--- a/src/file-io.cc
+++ b/src/file-io.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 
 #include <iostream>
+#include <locale>
 #include <stack>
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -1070,7 +1072,7 @@
 DEFUN (fscanf, args, ,
   "-*- texinfo -*-\n\
 @deftypefn  {Built-in Function} {[@var{val}, @var{count}, @var{errmsg}] =} fscanf (@var{fid}, @var{template}, @var{size})\n\
-@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {[@var{v1}, @var{v2}, @dots{}, @var{count}, @var{errmsg}] =} fscanf (@var{fid}, @var{template}, \"C\")\n\
++@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {[@var{v1}, @var{v2}, @dots{}, @var{count}] =} fscanf (@var{fid}, @var{template}, @var{locale})\n\
 In the first form, read from @var{fid} according to @var{template},\n\
 returning the result in the matrix @var{val}.\n\
 \n\
@@ -1109,7 +1111,10 @@
 with each conversion specifier in @var{template} corresponding to a\n\
 single scalar return value.  This form is more `C-like', and also\n\
 compatible with previous versions of Octave.  The number of successful\n\
-conversions is returned in @var{count}\n\
+conversions is returned in @var{count}. It permits to explicitly\n\
+specify a locale to take into account langage specific features, \n\
+such as decimal separator. This operation restores the previous locales\n\
+setting at the end of the conversion.\n\
 @ifclear OCTAVE_MANUAL\n\
 \n\
 See the Formatted Input section of the GNU Octave manual for a\n\
@@ -1131,7 +1136,25 @@
       if (! error_state)
         {
           if (args(1).is_string ())
-            retval = os.oscanf (args(1), who);
+            {
+              std::locale oldloc;
+              try
+                {
+                  // Use args(2) val as the new locale setting. Keep
+                  // old val for restoring afterwards.
+                  oldloc = 
+                    os.imbue (std::locale (args(2).string_value ().c_str ()));
+                  
+                }
+              catch (std::runtime_error)
+                {
+                  // Display a warning if the specified locale is unknown
+                  warning ("fscanf: invalid locale. Try `locale -a' for a list of supported values.");
+                  oldloc = std::locale::classic ();
+                }
+              retval = os.oscanf (args(1), who);
+              os.imbue (oldloc);
+            }
           else
             ::error ("%s: format TEMPLATE must be a string", who.c_str ());
         }
@@ -1199,7 +1222,7 @@
 DEFUN (sscanf, args, ,
   "-*- texinfo -*-\n\
 @deftypefn  {Built-in Function} {[@var{val}, @var{count}, @var{errmsg}, @var{pos}] =} sscanf (@var{string}, @var{template}, @var{size})\n\
-@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {[@var{v1}, @var{v2}, @dots{}, @var{count}, @var{errmsg}] =} sscanf (@var{string}, @var{template}, \"C\")\n\
+@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {[@var{v1}, @var{v2}, @dots{}, @var{count}] =} sscanf (@var{string}, @var{template}, @var{locale})\n\
 This is like @code{fscanf}, except that the characters are taken from the\n\
 string @var{string} instead of from a stream.  Reaching the end of the\n\
 string is treated as an end-of-file condition.  In addition to the values\n\
@@ -1224,8 +1247,22 @@
 
           if (os.is_valid ())
             {
-              if (args(1).is_string ())
-                retval = os.oscanf (args(1), who);
+              if (args(1).is_string ()) 
+                {
+                  // Use args(2) val as the new locale setting. As the os
+                  // object is short lived, we don't need to restore
+                  // locale afterwards.
+                  try
+                    {  
+                      os.imbue (std::locale (args(2).string_value ().c_str ()));
+                    }
+                  catch (std::runtime_error)
+                    {
+                      // Display a warning if the specified locale is unknown
+                      warning ("sscanf: invalid locale. Try `locale -a' for a list of supported values.");
+                    }
+                  retval = os.oscanf (args(1), who);
+                }              
               else
                 ::error ("%s: format TEMPLATE must be a string", who.c_str ());
             }
@@ -1293,10 +1330,16 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
+/*
+%!test
+%! assert(sscanf('1,2', '%f', 'C'), 1)
+%! assert(sscanf('1,2', '%f', 'fr_FR'), 1.2)
+*/
+
 DEFUN (scanf, args, nargout,
   "-*- texinfo -*-\n\
 @deftypefn  {Built-in Function} {[@var{val}, @var{count}, @var{errmsg}] =} scanf (@var{template}, @var{size})\n\
-@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {[@var{v1}, @var{v2}, @dots{}, @var{count}, @var{errmsg}]] =} scanf (@var{template}, \"C\")\n\
+@deftypefnx {Built-in Function} {[@var{v1}, @var{v2}, @dots{}, @var{count}]] =} scanf (@var{template}, @var{locale}))\n\
 This is equivalent to calling @code{fscanf} with @var{fid} = @code{stdin}.\n\
 \n\
 It is currently not useful to call @code{scanf} in interactive\n\

--- a/src/oct-stream.h
+++ b/src/oct-stream.h
@@ -371,6 +371,12 @@
 
   virtual std::ostream *output_stream (void) { return 0; }
 
+  // If the derived class is locale-aware, it must implement this function 
+  // in order to set a new locale. By default, this function avoids messing 
+  // with locales and ignores its input argument.
+  virtual std::locale imbue ( const std::locale & loc ) 
+    { return std::locale::classic (); }
+  
   // Return TRUE if this stream is open.
 
   bool is_open (void) const { return open_state; }
@@ -613,7 +619,23 @@
   {
     return rep ? rep->output_stream () : 0;
   }
-
+  
+  std::locale imbue (const std::locale & loc )
+    {
+      if (!rep) return std::locale::classic ();
+      
+      std::istream *is = rep->input_stream ();
+      std::ostream *os = rep->output_stream ();
+      
+      if (os) 
+        {
+          if (is)
+            (void) is->imbue (loc);
+          return os->imbue (loc);
+        }
+      return is ? is->imbue (loc) : std::locale::classic ();
+    }
+  
   void clearerr (void) { if (rep) rep->clearerr (); }
 
 private: