diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php
index b8bb0c1195..65d2717356 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ $_old_files = array(
 // 4.7
 // Don't delete, yet: 'wp-admin/includes/class-wp-upgrader-skins.php',
 // Don't delete, yet: 'wp-includes/class-feed.php',
-'wp-includes/locale.php',
+// Don't delete, yet: 'wp-includes/locale.php',
 // Don't delete, yet: 'wp-includes/session.php',
 'wp-includes/customize/class-wp-customize-themes-panel.php', // Removed in beta; when the feature comes back remember to remove it from this array. See #37661.
 );
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/locale.php b/src/wp-includes/locale.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b30d1fdf42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/wp-includes/locale.php
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Locale API
+ *
+ * @package WordPress
+ * @subpackage i18n
+ * @since 1.2.0
+ */
+
+_deprecated_file( basename( __FILE__ ), '4.7.0' );
+
+/** WP_Locale class */
+require_once ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-locale.php';
+
+/**
+ * Checks if current locale is RTL.
+ *
+ * @since 3.0.0
+ *
+ * @global WP_Locale $wp_locale
+ *
+ * @return bool Whether locale is RTL.
+ */
+function is_rtl() {
+	global $wp_locale;
+	return $wp_locale->is_rtl();
+}