diff --git a/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml b/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml
index 6fe06079..3d942a48 100644
--- a/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml
+++ b/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
         "9":
           - libjson-perl
           - python-virtualenv
+          - locales
       CentOS:
         "5":
         - perl
@@ -67,12 +68,24 @@
       with_items:
       - /var/cache/apt
       - /var/lib/apt/lists
+
+    - copy:
+        dest: /etc/locale.gen
+        content: |
+          fr_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8
+      when: distro == "Debian"
+
+    - shell: locale-gen
       when: distro == "Debian"
 
     # Vanilla Ansible needs simplejson on CentOS 5.
+    - shell: mkdir -p /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/simplejson/
+      when: distro == "CentOS" and ver == "5"
+
     - synchronize:
         dest: /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/simplejson/
         src: ../../ansible_mitogen/compat/simplejson/
+      when: distro == "CentOS" and ver == "5"
 
     - user:
         name: root