diff --git a/winixd/core/config.cpp b/winixd/core/config.cpp
index abcb779..01b2445 100644
--- a/winixd/core/config.cpp
+++ b/winixd/core/config.cpp
@@ -266,8 +266,7 @@ void Config::AssignValues()
 	html_filter_orphans_mode_str = Text(L"html_filter_orphans_mode_str", L"nbsp");
 	html_filter_nofilter_tag     = Text(L"html_filter_nofilter_tag", L"nofilter");
 
-	locale_dir				= Text(L"locale_dir");
-	locale_dir_default		= Text(L"locale_dir_default");
+	ListText(L"locale_dirs", locale_dirs);
 	locale_max_id			= Size(L"locale_max_id", 100);
 	locale_default_id		= Size(L"locale_default_id", 0);
 	ListText(L"locale_files", locale_files);
diff --git a/winixd/core/config.h b/winixd/core/config.h
index bf14f42..99e8c05 100644
--- a/winixd/core/config.h
+++ b/winixd/core/config.h
@@ -592,14 +592,15 @@ public:
 	// default: /usr/local/bin/convert
 	std::wstring convert_cmd;
 
-	// directory with locale files
-	std::wstring locale_dir;
-
-	// directory with default locale files (those from winix)
-	std::wstring locale_dir_default;
+	// directories with locale files
+	// we start reading locale from the first directory
+	// and files with the same name in each directory are concatenated
+	std::vector<std::wstring> locale_dirs;
 
 	// locale files (e.g. "en", "pl")
-	// default: only one item: en
+	// default: "en"
+	// a locale file should define winix_locale_id integer parameter
+	// and it should be smaller or equal to locale_max_id
 	std::vector<std::wstring> locale_files;
 
 	// a maximum value of a locale identifier
diff --git a/winixd/templates/locale.cpp b/winixd/templates/locale.cpp
index 6d72706..27053e9 100644
--- a/winixd/templates/locale.cpp
+++ b/winixd/templates/locale.cpp
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
  * Author: Tomasz Sowa <t.sowa@ttmath.org>
  */
 
-/* 
- * Copyright (c) 2010-2021, Tomasz Sowa
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2010-2026, Tomasz Sowa
  * All rights reserved.
  * 
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -49,13 +49,18 @@ Locale::Locale()
 }
 
 
+void Locale::SetDirectories(const std::vector<std::wstring> & dirs)
+{
+	directories = dirs;
+}
+
+
 void Locale::SetLocaleFiles(const std::vector<std::wstring> & files)
 {
 	locale_files = files;
 }
 
 
-
 void Locale::SetLocaleMaxId(size_t max_id)
 {
 	if( max_id > 1000 )
@@ -72,8 +77,6 @@ void Locale::SetLocaleMaxId(size_t max_id)
 }
 
 
-
-
 bool Locale::HasLanguage(size_t lang_id)
 {
 	if( lang_id < locale_indices.size() )
@@ -83,34 +86,38 @@ return false;
 }
 
 
-
-
-void Locale::ReadFile(const char * dir, const char * dir_def, const char * file)
+void Locale::ReadFile(const std::wstring & file)
 {
 	bool read = false;
 	temp_space.clear();
 
-	if( dir_def && ReadFile(dir_def, file) )
-		read = true;
-
-	if( dir && ReadFile(dir, file) )
-		read = true;
+	for(const std::wstring & dir : directories)
+	{
+		if( ReadFile(dir, file) )
+			read = true;
+	}
 
 	if( read )
+	{
 		AddLocale(file);
+	}
 	else
+	{
 		log << log1 << "Locale: can't open locale's file: " << file << logend;
+	}
+
+	temp_space.clear();
 }
 
 
 
-bool Locale::ReadFile(const char * dir, const char * file)
+bool Locale::ReadFile(const std::wstring & dir, const std::wstring & file)
 {
-bool read = false;
+	bool read = false;
 
-	file_name = dir;
+	pt::wide_to_utf8(dir, file_name);
 	file_name += '/';
-	file_name += file;
+	pt::wide_to_utf8(file, file_name, false);
 
 	pt::SpaceParser::Status status = loc_parser.parse_space_file(file_name, temp_space, false);
 
