diff --git a/src/common/xlocale.cpp b/src/common/xlocale.cpp
index 14c7a5b35c..e72fd843a0 100644
--- a/src/common/xlocale.cpp
+++ b/src/common/xlocale.cpp
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@ wxXLocale::wxXLocale(wxLanguage lang)
     }
     else
     {
+#ifdef __WXMSW__
+        Init(info->Description);
+#else
         Init(info->CanonicalName);
+#endif
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/xlocale/xlocale.cpp b/tests/xlocale/xlocale.cpp
index 157afad2b3..d0502e4887 100644
--- a/tests/xlocale/xlocale.cpp
+++ b/tests/xlocale/xlocale.cpp
@@ -65,8 +65,11 @@ void XLocaleTestCase::TestCtor()
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT( wxXLocale("C").IsOk() );
 #ifdef wxHAS_XLOCALE_SUPPORT
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT( wxXLocale(wxLANGUAGE_FRENCH).IsOk() );
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT( wxXLocale("fr_FR").IsOk() );
+#ifdef __WXMSW__
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT( wxXLocale("french").IsOk() );
+#else
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT( wxXLocale("fr_FR").IsOk() );
+#endif
 #endif
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT( !wxXLocale("bloordyblop").IsOk() );
 }
@@ -169,7 +172,9 @@ void XLocaleTestCase::TestCtypeFunctions()
     TestCtypeFunctionsWith(wxCLocale);
 
 #ifdef wxHAS_XLOCALE_SUPPORT
-    wxXLocale locFR("fr_FR");
+    wxXLocale locFR(wxLANGUAGE_FRENCH);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT( locFR.IsOk() ); // doesn't make sense to continue otherwise
+
     TestCtypeFunctionsWith(locFR);
 
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT( wxIsalpha_l('é', locFR) );