diff --git a/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.4.ebuild b/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.4.ebuild
index 790301542c2fd..36b921ede4f88 100644
--- a/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.4.ebuild
+++ b/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.4.ebuild
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ LUA_COMPAT=( luajit )
 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{12..15} )
 VALA_USE_DEPEND=vapigen
 
-inherit branding flag-o-matic lua-single meson python-single-r1 shell-completion toolchain-funcs vala xdg
+inherit branding flag-o-matic locale-utils lua-single meson python-single-r1 shell-completion toolchain-funcs vala xdg
 
 DESCRIPTION="GNU Image Manipulation Program"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.gimp.org/"
@@ -164,21 +164,6 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 pkg_setup() {
 	if [[ ${MERGE_TYPE} != binary ]]; then
 		use openmp && tc-check-openmp
-
-		# bug #969468
-		local locales="$(locale -a)"
-		if ! has "en_US.utf8" ${locales} && ! has "en_US.UTF-8" ${locales}; then
-			# portage splits and unset LC_ALL. Cannot rely on that
-			if [[ "${LANG}" != "C" ]] && [[ "${LANG}" != "POSIX" ]] && [[ "${LANG}" == "${LANG#C\.}" ]]; then
-				# Set LC_ALL to avoid locales breaking due to the profile setting LC_MESSAGES=C
-				# and portage itself setting LC_COLLATE=C
-				einfo "Setting LC_ALL=${LANG} based on LANG because en_US.UTF-8 isn't available, bug #968468"
-				export LC_ALL="${LANG}"
-			else
-				eerror "Cannot use LANG=${LANG} as it cannot be C or POSIX"
-				die "en_US.UTF-8 isn't available and cannot fallback to user locale, bug #969468"
-			fi
-		fi
 	fi
 
 	python-single-r1_pkg_setup
@@ -266,6 +251,10 @@ src_configure() {
 }
 
 src_compile() {
+	# gen-languages needs en_US.UTF-8, bug #969468
+	local -x LOCPATH
+	elocale_gen en_US.UTF-8
+
 	export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${EPREFIX}"/usr/share  # bug 587004
 	meson_src_compile
 }
diff --git a/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.6.ebuild b/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.6.ebuild
index 8df9ddd61b43e..2783107d0e0e1 100644
--- a/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.6.ebuild
+++ b/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-3.2.6.ebuild
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ LUA_COMPAT=( luajit )
 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{12..15} )
 VALA_USE_DEPEND=vapigen
 
-inherit branding flag-o-matic lua-single meson python-single-r1 shell-completion toolchain-funcs vala xdg
+inherit branding flag-o-matic locale-utils lua-single meson python-single-r1 shell-completion toolchain-funcs vala xdg
 
 DESCRIPTION="GNU Image Manipulation Program"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.gimp.org/"
@@ -164,21 +164,6 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 pkg_setup() {
 	if [[ ${MERGE_TYPE} != binary ]]; then
 		use openmp && tc-check-openmp
-
-		# bug #969468
-		local locales="$(locale -a)"
-		if ! has "en_US.utf8" ${locales} && ! has "en_US.UTF-8" ${locales}; then
-			# portage splits and unset LC_ALL. Cannot rely on that
-			if [[ "${LANG}" != "C" ]] && [[ "${LANG}" != "POSIX" ]] && [[ "${LANG}" == "${LANG#C\.}" ]]; then
-				# Set LC_ALL to avoid locales breaking due to the profile setting LC_MESSAGES=C
-				# and portage itself setting LC_COLLATE=C
-				einfo "Setting LC_ALL=${LANG} based on LANG because en_US.UTF-8 isn't available, bug #968468"
-				export LC_ALL="${LANG}"
-			else
-				eerror "Cannot use LANG=${LANG} as it cannot be C or POSIX"
-				die "en_US.UTF-8 isn't available and cannot fallback to user locale, bug #969468"
-			fi
-		fi
 	fi
 
 	python-single-r1_pkg_setup
@@ -265,6 +250,10 @@ src_configure() {
 }
 
 src_compile() {
+	# gen-languages needs en_US.UTF-8, bug #969468
+	local -x LOCPATH
+	elocale_gen en_US.UTF-8
+
 	export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${EPREFIX}"/usr/share  # bug 587004
 	meson_src_compile
 }
diff --git a/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-9999.ebuild b/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-9999.ebuild
index 8df9ddd61b43e..2783107d0e0e1 100644
--- a/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-9999.ebuild
+++ b/media-gfx/gimp/gimp-9999.ebuild
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ LUA_COMPAT=( luajit )
 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{12..15} )
 VALA_USE_DEPEND=vapigen
 
-inherit branding flag-o-matic lua-single meson python-single-r1 shell-completion toolchain-funcs vala xdg
+inherit branding flag-o-matic locale-utils lua-single meson python-single-r1 shell-completion toolchain-funcs vala xdg
 
 DESCRIPTION="GNU Image Manipulation Program"
 HOMEPAGE="https://www.gimp.org/"
@@ -164,21 +164,6 @@ pkg_pretend() {
 pkg_setup() {
 	if [[ ${MERGE_TYPE} != binary ]]; then
 		use openmp && tc-check-openmp
-
-		# bug #969468
-		local locales="$(locale -a)"
-		if ! has "en_US.utf8" ${locales} && ! has "en_US.UTF-8" ${locales}; then
-			# portage splits and unset LC_ALL. Cannot rely on that
-			if [[ "${LANG}" != "C" ]] && [[ "${LANG}" != "POSIX" ]] && [[ "${LANG}" == "${LANG#C\.}" ]]; then
-				# Set LC_ALL to avoid locales breaking due to the profile setting LC_MESSAGES=C
-				# and portage itself setting LC_COLLATE=C
-				einfo "Setting LC_ALL=${LANG} based on LANG because en_US.UTF-8 isn't available, bug #968468"
-				export LC_ALL="${LANG}"
-			else
-				eerror "Cannot use LANG=${LANG} as it cannot be C or POSIX"
-				die "en_US.UTF-8 isn't available and cannot fallback to user locale, bug #969468"
-			fi
-		fi
 	fi
 
 	python-single-r1_pkg_setup
@@ -265,6 +250,10 @@ src_configure() {
 }
 
 src_compile() {
+	# gen-languages needs en_US.UTF-8, bug #969468
+	local -x LOCPATH
+	elocale_gen en_US.UTF-8
+
 	export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${EPREFIX}"/usr/share  # bug 587004
 	meson_src_compile
 }