@@ -125,23 +132,24 @@ bool read = false;
 		log << log1 << "Locale: syntax error in: " << file_name << " in line: " << loc_parser.get_last_parsed_line() << logend;
 	}
 
-return read;
+	file_name.clear();
+	return read;
 }
 
 
 
-void Locale::AddLocale(const char * file)
+void Locale::AddLocale(const std::wstring & file)
 {
 	std::wstring * id_str = temp_space.get_wstr(L"winix_locale_id");
 
 	if( !id_str )
 	{
-		log << log1 << "Locale: winix_locale_id field should be defined in locale file: "
-			<< file << " (skipping)" << logend;
+		log << log1 << "Locale: winix_locale_id field should be defined in a locale file: "
+			<< file << " (skipping this file)" << logend;
 		return;
 	}
 
-	size_t id = (size_t)Tol(*id_str);
+	size_t id = (size_t)pt::to_ul(*id_str);
 
 	if( id >= locale_indices.size() )
 	{
@@ -155,32 +163,35 @@ void Locale::AddLocale(const char * file)
 
 
 
-void Locale::ReadSubstTable(const char * dir, const char * dir_def)
+void Locale::ReadSubstTable()
 {
-bool read = false;
-
+	bool read = false;
 	temp_space.clear();
 	subst_url.clear();
 	subst_smalllet.clear();
 	subst_capitallet.clear();
 	subst_sort.clear();
 
-	if( dir_def && ReadSubstTable(dir_def) )
-		read = true;
-
-	if( dir && ReadSubstTable(dir) )
-		read = true;
+	for(const std::wstring & dir : directories)
+	{
+		if( ReadSubstTable(dir) )
+			read = true;
+	}
 
 	if( !read )
-		log << log1 <<  "Locale: can't open file for characters substitution" << logend;
+	{
+		log << log1 <<  "Locale: can't open a file for characters substitution" << logend;
+	}
+
+	temp_space.clear();
 }
 
 
-bool Locale::ReadSubstTable(const char * dir)
+bool Locale::ReadSubstTable(const std::wstring & dir)
 {
-bool read = false;
+	bool read = false;
 
-	file_name = dir;
+	pt::wide_to_utf8(dir, file_name);
 	file_name += '/';
 	file_name += "substitute";
 
@@ -199,7 +210,8 @@ bool read = false;
 		log << log3 << "Locale: read characters substitution tables from: " << file_name << logend;
 	}
 
-return read;
+	file_name.clear();
+	return read;
 }
 
 
@@ -254,58 +266,36 @@ void Locale::CreateSubstSortVector(std::vector<SubstItem> & vect, std::vector<st
 }
 
 
-void Locale::Read(const char * dir, const char * dir_def)
+void Locale::ReadLocales()
 {
+	for(size_t & index : locale_indices)
+		index = size_t(-1);
+
+	for(const std::wstring & file : locale_files)
+	{
+		ReadFile(file);
+	}
+
+	ReadSubstTable();
+}
+
+
+void Locale::Clear()
+{
+	directories.clear();
+	locale_files.clear();
+	locale_indices.clear();
 	locale_tab.clear();
+	default_lang = 0;
+	current_lang = 0;
 
-	for(size_t i=0 ; i<locale_indices.size() ; ++i)
-		locale_indices[i] = size_t(-1);
-
-	for(size_t i=0 ; i<locale_files.size() ; ++i)
-	{
-		pt::wide_to_utf8(locale_files[i], locale_filea);
-		ReadFile(dir, dir_def, locale_filea.c_str());
-	}
-
-	ReadSubstTable(dir, dir_def);
+	subst_url.clear();
+	subst_smalllet.clear();
+	subst_capitallet.clear();
+	subst_sort.clear();
 }
 
