diff --git a/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp b/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp
index 7b7b24bfa5..ac2daad1d6 100644
--- a/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp
+++ b/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp
@@ -1,234 +1,249 @@
 /* This file is part of the KDE libraries
    Copyright (c) 2001 Hans Petter Bieker <bieker@kde.org>
 
    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
    License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
    version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
 
    This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
    Library General Public License for more details.
 
    You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public License
    along with this library; see the file COPYING.LIB.  If not, write to
    the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
    Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
 */
 
 #include "kcatalog_p.h"
 #include "kstandarddirs.h"
 
 #include <config.h>
 
 #include <QtCore/QFile>
 
 #include <kdebug.h>
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <locale.h>
 #include "gettext.h"
 
 // not defined on win32 :(
 #ifdef _WIN32
 # ifndef LC_MESSAGES
 #  define LC_MESSAGES 42
 # endif
 #endif
 
+static char *langenv = 0;
+static const int langenvMaxlen = 42;
+// = "LANGUAGE=" + 32 chars for language code + terminating zero
+
 class KCatalogPrivate
 {
 public:
   QByteArray language;
   QByteArray name;
   QByteArray localeDir;
 
   QByteArray systemLanguage;
 
   static int localeSet;
   static QByteArray currentLanguage;
 
   void setupGettextEnv ();
   void resetSystemLanguage ();
 };
 
 QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const KCatalog &c)
 {
   return debug << c.d->language << " " << c.d->name << " " << c.d->localeDir;
 }
 
 int KCatalogPrivate::localeSet = 0;
 QByteArray KCatalogPrivate::currentLanguage;
 
 KCatalog::KCatalog(const QString & name, const QString & language )
   : d( new KCatalogPrivate )
 {
   // Set locales only once.
   if (! KCatalogPrivate::localeSet) {
     setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
     KCatalogPrivate::localeSet = 1;
   }
 
   // Find locale directory for this catalog.
   QString localeDir = catalogLocaleDir( name, language );
 
   d->language = QFile::encodeName( language );
   d->name = QFile::encodeName( name );
   d->localeDir = QFile::encodeName( localeDir );
 
   // Always get translations in UTF-8, regardless of user's environment.
   bind_textdomain_codeset( d->name, "UTF-8" );
 
   // Invalidate current language, to trigger binding at next translate call.
   KCatalogPrivate::currentLanguage.clear();
+
+  if (!langenv) {
+    // Call putenv only here, to initialize LANGUAGE variable.
+    // Later only change langenv to what is currently needed.
+    langenv = new char[langenvMaxlen];
+    QByteArray lang = qgetenv("LANGUAGE");
+    snprintf(langenv, langenvMaxlen, "LANGUAGE=%s", lang.constData());
+    putenv(langenv);
+  }
 }
 
 KCatalog::KCatalog(const KCatalog & rhs)
   : d( new KCatalogPrivate )
 {
   *this = rhs;
 }
 
 KCatalog & KCatalog::operator=(const KCatalog & rhs)
 {
   *d = *rhs.d;
 
   // Update Gettext environment.
   // (Sometimes Gettext picks up wrong locale directory if bindings are not
   // updated here. No idea why that happens.)
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
 
   return *this;
 }
 
 KCatalog::~KCatalog()
 {
   delete d;
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::catalogLocaleDir( const QString &name,
                                     const QString &language )
 {
   QString relpath =  QString::fromLatin1( "%1/LC_MESSAGES/%2.mo" )
                     .arg( language ).arg( name );
   return KGlobal::dirs()->findResourceDir( "locale", relpath );
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::name() const
 {
   return d->name;
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::language() const
 {
   return d->language;
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::localeDir() const
 {
   return d->localeDir;
 }
 
 void KCatalogPrivate::setupGettextEnv ()
 {
   // Point Gettext to current language, recording system value for recovery.
   systemLanguage = qgetenv("LANGUAGE");
   if (systemLanguage != language) {
-    qputenv("LANGUAGE", language);
+    // putenv has been called in the constructor,
+    // it is enough to change the string set there.
+    snprintf(langenv, langenvMaxlen, "LANGUAGE=%s", language.constData());
   }
 
   // Rebind text domain if language actually changed from the last time,
   // as locale directories may differ for different languages of same catalog.
   if (language != currentLanguage) {
 
     currentLanguage = language;
 
     bindtextdomain(name, localeDir);
 
     // // Magic to make sure Gettext doesn't use stale cached translation
     // // from previous language.
     // extern int _nl_msg_cat_cntr;
     // ++_nl_msg_cat_cntr;
     //
     // Note: Not needed, caching of translations is not an issue because
     // language is switched only if translation is not found.
   }
 }
 
 void KCatalogPrivate::resetSystemLanguage ()
 {
   if (language != systemLanguage) {
-    qputenv("LANGUAGE", systemLanguage);
+    snprintf(langenv, langenvMaxlen, "LANGUAGE=%s", systemLanguage.constData());
   }
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translate(const char * msgid) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dgettext(d->name, msgid);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return QString::fromUtf8(msgstr);
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translate(const char * msgctxt, const char * msgid) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dpgettext_expr(d->name, msgctxt, msgid);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return QString::fromUtf8(msgstr);
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translate(const char * msgid, const char * msgid_plural,
                             unsigned long n) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dngettext(d->name, msgid, msgid_plural, n);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return QString::fromUtf8(msgstr);
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translate(const char * msgctxt, const char * msgid,
                             const char * msgid_plural, unsigned long n) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dnpgettext_expr(d->name, msgctxt, msgid, msgid_plural, n);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return QString::fromUtf8(msgstr);
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translateStrict(const char * msgid) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dgettext(d->name, msgid);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return msgstr != msgid ? QString::fromUtf8(msgstr) : QString();
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translateStrict(const char * msgctxt, const char * msgid) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dpgettext_expr(d->name, msgctxt, msgid);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return msgstr != msgid ? QString::fromUtf8(msgstr) : QString();
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translateStrict(const char * msgid, const char * msgid_plural,
                                   unsigned long n) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dngettext(d->name, msgid, msgid_plural, n);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return msgstr != msgid && msgstr != msgid_plural ? QString::fromUtf8(msgstr) : QString();
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translateStrict(const char * msgctxt, const char * msgid,
                                   const char * msgid_plural, unsigned long n) const
 {
   d->setupGettextEnv();
   const char *msgstr = dnpgettext_expr(d->name, msgctxt, msgid, msgid_plural, n);
   d->resetSystemLanguage();
   return msgstr != msgid && msgstr != msgid_plural ? QString::fromUtf8(msgstr) : QString();
 }