diff --git a/wmitime/Makefile b/wmitime/Makefile
index c928067..e9029c0 100644
--- a/wmitime/Makefile
+++ b/wmitime/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#LANG = fr
 LIBS   = -lXpm -lXext -lX11 -lm
 CFLAGS = -O2 -Wall
 OBJS =	wmitime.o \
@@ -10,7 +9,7 @@ PREFIX = /usr/local
 BINDIR = $(PREFIX)/bin
 
 .c.o:
-	$(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -D$(LANG) -c $< -o $*.o
+	$(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $*.o
 
 wmitime: $(OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o wmitime $^ $(LIBS)
diff --git a/wmitime/french.h b/wmitime/french.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 17d86f0..0000000
--- a/wmitime/french.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-// french.h
-// Created by Pierre-Marie.Allemand@capway.com
-// 08-jan-1999
-
-static char daynames[7][3] =
-{
-    {"Di"},
-    {"Lu"},
-    {"Ma"},
-    {"Me"},
-    {"Je"},
-    {"Ve"},
-    {"Sa"}
-};
-
-static char monthnames[12][4] =
-{
-    {"Jan"},
-    {"Fev"},
-    {"Mar"},
-    {"Avr"},
-    {"Mai"},
-    {"Jun"},
-    {"Jui"},
-    {"Aou"},
-    {"Sep"},
-    {"Oct"},
-    {"Nov"},
-    {"Dec"}
-};
diff --git a/wmitime/language.h b/wmitime/language.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 88b67a1..0000000
--- a/wmitime/language.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-// language.h
-
-static char daynames[7][3] =
-{
-    {"Su"},
-    {"Mo"},
-    {"Tu"},
-    {"We"},
-    {"Th"},
-    {"Fr"},
-    {"Sa"}
-};
-
-static char monthnames[12][4] =
-{
-    {"Jan"},
-    {"Feb"},
-    {"Mar"},
-    {"Apr"},
-    {"May"},
-    {"Jun"},
-    {"Jul"},
-    {"Aug"},
-    {"Sep"},
-    {"Oct"},
-    {"Nov"},
-    {"Dec"}
-};
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/wmitime/wmitime.c b/wmitime/wmitime.c
index e72d16a..c29deaa 100644
--- a/wmitime/wmitime.c
+++ b/wmitime/wmitime.c
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <locale.h>
+#include <langinfo.h>
+#include <iconv.h>
 
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -31,16 +34,6 @@
 #include "wmgeneral/wmgeneral.h"
 #include "wmgeneral/misc.h"
 
-#ifdef fr_FR
-#define fr
-#endif
-
-#ifdef fr
-#include "french.h"
-#else
-#include "language.h"
-#endif
-
 #include "wmitime-master.xpm"
 char wmitime_mask_bits[64*64];
 int  wmitime_mask_width = 64;
@@ -61,6 +54,7 @@ extern	char **environ;
 char	*ProgName;
 
 char uconfig_file[256];
+char locale[256];
 
 time_t		curtime;
 time_t		prevtime;
@@ -95,6 +89,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	int		i;
 
     uconfig_file[0] = 0;
+    locale[0] = 0;
 
 	/* Parse Command Line */
 
@@ -137,6 +132,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                     TwelveHour = 1;
                 }
                 break;
+            case 'l' :
+                if (argc > (i+1))
+                {
+                    strcpy(locale, argv[i+1]);
+                    i++;
+                }
+                break;
             default:
 				usage();
 				exit(0);
@@ -145,6 +147,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (setlocale(LC_ALL, locale) == NULL)
+	    fprintf(stderr,
+		    "warning: locale '%s' not recognized; defaulting to '%s'.",
+		    locale, setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL));
+
 	wmitime_routine(argc, argv);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -365,28 +372,37 @@ void DrawStdTime(void)
 
 void DrawDate(void)
 {
-    char BlitStr[20];
+    char OrigBlitStr[20], BlitStr[20];
+    char *inbuf, *outbuf;
+    size_t inbytesleft, outbytesleft;
+    iconv_t cd;
 
-    sprintf(BlitStr, "%s", daynames[clk->tm_wday]);
+    cd = iconv_open("ASCII//TRANSLIT", nl_langinfo(CODESET));
+
+    inbuf = OrigBlitStr;
+    outbuf = BlitStr;
+    inbytesleft = sizeof OrigBlitStr;
+    outbytesleft = sizeof BlitStr;
+
+    sprintf(OrigBlitStr, "%s", nl_langinfo(ABDAY_1 + clk->tm_wday));
+    iconv(cd, &inbuf, &inbytesleft, &outbuf, &outbytesleft);
+    BlitStr[2] = 0;
     BlitString( BlitStr, 6, 50);
 
-#ifdef fr
+    inbuf = OrigBlitStr;
+    outbuf = BlitStr;
+    inbytesleft = sizeof OrigBlitStr;
+    outbytesleft = sizeof BlitStr;
 
-    // French date model
-    sprintf(BlitStr, "%s", monthnames[clk->tm_mon]);
+    sprintf(OrigBlitStr, "%s", nl_langinfo(ABMON_1 + clk->tm_mon));
+    iconv(cd, &inbuf, &inbytesleft, &outbuf, &outbytesleft);
+    BlitStr[3] = 0;
     BlitString( BlitStr, 40, 50);
 
-    sprintf(BlitStr, "%02i", clk->tm_mday);
-    BlitString( BlitStr, 25, 50);
-#else
-
-    sprintf(BlitStr, "%s", monthnames[clk->tm_mon]);
-    BlitString( BlitStr, 25, 50);
+    iconv_close(cd);
 
     sprintf(BlitStr, "%02i", clk->tm_mday);
-    BlitString( BlitStr, 45, 50);
-
-#endif
+    BlitString( BlitStr, 25, 50);
 }
 
 void DrawInetWheel(void)
@@ -706,6 +722,7 @@ void usage(void)
 	fprintf(stderr, "    -display <display name>\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "    -geometry +XPOS+YPOS      initial window position\n");
 //    fprintf(stderr, "    -c <filename>             use specified config file\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "    -l <locale>               specify locale\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "    -h                        this help screen\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "    -v                        print the version number\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "\n");