diff --git a/interface/wx/intl.h b/interface/wx/intl.h
index 7d7b7b26f9..92902c1b7d 100644
--- a/interface/wx/intl.h
+++ b/interface/wx/intl.h
@@ -459,9 +459,11 @@ public:
         try to translate the messages using the message catalogs for this locale.
 
         @param language
-            ::wxLanguage identifier of the locale.
-            @c wxLANGUAGE_DEFAULT has special meaning -- wxLocale will use system's
-            default language (see GetSystemLanguage()).
+            ::wxLanguage identifier of the locale. It can be either some
+            concrete language, e.g. @c wxLANGUAGE_ESPERANTO, or a special value
+            @c wxLANGUAGE_DEFAULT which means that wxLocale should use system's
+            default language (see GetSystemLanguage()). Notice that the value
+            @c wxLANGUAGE_UNKNOWN is not allowed here.
         @param flags
             Combination of the following:
             - wxLOCALE_LOAD_DEFAULT: Load the message catalog for the given locale
diff --git a/src/common/intl.cpp b/src/common/intl.cpp
index cb76d6fedf..a9a6835f08 100644
--- a/src/common/intl.cpp
+++ b/src/common/intl.cpp
@@ -434,6 +434,10 @@ bool wxLocale::Init(int lang, int flags)
                   wxS("wxLOCALE_CONV_ENCODING is no longer supported, add charset to your catalogs") );
 #endif
 
+    wxCHECK_MSG( lang != wxLANGUAGE_UNKNOWN, false,
+                 wxS("Initializing unknown locale doesn't make sense, did you ")
+                 wxS("mean to use wxLANGUAGE_DEFAULT perhaps?") );
+
     wxString name, shortName;
 
     const wxLanguageInfo *info = GetLanguageInfo(lang);