diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/text/StringsJVM.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/text/StringsJVM.kt
index 8b86c35c7a3..774636c705a 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/text/StringsJVM.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/text/StringsJVM.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList
 import java.util.HashMap
 import java.util.HashSet
 import java.util.LinkedList
+import java.util.Locale
 import java.nio.charset.Charset
 
 public inline fun String.lastIndexOf(str: String) : Int = (this as java.lang.String).lastIndexOf(str)
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ public fun String.toCharList(): List<Char> = toCharArray().toList()
 
 public inline fun String.format(vararg args : Any?) : String = java.lang.String.format(this, *args)
 
+public inline fun String.format(locale: Locale, vararg args : Any?) : String = java.lang.String.format(locale, this, *args)
+
 public inline fun String.split(regex : String) : Array<String> = (this as java.lang.String).split(regex)
 
 public inline fun String.split(ch : Char) : Array<String> = (this as java.lang.String).split(java.util.regex.Pattern.quote(ch.toString()))
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/test/text/StringJVMTest.kt b/libraries/stdlib/test/text/StringJVMTest.kt
index c43cabe190b..ab3a09bc1ca 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/test/text/StringJVMTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/test/text/StringJVMTest.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package test.text
 
+import java.util.Locale
 import kotlin.test.*
 
 import org.junit.Test as test
@@ -275,6 +276,10 @@ class StringJVMTest {
 
     test fun formatter() {
         assertEquals("12", "%d%d".format(1, 2))
+
+        assertEquals("1,234,567.890", "%,.3f".format(Locale.ENGLISH, 1234567.890))
+        assertEquals("1.234.567,890", "%,.3f".format(Locale.GERMAN, 1234567.890))
+        assertEquals("1 234 567,890", "%,.3f".format(Locale("fr"), 1234567.890))
     }
 
     test fun trimLeading() {