diff --git a/services/git-bridge/bin/wlgb b/services/git-bridge/bin/wlgb
index 812753afb2..885e39dfed 100755
--- a/services/git-bridge/bin/wlgb
+++ b/services/git-bridge/bin/wlgb
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ do_start()
 		return 1;
 	fi
 	echo "Starting WriteLatex-Git Bridge..."
-	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --make-pidfile --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON -- \
-		$DAEMON_ARGS >> /var/log/wlgb/out.log 2>> /var/log/err.log &
+        start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --make-pidfile --pidfile $PIDFILE \
+                --exec /usr/bin/env LANG="C.UTF-8" $DAEMON -- \
+                $DAEMON_ARGS >> /var/log/wlgb/out.log 2>> /var/log/err.log &
 	echo "WriteLatex-Git Bridge started."
 	echo "Config file at /etc/wlgb/config.json"
 	echo "Log file at /var/log/wlgb/out.log"