diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index abfb8d91c..640be09f9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -447,6 +447,7 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS_ONCE([sys/eventfd.h])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS_ONCE([execinfo.h])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS_ONCE([langinfo.h])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS_ONCE([regex.h pcreposix.h])
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS_ONCE([locale.h xlocale.h])
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_SYS_EVENTFD_H, test "x$ac_cv_header_sys_eventfd_h" = "xyes")
 
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/core-util.c b/src/pulsecore/core-util.c
index b5ddd3d9b..3d36993b6 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/core-util.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/core-util.c
@@ -53,9 +53,13 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_STRTOD_L
+#ifdef HAVE_LOCALE_H
 #include <locale.h>
+#endif
+#ifdef HAVE_XLOCALE_H
 #include <xlocale.h>
 #endif
+#endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SCHED_H
 #include <sched.h>
@@ -106,7 +110,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
-#include <xlocale.h>
 #include <mach/mach_init.h>
 #include <mach/thread_act.h>
 #include <mach/thread_policy.h>