diff --git a/src/daemon/pipewire.c b/src/daemon/pipewire.c
index 743b92478..97569c0a8 100644
--- a/src/daemon/pipewire.c
+++ b/src/daemon/pipewire.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <libgen.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <pipewire/pipewire.h>
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "%s.conf", argv[0]);
 	config_name = basename(path);
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVc:v", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
diff --git a/src/pipewire/pipewire.c b/src/pipewire/pipewire.c
index 943aedb94..2cb1d62b6 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/pipewire.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/pipewire.c
@@ -413,8 +413,9 @@ static const char *i18n_ntext(void *object, const char *msgid, const char *msgid
 
 static void init_i18n(struct support *support)
 {
-	/* Load locale from the environment. */
-	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
+	/* XXX: we should remove this setlocale() call, after wireplumber
+	 * XXX: starts setting the locale */
+	setlocale(LC_MESSAGES, "");
 	bindtextdomain(GETTEXT_PACKAGE, LOCALEDIR);
 	bind_textdomain_codeset(GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "UTF-8");
 	pw_set_domain(GETTEXT_PACKAGE);
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cat.c b/src/tools/pw-cat.c
index 2a836efff..8ff8f797c 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cat.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cat.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <sndfile.h>
 
@@ -1489,6 +1490,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE, c, ret;
 	enum pw_stream_flags flags = 0;
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	flags |= PW_STREAM_FLAG_AUTOCONNECT;
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cli.c b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
index af8bbca12..d19e66b86 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cli.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <fnmatch.h>
 #include <readline/readline.h>
 #include <readline/history.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #if !defined(FNM_EXTMATCH)
 #define FNM_EXTMATCH 0
@@ -3076,6 +3077,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVdr:", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-dot.c b/src/tools/pw-dot.c
index 9149b1f71..687acc4f9 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-dot.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-dot.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
@@ -1091,6 +1092,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	};
 	int c;
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVasdr:o:L9j:", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-dump.c b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
index b60ef49f1..d9999786c 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-dump.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <fnmatch.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #if !defined(FNM_EXTMATCH)
 #define FNM_EXTMATCH 0
@@ -1489,6 +1490,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	};
 	int c;
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.out = stdout;
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-link.c b/src/tools/pw-link.c
index 7ac55a251..232a364a8 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-link.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-link.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <regex.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
@@ -599,6 +600,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ NULL,	0, NULL, 0}
 	};
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 	spa_list_init(&data.objects);
 
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-loopback.c b/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
index 00fafd093..4351e491b 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/pod/builder.h>
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	};
 	int c, res = -1;
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.channels = DEFAULT_CHANNELS;
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-metadata.c b/src/tools/pw-metadata.c
index 983bc0b0f..768bd91ff 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-metadata.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-metadata.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
@@ -198,6 +199,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.opt_name = "default";
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-mididump.c b/src/tools/pw-mididump.c
index 1c25dd8ff..b3e38fd09 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-mididump.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-mididump.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/defs.h>
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ NULL,	0, NULL, 0}
 	};
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-mon.c b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
index 7bd4f93b3..fe2060d83 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-mon.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
@@ -771,6 +772,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int c;
 	bool colors = false;
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-profiler.c b/src/tools/pw-profiler.c
index 5055204b4..f2000a986 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-profiler.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-profiler.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
 #include <spa/utils/string.h>
@@ -565,6 +566,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	};
 	int c;
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVr:o:", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-reserve.c b/src/tools/pw-reserve.c
index 9d6ca9e77..ac5bc422c 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-reserve.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-reserve.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 
 #include <dbus/dbus.h>
 
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
 
+	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVn:a:p:m", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {