diff --git a/src/common/intl.cpp b/src/common/intl.cpp
index 575900d041..9b38ffbf14 100644
--- a/src/common/intl.cpp
+++ b/src/common/intl.cpp
@@ -1045,16 +1045,21 @@ bool wxLocale::IsAvailable(int lang)
 #elif defined(__UNIX__)
 
     // Test if setting the locale works, then set it back.
-    const char *oldLocale = wxSetlocaleTryUTF8(LC_ALL, info->CanonicalName);
-    if ( !oldLocale )
-    {
-        // Some C libraries don't like xx_YY form and require xx only
-        oldLocale = wxSetlocaleTryUTF8(LC_ALL, ExtractLang(info->CanonicalName));
-        if ( !oldLocale )
-            return false;
-    }
+    char * const oldLocale = wxStrdupA(setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL));
+
+    // Some platforms don't like xx_YY form and require xx only so test for
+    // it too.
+    const bool
+        available = wxSetlocaleTryUTF8(LC_ALL, info->CanonicalName) ||
+                    wxSetlocaleTryUTF8(LC_ALL, ExtractLang(info->CanonicalName));
+
     // restore the original locale
     wxSetlocale(LC_ALL, oldLocale);
+
+    free(oldLocale);
+
+    if ( !available )
+        return false;
 #endif
 
     return true;
diff --git a/tests/intl/intltest.cpp b/tests/intl/intltest.cpp
index 02b98472ed..3308e4e210 100644
--- a/tests/intl/intltest.cpp
+++ b/tests/intl/intltest.cpp
@@ -43,12 +43,14 @@ private:
         CPPUNIT_TEST( Headers );
         CPPUNIT_TEST( DateTimeFmtFrench );
         CPPUNIT_TEST( DateTimeFmtC );
+        CPPUNIT_TEST( IsAvailable );
     CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_END();
 
     void Domain();
     void Headers();
     void DateTimeFmtFrench();
     void DateTimeFmtC();
+    void IsAvailable();
 
     wxLocale *m_locale;
 
@@ -204,4 +206,14 @@ void IntlTestCase::DateTimeFmtC()
                     m_locale->GetInfo(wxLOCALE_TIME_FMT) );
 }
 
+void IntlTestCase::IsAvailable()
+{
+    const wxString origLocale(setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL));
+
+    // Calling IsAvailable() shouldn't change the locale.
+    wxLocale::IsAvailable(wxLANGUAGE_ENGLISH);
+
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL( origLocale, setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL) );
+}
+
 #endif // wxUSE_INTL