diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.cpp
index e93d397ffcb..8d417da6904 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.cpp
@@ -99,37 +99,67 @@ ExternalTool::OutputHandling ExternalTool::outputHandling() const
     return m_outputHandling;
 }
 
-ExternalTool * ExternalTool::createFromXml(const QString &xml, QString *errorMessage)
+static QStringList splitLocale(const QString &locale)
 {
+    QString value = locale;
+    QStringList values;
+    if (!value.isEmpty())
+        values << value;
+    int index = value.indexOf(QLatin1Char('.'));
+    if (index >= 0) {
+        value = value.left(index);
+        if (!value.isEmpty())
+            values << value;
+    }
+    index = value.indexOf(QLatin1Char('_'));
+    if (index >= 0) {
+        value = value.left(index);
+        if (!value.isEmpty())
+            values << value;
+    }
+    return values;
+}
+
+static void localizedText(const QStringList &locales, QXmlStreamReader *reader, int *currentLocale, QString *currentText)
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(reader);
+    Q_ASSERT(currentLocale);
+    Q_ASSERT(currentText);
+    if (reader->attributes().hasAttribute(QLatin1String(kXmlLang))) {
+        int index = locales.indexOf(reader->attributes().value(QLatin1String(kXmlLang)).toString());
+        if (index >= 0 && (index < *currentLocale || *currentLocale < 0)) {
+            *currentText = reader->readElementText();
+            *currentLocale = index;
+        } else {
+            reader->skipCurrentElement();
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (*currentLocale < 0 && currentText->isEmpty()) {
+            *currentText = reader->readElementText();
+        } else {
+            reader->skipCurrentElement();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+ExternalTool * ExternalTool::createFromXml(const QString &xml, QString *errorMessage, const QString &locale)
+{
+    int descriptionLocale = -1;
+    int nameLocale = -1;
+    int categoryLocale = -1;
+    const QStringList &locales = splitLocale(locale);
     ExternalTool *tool = new ExternalTool;
     QXmlStreamReader reader(xml);
+
     if (!reader.readNextStartElement() || reader.name() != QLatin1String(kExternalTool))
         reader.raiseError(QLatin1String("Missing start element <externaltool>"));
     while (reader.readNextStartElement()) {
         if (reader.name() == QLatin1String(kDescription)) {
-            // TODO locale check
-            if (!reader.attributes().hasAttribute(QLatin1String(kXmlLang))
-                    && tool->m_description.isEmpty()) {
-                tool->m_description = reader.readElementText();
-            } else {
-                reader.skipCurrentElement();
-            }
+            localizedText(locales, &reader, &descriptionLocale, &tool->m_description);
         } else if (reader.name() == QLatin1String(kDisplayName)) {
-            // TODO locale check
-            if (!reader.attributes().hasAttribute(QLatin1String(kXmlLang))
-                    && tool->m_displayName.isEmpty()) {
-                tool->m_displayName = reader.readElementText();
-            } else {
-                reader.skipCurrentElement();
-            }
+            localizedText(locales, &reader, &nameLocale, &tool->m_displayName);
         } else if (reader.name() == QLatin1String(kCategory)) {
-            // TODO locale check
-            if (!reader.attributes().hasAttribute(QLatin1String(kXmlLang))
-                    && tool->m_displayCategory.isEmpty()) {
-                tool->m_displayCategory = reader.readElementText();
-            } else {
-                reader.skipCurrentElement();
-            }
+            localizedText(locales, &reader, &categoryLocale, &tool->m_displayCategory);
         } else if (reader.name() == QLatin1String(kOrder)) {
             if (tool->m_order >= 0) {
                 reader.raiseError(QLatin1String("only one <order> element allowed"));
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.h
index af573b574b0..bb45d47291a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/externaltool.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public:
     QString arguments() const;
     QString workingDirectory() const;
 
-    static ExternalTool *createFromXml(const QString &xml, QString *errorMessage = 0);
+    static ExternalTool *createFromXml(const QString &xml, QString *errorMessage = 0, const QString &locale = QString());
 
 private:
     QString m_description;
diff --git a/tests/auto/externaltool/tst_externaltooltest.cpp b/tests/auto/externaltool/tst_externaltooltest.cpp
index b509f1c66a0..33f24faad2c 100644
--- a/tests/auto/externaltool/tst_externaltooltest.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/externaltool/tst_externaltooltest.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,22 @@ static const char * const TEST_XML3 =
 "    </executable>"
 "</externaltool>";
 
