diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 2502605e5..06a407fd2 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - ssh kitten: Fix executable permission missing from kitty bootstrap script (:iss:`5438`)
 
+- Fix a regression in 0.26.0 that caused kitty to no longer set the ``LANG`` environment variable on macOS (:iss:`5439`)
+
 0.26.0 [2022-08-29]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/kitty/child.py b/kitty/child.py
index b8095619f..400caf342 100644
--- a/kitty/child.py
+++ b/kitty/child.py
@@ -168,6 +168,10 @@ def set_default_env(val: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None) -> None:
     setattr(default_env, 'lc_ctype_set_by_user', has_lctype)
 
 
+def set_LANG_in_default_env(val: str) -> None:
+    default_env()['LANG'] = val
+
+
 def openpty() -> Tuple[int, int]:
     master, slave = os.openpty()  # Note that master and slave are in blocking mode
     os.set_inheritable(slave, True)
diff --git a/kitty/main.py b/kitty/main.py
index 069466400..4cc37217b 100644
--- a/kitty/main.py
+++ b/kitty/main.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from typing import Dict, Generator, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
 
 from .borders import load_borders_program
 from .boss import Boss
-from .child import set_default_env
+from .child import set_default_env, set_LANG_in_default_env
 from .cli import create_opts, parse_args
 from .cli_stub import CLIOptions
 from .conf.utils import BadLine
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ def ensure_macos_locale() -> None:
                 else:
                     log_error(f'Could not set LANG Cocoa returns language as: {lang}')
             os.environ['LANG'] = f'{lang}.UTF-8'
+            set_LANG_in_default_env(os.environ['LANG'])
 
 
 @contextmanager
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ def set_locale() -> None:
             except Exception:
                 log_error('Failed to set locale with no LANG')
             os.environ['LANG'] = old_lang
+            set_LANG_in_default_env(old_lang)
 
 
 def _main() -> None: