diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 01db86351..77ae4d8c0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -156,6 +156,17 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(fdwalk)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(mallinfo)
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/resource.h])
 
+# _NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY is an enum and not a define
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for _NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY])
+AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <langinfo.h>]],
+                                   [[nl_langinfo(_NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY);]])],
+               [langinfo_ok=yes], [langinfo_ok=no])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($langinfo_ok)
+if test "$langinfo_ok" = "yes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE([HAVE__NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY], [1],
+            [Define if _NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY is available])
+fi
+
 # Sets GLIB_GENMARSHAL and GLIB_MKENUMS
 AM_PATH_GLIB_2_0()
 G_IR_SCANNER=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=g_ir_scanner gobject-introspection-1.0`
diff --git a/js/ui/calendar.js b/js/ui/calendar.js
index 0f8730539..f5448f07b 100644
--- a/js/ui/calendar.js
+++ b/js/ui/calendar.js
@@ -358,10 +358,7 @@ Calendar.prototype = {
                                                            this._update(false);
                                                        }));
 
-        // FIXME: This is actually the fallback method for GTK+ for the week start;
-        // GTK+ by preference uses nl_langinfo (NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY). We probably
-        // should add a C function so we can do the full handling.
-        this._weekStart = NaN;
+        this._weekStart = Shell.util_get_week_start();
         this._weekdate = NaN;
         this._digitWidth = NaN;
         this._settings = new Gio.Settings({ schema: 'org.gnome.shell.calendar' });
@@ -369,16 +366,6 @@ Calendar.prototype = {
         this._settings.connect('changed::' + SHOW_WEEKDATE_KEY, Lang.bind(this, this._onSettingsChange));
         this._useWeekdate = this._settings.get_boolean(SHOW_WEEKDATE_KEY);
 
-        let weekStartString = Gettext_gtk30.gettext('calendar:week_start:0');
-        if (weekStartString.indexOf('calendar:week_start:') == 0) {
-            this._weekStart = parseInt(weekStartString.substring(20));
-        }
-
-        if (isNaN(this._weekStart) || this._weekStart < 0 || this._weekStart > 6) {
-            log('Translation of "calendar:week_start:0" in GTK+ is not correct');
-            this._weekStart = 0;
-        }
-
         // Find the ordering for month/year in the calendar heading
         this._headerFormatWithoutYear = '%B';
         switch (Gettext_gtk30.gettext('calendar:MY')) {
@@ -638,17 +625,7 @@ EventsList.prototype = {
         this._eventSource.connect('changed', Lang.bind(this, this._update));
         this._desktopSettings = new Gio.Settings({ schema: 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' });
         this._desktopSettings.connect('changed', Lang.bind(this, this._update));
-        let weekStartString = Gettext_gtk30.gettext('calendar:week_start:0');
-        if (weekStartString.indexOf('calendar:week_start:') == 0) {
-            this._weekStart = parseInt(weekStartString.substring(20));
-        }
-
-        if (isNaN(this._weekStart) ||
-                  this._weekStart < 0 ||
-                  this._weekStart > 6) {
-            log('Translation of "calendar:week_start:0" in GTK+ is not correct');
-            this._weekStart = 0;
-        }
+        this._weekStart = Shell.util_get_week_start();
 
         this._update();
     },
diff --git a/src/shell-util.c b/src/shell-util.c
index ef00f44a5..5e53ef240 100644
--- a/src/shell-util.c
+++ b/src/shell-util.c
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n-lib.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE__NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY
+#include <langinfo.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <libxml/parser.h>
 #include <libxml/tree.h>
 #include <libxml/xmlmemory.h>
@@ -541,6 +545,62 @@ shell_util_format_date (const char *format,
   return result;
 }
 
+/**
+ * shell_util_get_week_start:
+ *
+ * Gets the first week day for the current locale, expressed as a
+ * number in the range 0..6, representing week days from Sunday to
+ * Saturday.
+ *
+ * Returns: A number representing the first week day for the current
+ *          locale
+ */
+/* Copied from gtkcalendar.c */
+int
+shell_util_get_week_start ()
+{
+  int week_start;
+#ifdef HAVE__NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY
+  union { unsigned int word; char *string; } langinfo;
+  int week_1stday = 0;
+  int first_weekday = 1;
+  guint week_origin;
+#else
+  char *gtk_week_start;
+#endif
+
+#ifdef HAVE__NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY
+  langinfo.string = nl_langinfo (_NL_TIME_FIRST_WEEKDAY);
+  first_weekday = langinfo.string[0];
+  langinfo.string = nl_langinfo (_NL_TIME_WEEK_1STDAY);
+  week_origin = langinfo.word;
+  if (week_origin == 19971130) /* Sunday */
+    week_1stday = 0;
+  else if (week_origin == 19971201) /* Monday */
+    week_1stday = 1;
+  else
+    g_warning ("Unknown value of _NL_TIME_WEEK_1STDAY.\n");
+
+  week_start = (week_1stday + first_weekday - 1) % 7;
+#else
+  gtk_week_start = dgettext ("gtk30", "calendar:week_start:0");
+
+  if (strncmp (gtk_week_start, "calendar:week_start:", 20) == 0)
+    week_start = *(gtk_week_start + 20) - '0';
+  else
+    week_start = -1;
+
+  if (week_start < 0 || week_start > 6)
+    {
+      g_warning ("Whoever translated calendar:week_start:0 for GTK+ "
+                 "did so wrongly.\n");
+      week_start = 0;
+    }
+#endif
+
+  return week_start;
+}
+
 /**
  * shell_get_event_state:
  * @event: a #ClutterEvent
diff --git a/src/shell-util.h b/src/shell-util.h
index 1f431ff62..fcfc6cc4e 100644
--- a/src/shell-util.h
+++ b/src/shell-util.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ void     shell_util_set_hidden_from_pick       (ClutterActor     *actor,
 void     shell_util_get_transformed_allocation (ClutterActor     *actor,
                                                 ClutterActorBox  *box);
 
+int      shell_util_get_week_start             (void);
 char    *shell_util_format_date                (const char       *format,
                                                 gint64            time_ms);