diff --git a/templates/OpenRC/files/locale.rc b/templates/OpenRC/files/locale.rc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..abf7eed433
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/OpenRC/files/locale.rc
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/sbin/runscript
+
+description="Sets a system locale"
+
+depend()
+{
+	need localmount termencoding
+	after bootmisc
+	keyword noopenvz noprefix nouml novserver noxenu
+}
+
+start()
+{
+	: >/etc/profile.d/locale.sh
+	chmod 755 /etc/profile.d/locale.sh
+
+	# Check if requested locale was already created
+	if ! $(locale -a|grep -q $LOCALE.utf8); then
+		[ ! -d /usr/lib/locale ] && mkdir -p /usr/lib/locale
+		ebegin "Building locale [$LOCALE] [UTF-8]"
+		localedef -i $LOCALE -f UTF-8 $LOCALE
+		eend $?
+	fi
+	# Set user defined locale
+	[ -z "$LOCALE" ] && LOCALE="en_US"
+	einfo "Setting system locale [$LOCALE] [UTF-8]"
+	echo "export LANG=$LOCALE" >> /etc/profile.d/locale.sh
+}
diff --git a/templates/OpenRC/template b/templates/OpenRC/template
index 91c5c180e0..2acfe4f195 100644
--- a/templates/OpenRC/template
+++ b/templates/OpenRC/template
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 pkgname=OpenRC
 version=20090507
 wrksrc=openrc
+patch_files="xbps-locale-service.diff"
 distfiles="http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/openrc/openrc-$version.tar.bz2"
 build_style=gnu_makefile
 short_desc="Universal init system"
@@ -27,6 +28,9 @@ Add_dependency full sysvinit
 
 pre_configure()
 {
+	# Install the "locale" service
+	cp ${FILESDIR}/locale.rc ${wrksrc}/init.d/locale.in
+
 	# Fix path for kbd stuff.
 	for f in init.d/consolefont.in conf.d/consolefont; do
 		sed -i -e "s|/usr/share/consolefonts|/lib/kbd/consolefonts|g" \
diff --git a/templates/OpenRC/xbps-locale-service.diff b/templates/OpenRC/xbps-locale-service.diff
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..942c98e5dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/OpenRC/xbps-locale-service.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+Installs a "locale" service into the "boot" runlevel, to set
+a the system locale.
+
+--- runlevels/Makefile.Linux.orig	2009-05-07 15:48:37.075825332 +0000
++++ runlevels/Makefile.Linux	2009-05-07 15:48:52.008557039 +0000
+@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
+ SYSINIT+=	devfs dmesg
+-BOOT+=		hwclock keymaps modules mtab procfs termencoding
++BOOT+=		hwclock keymaps modules mtab procfs termencoding locale
+ SHUTDOWN+=	killprocs mount-ro
+--- init.d/Makefile.Linux.orig	2009-05-07 15:55:26.156910483 +0000
++++ init.d/Makefile.Linux	2009-05-07 15:55:35.682853819 +0000
+@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ NET_LO=	net.lo
+ 
+ SRCS+=	devfs.in dmesg.in hwclock.in consolefont.in keymaps.in killprocs.in \
+ 	modules.in mount-ro.in mtab.in numlock.in procfs.in sysfs.in \
+-	termencoding.in
++	termencoding.in locale.in
+ 
+ .SUFFIXES:	.Linux.in
+ .Linux.in: