diff --git a/src/api/baseapi.cpp b/src/api/baseapi.cpp
index 82e3e33ef7..b17fe2d2c9 100644
--- a/src/api/baseapi.cpp
+++ b/src/api/baseapi.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #endif  // _WIN32
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <clocale>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <iterator>
@@ -185,7 +186,15 @@ TessBaseAPI::TessBaseAPI()
       rect_width_(0),
       rect_height_(0),
       image_width_(0),
-      image_height_(0) {}
+      image_height_(0) {
+  const char *locale;
+  locale = std::setlocale(LC_ALL, nullptr);
+  ASSERT_HOST(!strcmp(locale, "C"));
+  locale = std::setlocale(LC_CTYPE, nullptr);
+  ASSERT_HOST(!strcmp(locale, "C"));
+  locale = std::setlocale(LC_NUMERIC, nullptr);
+  ASSERT_HOST(!strcmp(locale, "C"));
+}
 
 TessBaseAPI::~TessBaseAPI() {
   End();