diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java
index fced13bb57..ec5ad41349 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ public class MockHttpServletResponse implements HttpServletResponse {
 			HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
 			headers.add(HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LANGUAGE, value.toString());
 			Locale language = headers.getContentLanguage();
-			this.locale = language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault();
+			setLocale(language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault());
 			return true;
 		}
 		else if (HttpHeaders.SET_COOKIE.equalsIgnoreCase(name)) {
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java
index a247dd0d33..7f248e9093 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ public class MockHttpServletResponse implements HttpServletResponse {
 			HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
 			headers.add(HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LANGUAGE, value.toString());
 			Locale language = headers.getContentLanguage();
-			this.locale = language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault();
+			setLocale(language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault());
 			return true;
 		}
 		else if (HttpHeaders.SET_COOKIE.equalsIgnoreCase(name)) {