diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index db2921b02..e27de2526 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1231,6 +1231,8 @@ if (NOT ANDROID OR TERMUX)
     install(DIRECTORY doc DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR})
     install(DIRECTORY papers DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR}/other)
     install(FILES LICENSE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR}/licenses/furnace)
+    list(APPEND DEPENDENCIES_DEFINES LOCALE_DIR="${CMAKE_INSTALL_LOCALEDIR}")
+    install(DIRECTORY po/locale DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LOCALEDIR})
     if (WITH_DEMOS OR WITH_INSTRUMENTS OR WITH_WAVETABLES)
       set(FURNACE_DATADIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_DATADIR}/furnace)
       if (WITH_DEMOS)
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index f040873e3..c8b153edf 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -545,7 +545,15 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
   if ((localeRet=TA_BINDTEXTDOMAIN("furnace","locale"))==NULL) {
     if ((localeRet=TA_BINDTEXTDOMAIN("furnace","../po/locale"))==NULL) {
+#ifdef LOCALE_DIR
+      if ((localeRet=TA_BINDTEXTDOMAIN("furnace",LOCALE_DIR))==NULL) {
+        logE("could not bind text domain!");
+      } else {
+        logV("text domain 1: %s",localeRet);
+      }
+#else
       logE("could not bind text domain!");
+#endif
     } else {
       logV("text domain 1: %s",localeRet);
     }