diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java
index a48ae62901f..a67b206c91e 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockHttpServletResponse.java
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ public class MockHttpServletResponse implements HttpServletResponse {
 			HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
 			headers.add(HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LANGUAGE, value.toString());
 			Locale language = headers.getContentLanguage();
-			this.locale = language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault();
+			setLocale(language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault());
 			return true;
 		}
 		else {
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java
index 727faafd0c7..c7bb895db6e 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/test/MockHttpServletResponse.java
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ public class MockHttpServletResponse implements HttpServletResponse {
 			HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
 			headers.add(HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LANGUAGE, value.toString());
 			Locale language = headers.getContentLanguage();
-			this.locale = language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault();
+			setLocale(language != null ? language : Locale.getDefault());
 			return true;
 		}
 		else {