+static const char * const TEST_XML_LANG =
+"<externaltool>"
+"    <description>Hi</description>"
+"    <description xml:lang=\"de\">Hallo</description>"
+"    <description xml:lang=\"de_CH\">Grüezi</description>"
+"    <displayname xml:lang=\"de\">Hallo</displayname>"
+"    <displayname>Hi</displayname>"
+"    <displayname xml:lang=\"de_CH\">Grüezi</displayname>"
+"    <category xml:lang=\"de_CH\">Grüezi</category>"
+"    <category>Hi</category>"
+"    <category xml:lang=\"de\">Hallo</category>"
+"    <executable>"
+"        <path>foo</path>"
+"    </executable>"
+"</externaltool>";
+
 class ExternaltoolTest : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -61,6 +77,7 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
     void testRead1();
     void testRead2();
     void testRead3();
+    void testReadLocale();
 };
 
 void ExternaltoolTest::testRead1()
@@ -79,6 +96,7 @@ void ExternaltoolTest::testRead1()
     QCOMPARE(tool->arguments(), QString::fromLatin1("%{CurrentProjectFilePath}"));
     QCOMPARE(tool->workingDirectory(), QString::fromLatin1("%{CurrentProjectPath}"));
     QCOMPARE(tool->outputHandling(), ExternalTool::ShowInPane);
+    delete tool;
 }
 
 void ExternaltoolTest::testRead2()
@@ -96,6 +114,7 @@ void ExternaltoolTest::testRead2()
     QCOMPARE(tool->arguments(), QString::fromLatin1("%{CurrentSelectionFilePath}"));
     QCOMPARE(tool->workingDirectory(), QString::fromLatin1("%{CurrentPath}"));
     QCOMPARE(tool->outputHandling(), ExternalTool::ReplaceSelection);
+    delete tool;
 }
 
 void ExternaltoolTest::testRead3()
@@ -113,8 +132,46 @@ void ExternaltoolTest::testRead3()
     QVERIFY(tool->arguments().startsWith(QLatin1String("-geom %{")));
     QCOMPARE(tool->workingDirectory(), QString::fromLatin1("%{CurrentPath}"));
     QCOMPARE(tool->outputHandling(), ExternalTool::ReloadDocument);
+    delete tool;
 }
 
+void ExternaltoolTest::testReadLocale()
+{
+    QString error;
+    ExternalTool *tool;
+
+    tool = ExternalTool::createFromXml(QLatin1String(TEST_XML_LANG), &error);
+    QVERIFY(tool != 0);
+    QVERIFY(error.isEmpty());
+    QCOMPARE(tool->description(), QString::fromLatin1("Hi"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayName(), QString::fromLatin1("Hi"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayCategory(), QString::fromLatin1("Hi"));
+    delete tool;
+
+    tool = ExternalTool::createFromXml(QLatin1String(TEST_XML_LANG), &error, QLatin1String("uk"));
+    QVERIFY(tool != 0);
+    QVERIFY(error.isEmpty());
+    QCOMPARE(tool->description(), QString::fromLatin1("Hi"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayName(), QString::fromLatin1("Hi"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayCategory(), QString::fromLatin1("Hi"));
+    delete tool;
+
+    tool = ExternalTool::createFromXml(QLatin1String(TEST_XML_LANG), &error, QLatin1String("de_DE.UTF-8"));
+    QVERIFY(tool != 0);
+    QVERIFY(error.isEmpty());
+    QCOMPARE(tool->description(), QString::fromLatin1("Hallo"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayName(), QString::fromLatin1("Hallo"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayCategory(), QString::fromLatin1("Hallo"));
+    delete tool;
+
+    tool = ExternalTool::createFromXml(QLatin1String(TEST_XML_LANG), &error, QLatin1String("de_CH"));
+    QVERIFY(tool != 0);
+    QVERIFY(error.isEmpty());
+    QCOMPARE(tool->description(), QString::fromLatin1("Grüezi"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayName(), QString::fromLatin1("Grüezi"));
+    QCOMPARE(tool->displayCategory(), QString::fromLatin1("Grüezi"));
+    delete tool;}
+
 QTEST_APPLESS_MAIN(ExternaltoolTest);
 
 #include "tst_externaltooltest.moc"