diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py b/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
index 245723124..65ef47b98 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
@@ -231,10 +231,10 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         if not self.language:
             self.language = [self.lang[:5]]
 
-        if 'LC_COLLATE' in os.environ:
-            coll = os.environ['LC_COLLATE']
+        if 'COLLATION' in os.environ:
+            coll = os.environ['COLLATION']
             if HAVE_ICU:
-                if coll[:5] in ICU_LOCALES:
+                if coll[:2] in ICU_LOCALES:
                     self.collation = coll
                 else:
                     self.collation = self.lang
@@ -341,6 +341,9 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         else:
             self.collation = self.lang
 
+        if HAVE_ICU and 'COLLATION' in os.environ:
+            self.collation = os.environ['COLLATION']
+
         loc = locale.getlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC)
         if loc and loc[0]:
             self.numeric = '.'.join(loc)
@@ -538,9 +541,6 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         else:
             self.language = None
 
-         #For alternate collation sequences. Works only with ICU, and
-         #set only on Macs.
-        self.coll_qualifier = None
         _first = self._GrampsLocale__first_instance
         if self == _first:
             self._GrampsLocale__init_first_instance()
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         if not languages or len(languages) == 0:
             LOG.warning("No language provided, using US English")
         else:
-            raise ValueError("No usable translations in %s" %
+            raise ValueError("No usable translations in %s for " %
                              ':'.join(languages))
         translator = GrampsNullTranslations()
         translator._language = "en"
diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py b/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
index 5cfdeb9b8..88e6db24e 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
@@ -194,24 +194,27 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale):
         """
         Extract the collation (sort order) locale from the defaults string.
         """
-        apple_collation = _mac_get_gramps_defaults("Gramps", "AppleCollationOrder")
+        # The locale module can't deal with collation-qualified
+        # locales and setting one blows up setlocale, so we use
+        # $COLLATION directly instead.
+        if ('COLLATION') in os.environ:
+            apple_collation = os.environ['COLLATION']
+        else:
+            apple_collation = _mac_get_gramps_defaults("Gramps",
+                                                       "AppleCollationOrder")
         if not apple_collation:
             apple_collation = _mac_get_gramps_defaults("Global",
                                                        "AppleCollationOrder")
 
         if not apple_collation:
-            return (None, None)
+            print('No apple collation')
+            return None
         apple_collation = apple_collation.strip()
         if not apple_collation or apple_collation.startswith("root"):
-            return (None, None)
-        div = apple_collation.split(b"@")
-        collation = div[0]
-        qualifier = None
-        if len(div) > 1:
-            parts = div[1].split(b"=")
-            if len(parts) == 2 and parts[0] == 'collation':
-                qualifier = parts[1]
-        return (collation, qualifier)
+            print('No meaningful apple collation')
+            return None
+        print('Got collation %s from defaults' % apple_collation)
+        return apple_collation
 
 #The action starts here
     _locale = None
@@ -234,12 +237,11 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale):
         (glocale.lang, glocale.currency, glocale.calendar) = _mac_get_locale()
 
     glocale.coll_qualifier = None
-    glocale.collation = locale.getlocale(locale.LC_COLLATE)[0]
-    if not glocale.collation:
-        (glocale.collation, glocale.coll_qualifier) = _mac_get_collation()
+    glocale.collation = _mac_get_collation()
 
     if not glocale.lang and glocale.collation:
-        glocale.lang = glocale.check_available_translations(glocale.collation)
+        coll_parts = glocale.collation.split('@')
+        glocale.lang = glocale.check_available_translations(coll_parts[0])
 
     glocale.lang = locale.normalize(glocale.lang)
     glocale.encoding = glocale.lang.split('.')[1]