities/blockchain_import.cpp
@@ -538,6 +538,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   std::string m_config_folder;
   std::string db_arg_str;
 
+  tools::sanitize_locale();
+
   boost::filesystem::path default_data_path {tools::get_default_data_dir()};
   boost::filesystem::path default_testnet_data_path {default_data_path / "testnet"};
   std::string import_file_path;
diff --git a/src/common/i18n.cpp b/src/common/i18n.cpp
index 9add06cb9..06b4423a7 100644
--- a/src/common/i18n.cpp
+++ b/src/common/i18n.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ static std::map<std::string,std::string> i18n_entries;
 // #define i18n_log(x) do { std::cout << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << ": " << x << std::endl; std::cout << std::flush; } while(0)
 #define i18n_log(x) ((void)0)
 
-static std::string get_language()
+std::string i18n_get_language()
 {
   const char *e;
 
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ static std::string utf8(const unsigned char *data, uint32_t len)
   return std::string((const char *)data,len);
 }
 
-int i18n_set_language(const char *directory, const char *base)
+int i18n_set_language(const char *directory, const char *base, std::string language)
 {
-  std::string language, filename, contents;
+  std::string filename, contents;
   const unsigned char *data;
   size_t datalen;
   size_t idx;
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ int i18n_set_language(const char *directory, const char *base)
   if (!directory || !base)
     return -1;
 
-  language = get_language();
+  if (language.empty())
+    language = i18n_get_language();
   filename = std::string(directory) + "/" + base + "_" + language + ".qm";
   i18n_log("Loading translations for language " << language);
 
diff --git a/src/common/i18n.h b/src/common/i18n.h
index 2aeac2287..8a1f3cf3d 100644
--- a/src/common/i18n.h
+++ b/src/common/i18n.h
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 
 #define QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP(context,str) i18n_translate(str,context)
 
-int i18n_set_language(const char *directory, const char *base);
+std::string i18n_get_language();
+int i18n_set_language(const char *directory, const char *base, std::string language = std::string());
 const char *i18n_translate(const char *str, const std::string &context);
 static inline std::string get_default_i18n_context() { return std::string(); }
 static inline const char *tr(const char *str) { return i18n_translate(str,get_default_i18n_context()); }
diff --git a/src/common/util.cpp b/src/common/util.cpp
index 7d39bc4f4..4c1b44004 100644
--- a/src/common/util.cpp
+++ b/src/common/util.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ using namespace epee;
 #else 
 #include <sys/utsname.h>
 #endif
+#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 
 
 namespace tools
@@ -389,4 +390,22 @@ std::string get_nix_version_display_string()
 #endif
     return std::error_code(code, std::system_category());
   }
+
+  bool sanitize_locale()
+  {
+    // boost::filesystem throws for "invalid" locales, such as en_US.UTF-8, or kjsdkfs,
+    // so reset it here before any calls to it
+    try
+    {
+      boost::filesystem::path p {std::string("test")};
+      p /= std::string("test");
+    }
+    catch (...)
+    {
+      setenv("LC_ALL", "C", 1);
+      setenv("LANG", "C", 1);
+      return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/common/util.h b/src/common/util.h
index 883fe1e0f..236a0b6f0 100644
--- a/src/common/util.h
+++ b/src/common/util.h
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ namespace tools
    */
   std::error_code replace_file(const std::string& replacement_name, const std::string& replaced_name);
 
+  bool sanitize_locale();
+
   inline crypto::hash get_proof_of_trust_hash(const nodetool::proof_of_trust& pot)
   {
     std::string s;
diff --git a/src/daemon/main.cpp b/src/daemon/main.cpp
index 547f4bd9e..a8369f98d 100644
--- a/src/daemon/main.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/main.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ int main(int argc, char const * argv[])
 		_note_c("dbg/main", "Begin of main()");
 		// TODO parse the debug options like set log level right here at start
 
+    tools::sanitize_locale();
+
     epee::string_tools::set_module_name_and_folder(argv[0]);
 
     // Build argument description
diff --git a/src/simplewallet/simplewallet.cpp b/src/simplewallet/simplewallet.cpp
index 3d7a23d5e..3e1ca4210 100644
--- a/src/simplewallet/simplewallet.cpp
+++ b/src/simplewallet/simplewallet.cpp
@@ -2164,6 +2164,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
   //TRY_ENTRY();
 
+  std::string lang = i18n_get_language();
+  tools::sanitize_locale();
+
   string_tools::set_module_name_and_folder(argv[0]);
 
   po::options_description desc_general(sw::tr("General options"));
@@ -2212,7 +2215,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   po::positional_options_description positional_options;
   positional_options.add(arg_command.name, -1);
 
-  i18n_set_language("translations", "monero");
+  i18n_set_language("translations", "monero", lang);
 
   po::options_description desc_all;
   desc_all.add(desc_general).add(desc_params);