diff --git a/package/base/glibc/glibc.conf b/package/base/glibc/glibc.conf
index db70ac9a8..2f9407425 100644
--- a/package/base/glibc/glibc.conf
+++ b/package/base/glibc/glibc.conf
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ glibc_custmain() {
 	# Misc. stuff
 	#
 	if [ "$crossnative" = native ] ; then
-		eval $MAKE install-locales -C localedata
+		[ $stagelevel -gt 1 ] && eval $MAKE install-locales -C localedata
+# otherwise we risk the hosts /usr/lib/locale/locale-archive being overwritten
 		mkdir -p $root/usr/share/man/man3
 		if [ -f /usr/bin/perl ] ; then
 			eval $MAKE -C linuxthreads/man \
@@ -185,8 +186,11 @@ glibc_custmain() {
 	
 	# install locales
 	#
-	eval $MAKE localedata/install-locales
-	cp ../localedata/SUPPORTED $root/usr/share/i18n/
+	if [ $stagelevel -gt 1 ] ; then
+# otherwise we risk the hosts /usr/lib/locale/locale-archive being overwritten
+		eval $MAKE localedata/install-locales
+		cp ../localedata/SUPPORTED $root/usr/share/i18n/
+	fi
 
 	# copy crypt documentation
 	#