diff --git a/girepository/tools/compiler.c b/girepository/tools/compiler.c
index 9485761c3..06d87d91e 100644
--- a/girepository/tools/compiler.c
+++ b/girepository/tools/compiler.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include <glib.h>
@@ -148,6 +149,8 @@ main (int argc, char ** argv)
   gint i;
   g_typelib_check_sanity ();
 
+  setlocale (LC_ALL, "");
+
   context = g_option_context_new ("");
   g_option_context_add_main_entries (context, options, NULL);
   g_option_context_parse (context, &argc, &argv, &error);