diff --git a/Lib/test/test_gettext.py b/Lib/test/test_gettext.py
index 81a2081..a36cd30 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_gettext.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_gettext.py
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@
 LOCALEDIR = os.path.join('xx', 'LC_MESSAGES')
 MOFILE = os.path.join(LOCALEDIR, 'gettext.mo')
 UMOFILE = os.path.join(LOCALEDIR, 'ugettext.mo')
+try:
+    LANG = os.environ['LANGUAGE']
+except:
+    LANG = 'en'
 
 
 class GettextBaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -60,8 +64,8 @@
         os.environ['LANGUAGE'] = 'xx'
 
     def tearDown(self):
-        os.environ['LANGUAGE'] = 'en'
-        shutil.rmtree(LOCALEDIR)
+        os.environ['LANGUAGE'] = LANG
+        shutil.rmtree(os.path.split(LOCALEDIR)[0])
 
 
 class GettextTestCase1(GettextBaseTest):
@@ -71,6 +75,9 @@
         self.mofile = MOFILE
         gettext.install('gettext', self.localedir)
 
+    def tearDown(self):
+        GettextBaseTest.tearDown(self)
+
     def test_some_translations(self):
         eq = self.assertEqual
         # test some translations
@@ -137,6 +144,9 @@
         # For convenience
         self._ = gettext.gettext
 
+    def tearDown(self):
+        GettextBaseTest.tearDown(self)
+
     def test_bindtextdomain(self):
         self.assertEqual(gettext.bindtextdomain('gettext'), self.localedir)
 
@@ -191,6 +201,9 @@
         GettextBaseTest.setUp(self)
         self.mofile = MOFILE
 
+    def tearDown(self):
+        GettextBaseTest.tearDown(self)
+
     def test_plural_forms1(self):
         eq = self.assertEqual
         x = gettext.ngettext('There is %s file', 'There are %s files', 1)
@@ -279,6 +292,9 @@
             fp.close()
         self._ = self.t.ugettext
 
+    def tearDown(self):
+        GettextBaseTest.tearDown(self)
+
     def test_unicode_msgid(self):
         unless = self.failUnless
         unless(isinstance(self._(''), unicode))