diff --git a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/o_xml.h b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/o_xml.h
index 5933b7ebc..a532f0342 100644
--- a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/o_xml.h
+++ b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/o_xml.h
@@ -178,6 +178,9 @@ private:
 
 	// Error message
 	std::string		_ErrorString;
+
+	// System dependant structure for locale
+	void*			_Locale;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/o_xml.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/o_xml.cpp
index 005ef8000..0fbe3dade 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/o_xml.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/o_xml.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 // Include from libxml2
 #include <libxml/xmlerror.h>
 
+#if defined(NL_OS_WINDOWS) && defined(NL_COMP_VC_VERSION) && NL_COMP_VC_VERSION >= 80
+#define USE_LOCALE_SPRINTF
+#include <locale.h>
+#endif
+
 using namespace std;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_NEW
@@ -38,11 +43,22 @@ const char SEPARATOR = ' ';
 
 // ***************************************************************************
 
+#ifdef USE_LOCALE_SPRINTF
+
+#define writenumber(src,format,digits) \
+	char number_as_cstring [digits+1]; \
+	_sprintf_l( number_as_cstring, format, (_locale_t)_Locale, src ); \
+	serialSeparatedBufferOut( number_as_cstring );
+
+#else
+
 #define writenumber(src,format,digits) \
 	char number_as_cstring [digits+1]; \
 	sprintf( number_as_cstring, format, src ); \
 	serialSeparatedBufferOut( number_as_cstring );
 
+#endif
+
 // ***************************************************************************
 // XML callbacks
 // ***************************************************************************
@@ -133,6 +149,13 @@ COXml::COXml () : IStream (false /* Output mode */)
 
 	// Push begin
 	_PushBegin = false;
+
+#ifdef USE_LOCALE_SPRINTF
+	// create C numeric locale
+	_Locale = _create_locale(LC_NUMERIC, "C");
+#else
+	_Locale = NULL;
+#endif
 }
 
 // ***************************************************************************
@@ -192,6 +215,10 @@ COXml::~COXml ()
 {
 	// Flush document to the internal stream
 	flush ();
+
+#ifdef USE_LOCALE_SPRINTF
+	if (_Locale) _free_locale((_locale_t)_Locale);
+#endif
 }
 
 // ***************************************************************************