diff --git a/src/common/init.c b/src/common/init.c
index c2dfa9fb5..2cb651fc8 100644
--- a/src/common/init.c
+++ b/src/common/init.c
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
-#include <locale.h>
 #ifdef _WIN32
     #include <windows.h>
+    #include <locale.h>
     #include "util/windows/unicode.h"
 #else
     #include <signal.h>
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ void ffInitInstance(void)
     #ifdef WIN32
         //https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/c-runtime-library/reference/setlocale-wsetlocale?source=recommendations&view=msvc-170#utf-8-support
         setlocale(LC_ALL, ".UTF8");
-    #else
-        // used for mbsrtowcs in Module `separator`
-        setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
     #endif
 
     initState(&instance.state);
diff --git a/src/detection/locale/locale_linux.c b/src/detection/locale/locale_linux.c
index a7cba8748..5d440694a 100644
--- a/src/detection/locale/locale_linux.c
+++ b/src/detection/locale/locale_linux.c
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ void ffDetectLocale(FFstrbuf* result)
     if(result->length > 0)
         return;
 
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
     #ifdef LC_MESSAGES
     ffStrbufAppendS(result, setlocale(LC_MESSAGES, NULL));
 
-    if(result->length > 0)
-        return;
+    if(result->length == 0)
+        ffStrbufAppendS(result, setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL));
     #endif
-
-    ffStrbufAppendS(result, setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL));
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "C");
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/separator/separator.c b/src/modules/separator/separator.c
index cf2be92bf..4a4747195 100644
--- a/src/modules/separator/separator.c
+++ b/src/modules/separator/separator.c
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include "util/mallocHelper.h"
 #include "util/wcwidth.h"
 
+#include <locale.h>
+
 static inline uint32_t max(uint32_t a, uint32_t b)
 {
     return a > b ? a : b;
@@ -31,6 +33,8 @@ static inline uint32_t getWcsWidth(const FFstrbuf* mbstr, wchar_t* wstr, mbstate
 
 void ffPrintSeparator(FFSeparatorOptions* options)
 {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
+
     mbstate_t state = {};
     bool fqdn = instance.config.modules.title.fqdn;
     const FFPlatform* platform = &instance.state.platform;
@@ -86,6 +90,8 @@ void ffPrintSeparator(FFSeparatorOptions* options)
         }
     }
     putchar('\n');
+
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, "C");
 }
 
 bool ffParseSeparatorCommandOptions(FFSeparatorOptions* options, const char* key, const char* value)