diff --git a/pyfpdb/Hand.py b/pyfpdb/Hand.py
index a556de63..7c35c85c 100644
--- a/pyfpdb/Hand.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/Hand.py
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 #along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #In the "official" distribution you can find the license in agpl-3.0.txt.
 
+import L10n
+_ = L10n.get_translation()
+
 # TODO: get writehand() encoding correct
 
 import re
@@ -28,18 +31,6 @@ import time,datetime
 from copy import deepcopy
 import pprint
 
-import locale
-lang=locale.getdefaultlocale()[0][0:2]
-if lang=="en":
-    def _(string): return string
-else:
-    import gettext
-    try:
-        trans = gettext.translation("fpdb", localedir="locale", languages=[lang])
-        trans.install()
-    except IOError:
-        def _(string): return string
-
 import logging
 # logging has been set up in fpdb.py or HUD_main.py, use their settings:
 log = logging.getLogger("parser")
diff --git a/pyfpdb/HandHistoryConverter.py b/pyfpdb/HandHistoryConverter.py
index 25e96400..522092f8 100644
--- a/pyfpdb/HandHistoryConverter.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/HandHistoryConverter.py
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 #along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #In the "official" distribution you can find the license in agpl-3.0.txt.
 
+import L10n
+_ = L10n.get_translation()
+
 import re
 import sys
 import traceback
@@ -41,18 +44,6 @@ import Hand
 from Exceptions import FpdbParseError
 import Configuration
 
-import locale
-lang=locale.getdefaultlocale()[0][0:2]
-if lang=="en":
-    def _(string): return string
-else:
-    import gettext
-    try:
-        trans = gettext.translation("fpdb", localedir="locale", languages=[lang])
-        trans.install()
-    except IOError:
-        def _(string): return string
-
 import pygtk
 import gtk
 
diff --git a/pyfpdb/Hud.py b/pyfpdb/Hud.py
index 49dc91cc..011b329c 100644
--- a/pyfpdb/Hud.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/Hud.py
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ Create and manage the hud overlays.
 #    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 
 ########################################################################
+
+import L10n
+_ = L10n.get_translation()
+
 #    Standard Library modules
 import os
 import sys
@@ -42,18 +46,6 @@ if os.name == 'nt':
     import win32con
     import win32api
 
-import locale
-lang = locale.getdefaultlocale()[0][0:2]
-if lang == "en":
-    def _(string): return string
-else:
-    import gettext
-    try:
-        trans = gettext.translation("fpdb", localedir="locale", languages=[lang])
-        trans.install()
-    except IOError:
-        def _(string): return string
-
 #    FreePokerTools modules
 import Configuration
 import Stats
diff --git a/pyfpdb/ImapFetcher.py b/pyfpdb/ImapFetcher.py
index 65936282..1d2068d7 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/ImapFetcher.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/ImapFetcher.py
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 #see http://docs.python.org/library/imaplib.html for the python interface
 #see http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2060#section-6.4.4 for IMAP4 search criteria
 
+import L10n
+_ = L10n.get_translation()
+
 from imaplib import IMAP4, IMAP4_SSL
 import sys
 import codecs
@@ -33,18 +36,6 @@ import PokerStarsSummary
 import FullTiltPokerSummary
 
 
-import locale
-lang=locale.getdefaultlocale()[0][0:2]
-if lang=="en":
-    def _(string): return string
-else:
-    import gettext
-    try:
-        trans = gettext.translation("fpdb", localedir="locale", languages=[lang])
-        trans.install()
-    except IOError:
-        def _(string): return string
-
 def splitPokerStarsSummaries(summaryText): #TODO: this needs to go to PSS.py
     re_SplitTourneys = PokerStarsSummary.PokerStarsSummary.re_SplitTourneys
     splitSummaries = re.split(re_SplitTourneys, summaryText)
diff --git a/pyfpdb/iPokerToFpdb.py b/pyfpdb/iPokerToFpdb.py
index b624737b..4766d72e 100644
--- a/pyfpdb/iPokerToFpdb.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/iPokerToFpdb.py
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 
 ########################################################################
 
+import L10n
+_ = L10n.get_translation()
+
 # This code is based on CarbonToFpdb.py by Matthew Boss
 #
 # TODO:
@@ -45,18 +48,6 @@ import logging
 from HandHistoryConverter import *
 from decimal import Decimal
 
-import locale
-lang=locale.getdefaultlocale()[0][0:2]
-if lang=="en":
-    def _(string): return string
-else:
-    import gettext
-    try:
-        trans = gettext.translation("fpdb", localedir="locale", languages=[lang])
-        trans.install()
-    except IOError:
-        def _(string): return string
-
 
 class iPoker(HandHistoryConverter):
 
diff --git a/pyfpdb/interlocks.py b/pyfpdb/interlocks.py
index 3f358019..c2e6abd6 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/interlocks.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/interlocks.py
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 # Code from http://ender.snowburst.org:4747/~jjohns/interlocks.py
 # Thanks JJ!
 
+import L10n
+_ = L10n.get_translation()
+
 import sys
 import os, os.path
 import subprocess
@@ -10,18 +13,6 @@ import time
 import signal
 import base64
 
-import locale
-lang=locale.getdefaultlocale()[0][0:2]
-if lang=="en":
-    def _(string): return string
-else:
-    import gettext
-    try:
-        trans = gettext.translation("fpdb", localedir="locale", languages=[lang])
-        trans.install()
-    except IOError:
-        def _(string): return string
-
 InterProcessLock = None
 
 """