diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4e98cbefe4e..21abd7da858 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3115,7 +3115,7 @@ sys.exit(sp.returncode)
 ''',
        test_initdb_template,
        temp_install_bindir / 'initdb',
-       '--auth', 'trust', '--no-sync', '--no-instructions', '--no-locale',
+       '--auth', 'trust', '--no-sync', '--no-instructions', '--lc-messages=C',
        '--no-clean'
      ],
      priority: setup_tests_priority - 1,
diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index 104e5de0fe2..f8e461cbadb 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	$(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)' DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install >'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/install.log 2>&1
 	$(MAKE) -j1 $(if $(CHECKPREP_TOP),-C $(CHECKPREP_TOP),) checkprep >>'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/install.log 2>&1
 
-	$(with_temp_install) initdb --auth trust --no-sync --no-instructions --no-locale --no-clean '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/initdb-template >>'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/initdb-template.log 2>&1
+	$(with_temp_install) initdb --auth trust --no-sync --no-instructions --lc-messages=C --no-clean '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/initdb-template >>'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/initdb-template.log 2>&1
 endif
 endif
 endif