diff --git a/wp-includes/locale.php b/wp-includes/locale.php
index 0d20e5b096..8487ad23fa 100644
--- a/wp-includes/locale.php
+++ b/wp-includes/locale.php
@@ -87,20 +87,12 @@ class WP_Locale {
 		$this->meridiem['AM'] = __('AM');
 		$this->meridiem['PM'] = __('PM');
 
-		$this->_load_locale_data();
-	}
-
-	function _load_locale_data() {
-		$locale = get_locale();
-		$locale_file = ABSPATH . "wp-includes/languages/$locale.php";
-		if ( !file_exists($locale_file) )
-			return;
-
-		include($locale_file);
-
+		// Import global locale vars set during inclusion of $locale.php.
 		foreach ( $this->locale_vars as $var ) {
-			$this->$var = $$var;	
+			if ( isset($GLOBALS[$var]) )
+				$this->$var = $GLOBALS[$var];
 		}
+
 	}
 
 	function get_weekday($weekday_number) {
diff --git a/wp-settings.php b/wp-settings.php
index f86ae86e71..4048ae6734 100644
--- a/wp-settings.php
+++ b/wp-settings.php
@@ -242,6 +242,11 @@ define('STYLESHEETPATH', get_stylesheet_directory());
 // Load the default text localization domain.
 load_default_textdomain();
 
+$locale = get_locale();
+$locale_file = ABSPATH . LANGDIR . "/$locale.php";
+if ( is_readable($locale_file) )
+	require_once($locale_file);
+
 // Pull in locale data after loading text domain.
 require_once(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/locale.php');