diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 226fae4b53..0a83f1e475 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ git-annex (6.20181012) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     and with yesod < 1.4.3, and without concurrent-output,
     which were onyl being used for the Android cross build.
   * Webapp: Fix termux detection.
+  * runshell: Use system locales when built with 
+    GIT_ANNEX_PACKAGE_INSTALL set. (For Neurodebian packages.)
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Sat, 13 Oct 2018 00:52:02 -0400
 
diff --git a/standalone/linux/skel/runshell b/standalone/linux/skel/runshell
index 4281a8ffd2..32849e3f8d 100755
--- a/standalone/linux/skel/runshell
+++ b/standalone/linux/skel/runshell
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ fi
 
 # Set this variable when using this script inside a package of git-annex,
 # which arranges for git-annex, git-annex-shell, and git to all be in the
-# standard PATH.
+# standard PATH. 
 GIT_ANNEX_PACKAGE_INSTALL=
 if [ -z "$GIT_ANNEX_PACKAGE_INSTALL" ]; then
 	# Install shim that's used to run git-annex-shell from ssh authorized
@@ -123,10 +123,11 @@ export MANPATH
 unset LD_PRELOAD
 
 # Avoid using system locales, which may interact badly with bundled libc.
-# (But if LOCPATH is set, don't override it.)
+# (But if LOCPATH is set, don't override it, and if GIT_ANNEX_PACKAGE_INSTALL
+# is set, use the system locales.)
 ORIG_LOCPATH="$LOCPATH"
 export ORIG_LOCPATH
-if [ -z "${LOCPATH+set}" ]; then
+if [ -z "${LOCPATH+set}" ] && [ -z "$GIT_ANNEX_PACKAGE_INSTALL" ]; then
 	LOCPATH="$HOME/.cache/git-annex/locales/$(echo "$base" | tr / _ )"
 	export LOCPATH