diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 93962b37ae..349726d3ee 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -32621,20 +32621,58 @@ $as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: I18n code requires wxFile... disabled" >&2;}
 fi
 
 if test "$wxUSE_XLOCALE" = "yes" ; then
-    $as_echo "#define wxUSE_XLOCALE 1" >>confdefs.h
+            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for complete xlocale" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for complete xlocale... " >&6; }
+if ${wx_cv_use_xlocale_local+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
 
-    ac_fn_c_check_type "$LINENO" "locale_t" "ac_cv_type_locale_t" "#include <xlocale.h>
-                    #include <locale.h>
-"
-if test "x$ac_cv_type_locale_t" = xyes; then :
+        ac_ext=cpp
+ac_cpp='$CXXCPP $CPPFLAGS'
+ac_compile='$CXX -c $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
+ac_link='$CXX -o conftest$ac_exeext $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
+ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_cxx_compiler_gnu
 
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_LOCALE_T 1
+        cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+        #include <xlocale.h>
+        #include <locale.h>
+        #include <stdlib.h>
+
+int
+main ()
+{
+
+        locale_t t;
+        strtod_l(NULL, NULL, t);
+
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
 _ACEOF
+if ac_fn_cxx_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
+  wx_cv_use_xlocale_local=yes
+else
+  wx_cv_use_xlocale_local=no
+
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+        ac_ext=c
+ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
+ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
+ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
+ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
 
 fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $wx_cv_use_xlocale_local" >&5
+$as_echo "$wx_cv_use_xlocale_local" >&6; }
 
+    if test "$wx_cv_use_xlocale_local" = "yes" ; then
+        $as_echo "#define wxUSE_XLOCALE 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+    fi
 fi
 
 if test "$wxUSE_LOG" = "yes"; then
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 3c88c2908c..7fa4c95084 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -5709,10 +5709,31 @@ if test "$wxUSE_INTL" = "yes" ; then
 fi
 
 if test "$wxUSE_XLOCALE" = "yes" ; then
-    AC_DEFINE(wxUSE_XLOCALE)
-    AC_CHECK_TYPES(locale_t,,,
-                   [#include <xlocale.h>
-                    #include <locale.h>])
+    dnl even if xlocale.h exists, it may not contain all that
+    dnl wx needs. check if strtod_l() really is available.
+    AC_CACHE_CHECK([for complete xlocale],
+                   wx_cv_use_xlocale_local,
+    [
+        AC_LANG_PUSH(C++)
+        AC_TRY_COMPILE(
+        [
+        #include <xlocale.h>
+        #include <locale.h>
+        #include <stdlib.h>
+        ],
+        [
+        locale_t t;
+        strtod_l(NULL, NULL, t);
+        ],
+        wx_cv_use_xlocale_local=yes,
+        wx_cv_use_xlocale_local=no
+        )
+        AC_LANG_POP()
+    ])
+
+    if test "$wx_cv_use_xlocale_local" = "yes" ; then
+        AC_DEFINE(wxUSE_XLOCALE)
+    fi
 fi
 
 if test "$wxUSE_LOG" = "yes"; then