diff --git a/Lib/test/test_logging.py b/Lib/test/test_logging.py
index 360d3ac2254..1e16def9a7c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_logging.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_logging.py
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@
 import socket, threading, time, locale
 import logging, logging.handlers, logging.config
 
-locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, '')
+try:
+    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, '')
+except ValueError:
+    # this happens on a Solaris box which only supports "C" locale
+    pass
 
 BANNER = "-- %-10s %-6s ---------------------------------------------------\n"