diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 03c2d032f..2c4be2e9f 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -161,12 +161,13 @@ config UNICODE_USING_LOCALE
 	  Internal implementation is smaller.
 
 config FEATURE_CHECK_UNICODE_IN_ENV
-	bool "Check $LANG environment variable"
+	bool "Check $LC_ALL, $LC_CTYPE and $LANG environment variables"
 	default n
 	depends on UNICODE_SUPPORT && !UNICODE_USING_LOCALE
 	help
 	  With this option on, Unicode support is activated
-	  only if LANG variable has the value of the form "xxxx.utf8"
+	  only if locale-related variables have the value of the form
+	  "xxxx.utf8"
 
 	  Otherwise, Unicode support will be always enabled and active.
 
diff --git a/libbb/unicode.c b/libbb/unicode.c
index c1e3966fe..35e88d307 100644
--- a/libbb/unicode.c
+++ b/libbb/unicode.c
@@ -39,8 +39,15 @@ void FAST_FUNC reinit_unicode(const char *LANG)
 
 void FAST_FUNC init_unicode(void)
 {
+	/* Some people set only $LC_CTYPE, not $LC_ALL, because they want
+	 * only Unicode to be activated on their system, not the whole
+	 * shebang of wrong decimal points, strange date formats and so on.
+	 *
+	 * TODO? Maybe we should use LC_CTYPE instead of LC_ALL in setlocale()?
+	 */
 	if (unicode_status == UNICODE_UNKNOWN) {
 		char *s = getenv("LC_ALL");
+		if (!s) s = getenv("LC_CTYPE");
 		if (!s) s = getenv("LANG");
 		reinit_unicode(s);
 	}
@@ -63,6 +70,7 @@ void FAST_FUNC init_unicode(void)
 {
 	if (unicode_status == UNICODE_UNKNOWN) {
 		char *s = getenv("LC_ALL");
+		if (!s) s = getenv("LC_CTYPE");
 		if (!s) s = getenv("LANG");
 		reinit_unicode(s);
 	}
diff --git a/shell/ash.c b/shell/ash.c
index 90f222467..d696bbdac 100644
--- a/shell/ash.c
+++ b/shell/ash.c
@@ -9659,6 +9659,7 @@ preadfd(void)
 		 */
 		{
 			const char *s = lookupvar("LC_ALL");
+			if (!s) s = lookupvar("LC_CTYPE");
 			if (!s) s = lookupvar("LANG");
 			reinit_unicode(s);
 		}
diff --git a/shell/hush.c b/shell/hush.c
index 1fa84dc4f..fc9b89b55 100644
--- a/shell/hush.c
+++ b/shell/hush.c
@@ -2045,6 +2045,7 @@ static void get_user_input(struct in_str *i)
 		 * shell was started. Therefore, re-check LANG every time:
 		 */
 		const char *s = get_local_var_value("LC_ALL");
+		if (!s) s = get_local_var_value("LC_CTYPE");
 		if (!s) s = get_local_var_value("LANG");
 		reinit_unicode(s);