diff --git a/src/test/meson.build b/src/test/meson.build
index 286fcac5c7..e99605af72 100644
--- a/src/test/meson.build
+++ b/src/test/meson.build
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ generated_sources += test_hashmap_ordered_c
 
 path = run_command(sh, '-c', 'echo "$PATH"', check: true).stdout().strip()
 test_env = environment()
-test_env.set('SYSTEMD_LANGUAGE_FALLBACK_MAP', language_fallback_map)
+if conf.get('ENABLE_LOCALED') == 1
+        test_env.set('SYSTEMD_LANGUAGE_FALLBACK_MAP', language_fallback_map)
+endif
 test_env.set('PATH', meson.project_build_root() + ':' + path)
 test_env.set('PROJECT_BUILD_ROOT', meson.project_build_root())
 test_env.set('SYSTEMD_SLOW_TESTS', want_slow_tests ? '1' : '0')