diff --git a/modules/util/detect.js b/modules/util/detect.js
index 19af93b5d..c3a98c185 100644
--- a/modules/util/detect.js
+++ b/modules/util/detect.js
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ export function utilDetect(force) {
     detected = {};
 
     var ua = navigator.userAgent,
-        m = null;
+        m = null,
+        q = utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1));
 
     m = ua.match(/(edge)\/?\s*(\.?\d+(\.\d+)*)/i);   // Edge
     if (m !== null) {
@@ -59,24 +60,30 @@ export function utilDetect(force) {
     // Added due to incomplete svg style support. See #715
     detected.opera = (detected.browser.toLowerCase() === 'opera' && parseFloat(detected.version) < 15 );
 
-    detected.locale = (navigator.language || navigator.userLanguage || 'en-US');
-    detected.language = detected.locale.split('-')[0];
+    // Set locale based on url param (format 'en-US') or browser lang (default)
+    if (q.hasOwnProperty('locale')) {
+        detected.locale = q.locale;
+        detected.language = q.locale.split('-')[0];
+    } else {
+        detected.locale = (navigator.language || navigator.userLanguage || 'en-US');
+        detected.language = detected.locale.split('-')[0];
 
-    // Search `navigator.languages` for a better locale.. Prefer the first language,
-    // unless the second language is a culture-specific version of the first one, see #3842
-    if (navigator.languages && navigator.languages.length > 0) {
-        var code0 = navigator.languages[0],
-            parts0 = code0.split('-');
+        // Search `navigator.languages` for a better locale. Prefer the first language,
+        // unless the second language is a culture-specific version of the first one, see #3842
+        if (navigator.languages && navigator.languages.length > 0) {
+            var code0 = navigator.languages[0],
+                parts0 = code0.split('-');
 
-        detected.locale = code0;
-        detected.language = parts0[0];
+            detected.locale = code0;
+            detected.language = parts0[0];
 
-        if (navigator.languages.length > 1 && parts0.length === 1) {
-            var code1 = navigator.languages[1],
-                parts1 = code1.split('-');
+            if (navigator.languages.length > 1 && parts0.length === 1) {
+                var code1 = navigator.languages[1],
+                    parts1 = code1.split('-');
 
-            if (parts1[0] === parts0[0]) {
-                detected.locale = code1;
+                if (parts1[0] === parts0[0]) {
+                    detected.locale = code1;
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -90,7 +97,6 @@ export function utilDetect(force) {
     }
 
     // detect text direction
-    var q = utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1));
     var lang = dataLocales[detected.locale];
     if ((lang && lang.rtl) || (q.rtl === 'true')) {
         detected.textDirection = 'rtl';