diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 99d81319..017ea3e9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ macro(set_path what val desc)
     endif()
 endmacro(set_path)
 
+set(LOCALEDIR_NAME "share/locale")
+
 string(REGEX REPLACE "^liblib" "lib" LIBDIR_NAME "lib${LIB_SUFFIX}")
 set_path(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}" "Installation directory for architecture-independent files")
 set_path(EXEC_INSTALL_PREFIX "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}" "Installation directory for architecture-dependent files")
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ set_path(SERVICE_FILE_INSTALL_DIR "${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/dbus-1/services" "Ins
 set_path(ICON_INSTALL_DIR "${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/icons" "Installation directory for icons")
 set_path(INCLUDE_INSTALL_DIR "${EXEC_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include" "Installation directory for C header files")
 set_path(LIB_INSTALL_DIR "${EXEC_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LIBDIR_NAME}" "Installation directory for object code libraries")
-set_path(LOCALE_INSTALL_DIR "${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/locale" "Installation directory for locale files")
+set_path(LOCALE_INSTALL_DIR "${EXEC_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LOCALEDIR_NAME}" "Installation directory for locale files")
 set_path(PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR "${LIB_INSTALL_DIR}/dino/plugins" "Installation directory for dino plugin object code files")
 set_path(VAPI_INSTALL_DIR "${SHARE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/vala/vapi" "Installation directory for Vala API files")
 
diff --git a/libdino/CMakeLists.txt b/libdino/CMakeLists.txt
index 2475fde8..4fba44f7 100644
--- a/libdino/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libdino/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ DEPENDS
     ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/exports/dino_i18n.h
 )
 
-add_definitions(${VALA_CFLAGS} -DDINO_SYSTEM_PLUGIN_DIR="${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}" -DDINO_SYSTEM_LIBDIR_NAME="${LIBDIR_NAME}" -DG_LOG_DOMAIN="libdino" -DDINO_VERSION=\"${PROJECT_VERSION}\")
+add_definitions(${VALA_CFLAGS} -DDINO_SYSTEM_PLUGIN_DIR="${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}" -DDINO_SYSTEM_LIBDIR_NAME="${LIBDIR_NAME}" -DG_LOG_DOMAIN="libdino"
+    -DDINO_VERSION=\"${PROJECT_VERSION}\" -DDINO_SYSTEM_LOCALEDIR_NAME="${LOCALEDIR_NAME}")
 add_library(libdino SHARED ${LIBDINO_VALA_C} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/exports/dino_i18n.h)
 add_dependencies(libdino dino-vapi)
 target_link_libraries(libdino xmpp-vala qlite ${LIBDINO_PACKAGES} m)
diff --git a/libdino/meson.build b/libdino/meson.build
index c1cbbb70..0cb641bb 100644
--- a/libdino/meson.build
+++ b/libdino/meson.build
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ sources = files(
 sources += [version_vala]
 c_args = [
     '-DDINO_SYSTEM_LIBDIR_NAME="@0@"'.format(get_option('libdir')),
+    '-DDINO_SYSTEM_LOCALEDIR_NAME="@0@"'.format(get_option('localedir')),
     '-DDINO_SYSTEM_PLUGIN_DIR="@0@"'.format(get_option('prefix') / get_option('libdir') / get_option('plugindir')),
     '-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="libdino"',
 ]
diff --git a/libdino/src/util/util.vala b/libdino/src/util/util.vala
index c691a279..f203c62d 100644
--- a/libdino/src/util/util.vala
+++ b/libdino/src/util/util.vala
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ namespace Dino {
 
 private extern const string SYSTEM_LIBDIR_NAME;
 private extern const string SYSTEM_PLUGIN_DIR;
+private extern const string SYSTEM_LOCALEDIR_NAME;
 
 public class SearchPathGenerator {
 
@@ -12,14 +13,21 @@ public class SearchPathGenerator {
     }
 
     public string get_locale_path(string gettext_package, string locale_install_dir) {
-        string? locale_dir = null;
-        if (Path.get_dirname(exec_path).contains("dino") || Path.get_dirname(exec_path) == "." || Path.get_dirname(exec_path).contains("build")) {
-            string exec_locale = Path.build_filename(Path.get_dirname(exec_path), "locale");
-            if (FileUtils.test(Path.build_filename(exec_locale, "en", "LC_MESSAGES", gettext_package + ".mo"), FileTest.IS_REGULAR)) {
-                locale_dir = exec_locale;
+        if (exec_path != null) {
+            var exec_dir = Path.get_dirname(exec_path);
+            string[] search_paths = new string[] {
+                Path.build_filename(exec_dir, "locale"),
+                Path.build_filename(Path.get_dirname(exec_dir), SYSTEM_LOCALEDIR_NAME)
+            };
+            foreach (var path in search_paths) {
+                if (FileUtils.test(Path.build_filename(path, "en", "LC_MESSAGES", gettext_package + ".mo"), FileTest.IS_REGULAR)) {
+                    debug(@"Found locale $(gettext_package).mo in $(path)");
+                    return path;
+                }
             }
         }
-        return locale_dir ?? locale_install_dir;
+
+        return locale_install_dir;
     }
 
     public string[] get_plugin_paths() {