diff --git a/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-experimental b/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-experimental
index a46e4dca4..3dcb44367 100644
--- a/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-experimental
+++ b/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-experimental
@@ -57,10 +57,5 @@ RUN apt-get -t experimental install -yq --no-install-recommends \
 #deps needed only for installed tests
 RUN apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
         gnome-desktop-testing dbus-x11 ca-certificates
-#fix locales
-RUN sed -i -e 's/# en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8/' /etc/locale.gen && \
-    dpkg-reconfigure --frontend=noninteractive locales && \
-    update-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8
-ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
 RUN mkdir /build
 WORKDIR /build
diff --git a/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-unstable b/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-unstable
index daf17d171..1d84898cc 100644
--- a/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-unstable
+++ b/contrib/ci/Dockerfile-debian-unstable
@@ -53,8 +53,4 @@ RUN apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
 RUN apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
         gnome-desktop-testing dbus-x11 ca-certificates
 RUN mkdir /build
-RUN sed -i -e 's/# en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8/' /etc/locale.gen && \
-    dpkg-reconfigure --frontend=noninteractive locales && \
-    update-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8
-ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
 WORKDIR /build