diff --git a/src/yfontxft.cc b/src/yfontxft.cc
index 0737f270b..d7e5bc842 100644
--- a/src/yfontxft.cc
+++ b/src/yfontxft.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_XFREETYPE
 
+#include "ascii.h"
 #include "ypaint.h"
 #include "yprefs.h"
 #include "ystring.h"
@@ -109,16 +110,25 @@ YXftFont::YXftFont(mstring name, bool use_xlfd):
             if (use_xlfd) {
                 font = XftFontOpenXlfd(xapp->display(), xapp->screen(), fname);
             } else {
-
-                if (fname.find(":lang=") < 0)
-                {
-                    auto lclocale = mstring(YLocale::getCheckedExplicitLocale(true));
-                    if (lclocale) {
-                        fname = (fname + ":lang=" + lclocale.substring(0,2) + "-"
-                                + lclocale.substring(3,2)).lower();
+                if (fname.find(":lang=") < 0) {
+                    const char* yloc = YLocale::getCheckedLocaleName();
+                    const char* unsc = yloc ? strchr(yloc, '_') : nullptr;
+                    const int prefix = unsc ? int(unsc - yloc) : 0;
+                    if (prefix == 2 || prefix == 3) {
+                        char buf[10];
+                        memcpy(buf, yloc, prefix);
+                        int len = prefix;
+                        buf[len] = '-';
+                        len++;
+                        buf[len] = ASCII::toLower(yloc[len]);
+                        len++;
+                        buf[len] = ASCII::toLower(yloc[len]);
+                        len++;
+                        buf[len] = '\0';
+                        fname += ":lang=";
+                        fname += buf;
                     }
                 }
-
                 font = XftFontOpenName(xapp->display(), xapp->screen(), fname);
             }
             if (font) {
@@ -288,7 +298,7 @@ void YXftFont::drawLimitLeft(Graphics& g, XftFont* font, int x, int y,
             lo -= 1;
         if (0 < ew) {
             const int size = lo + 2;
-            asmart<wchar_t> copy(new wchar_t[size]);
+            wchar_t copy[size];
 
             memcpy(copy, str, lo * sizeof(wchar_t));
             copy[lo] = el;
@@ -321,7 +331,7 @@ void YXftFont::drawLimitRight(Graphics& g, XftFont* font, int x, int y,
         }
         if (0 < ew) {
             const int size = lo + 2;
-            asmart<wchar_t> copy(new wchar_t[size]);
+            wchar_t copy[size];
             memcpy(copy + 1, str + len - lo, lo * sizeof(wchar_t));
             copy[0] = el;
             copy[lo + 1] = 0;
diff --git a/src/ylocale.cc b/src/ylocale.cc
index becd044ae..85798ab72 100644
--- a/src/ylocale.cc
+++ b/src/ylocale.cc
@@ -314,16 +314,17 @@ char* YLocale::narrowString(const wchar_t* uStr, size_t uLen, size_t& lLen) {
     return dest;
 }
 
-const char *YLocale::getCheckedExplicitLocale(bool lctype)
-{
-    auto loc = setlocale(lctype ? LC_CTYPE : LC_MESSAGES, NULL);
-    if (loc == NULL)
-        return NULL;
-    return (islower(*loc & 0xff)
-        && islower(loc[1] & 0xff)
-        && !isalpha(loc[2] & 0xff))
-        ? loc
-        : NULL;
+const char* YLocale::getCheckedLocaleName() {
+    using namespace ASCII;
+    const char* loc = getLocaleName();
+    if (loc && isLower(*loc) && isLower(loc[1])) {
+        int i = 2;
+        if (isLower(loc[i]))
+            i++;
+        if (loc[i] == '_' && isUpper(loc[i + 1]) && isUpper(loc[i + 2]))
+            return loc;
+    }
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 const char *YLocale::getLocaleName() {
diff --git a/src/ylocale.h b/src/ylocale.h
index 47b8a8177..11b60afaf 100644
--- a/src/ylocale.h
+++ b/src/ylocale.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class YLocale {
     static wchar_t* wideCharString(const char* str, size_t len, size_t& out);
 #endif
     static char* narrowString(const wchar_t* uStr, size_t uLen, size_t& lLen);
-    static const char* getCheckedExplicitLocale(bool lctype=true);
+    static const char* getCheckedLocaleName();
 
 private:
     class YConverter* converter;