 
-void Locale::Read(const std::string & dir, const std::string & dir_def)
-{
-	if( dir_def.empty() )
-		Read(dir.c_str());
-	else
-		Read(dir.c_str(), dir_def.c_str());
-}
-
-
-void Locale::Read(const wchar_t * dir, const wchar_t * dir_def)
-{
-	pt::wide_to_utf8(dir, adir1);
-
-	if( !dir_def )
-	{
-		Read(adir1.c_str());
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		pt::wide_to_utf8(dir_def, adir2);
-		Read(adir1.c_str(), adir2.c_str());
-	}
-}
-
-
-void Locale::Read(const std::wstring & dir, const std::wstring & dir_def)
-{
-	if( dir_def.empty() )
-		Read(dir.c_str());
-	else
-		Read(dir.c_str(), dir_def.c_str());
-}
-
-
-
 
 void Locale::SetCurLang(size_t lang_id)
 {
diff --git a/winixd/templates/locale.h b/winixd/templates/locale.h
index dac7eaa..697af19 100644
--- a/winixd/templates/locale.h
+++ b/winixd/templates/locale.h
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
  * Author: Tomasz Sowa <t.sowa@ttmath.org>
  */
 
-/* 
- * Copyright (c) 2010-2018, Tomasz Sowa
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2010-2026, Tomasz Sowa
  * All rights reserved.
  * 
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -53,8 +53,11 @@ public:
 
 	Locale();
 
+	// locale directories
+	void SetDirectories(const std::vector<std::wstring> & dirs);
+
 	// locale files
-	// those files will be reading from directories specified in Read() method
+	// those files will be reading from directories specified above
 	// default one item: en
 	void SetLocaleFiles(const std::vector<std::wstring> & files);
 
@@ -73,11 +76,11 @@ public:
 	size_t GetDefLang() const;
 
 	// reading locales
-	// you should call SetLocaleFiles() beforehand
-	void Read(const char * dir, const char * dir_def = 0);
-	void Read(const std::string & dir, const std::string & dir_def);
-	void Read(const wchar_t * dir, const wchar_t * dir_def = 0);
-	void Read(const std::wstring & dir, const std::wstring & dir_def);
+	// you should call SetDirectories(), SetLocaleFiles() and SetLocaleMaxId() beforehand
+	void ReadLocales();
+
+	// clear directories, files and read translations
+	void Clear();
 
 	// returns true if a language with lang_id exists
 	bool HasLanguage(size_t lang_id);
@@ -208,11 +211,11 @@ private:
 		bool operator<(const SubstItem & arg) const { return from < arg.from; }
 	};
 
-	void AddLocale(const char * file);
-	void ReadFile(const char * dir, const char * dir_def, const char * file);
-	bool ReadFile(const char * dir, const char * file);
-	void ReadSubstTable(const char * dir, const char * dir_def);
-	bool ReadSubstTable(const char * dir);
+	void AddLocale(const std::wstring & file);
+	void ReadFile(const std::wstring & file);
+	bool ReadFile(const std::wstring & dir, const std::wstring & file);
+	void ReadSubstTable();
+	bool ReadSubstTable(const std::wstring & dir);
 	void CreateSubstVector(std::vector<SubstItem> & vect, const std::wstring & tab1, const std::wstring & tab2);
 	void CreateSubstSortVector(std::vector<SubstItem> & vect, std::vector<std::wstring> & tab);
 	size_t  SubstFindIndex(const std::vector<SubstItem> & vect, wchar_t val);
@@ -221,6 +224,8 @@ private:
 	bool GetListInLanguage(const std::wstring & key, size_t lang_id, std::vector<std::wstring> & list) const;
 	bool IsListInLanguage(const std::wstring & key, size_t lang_id) const;
 
+	// directories
+	std::vector<std::wstring> directories;
 
 	// locale files
 	std::vector<std::wstring> locale_files;
@@ -252,11 +257,9 @@ private:
 
 	pt::Space temp_space;
 	pt::SpaceParser loc_parser;
-	std::string locale_filea;
 	std::string file_name;
 	std::wstring key_str;
 	const std::wstring empty; // used when returning a non existing key from loc_tab (or in LangToFileName)
-	std::string adir1, adir2;
 	std::wstring pattern_value;
 };
 
diff --git a/winixd/templates/templates.cpp b/winixd/templates/templates.cpp
index 49e0585..6592663 100644
--- a/winixd/templates/templates.cpp
+++ b/winixd/templates/templates.cpp
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
  * Author: Tomasz Sowa <t.sowa@ttmath.org>
  */
 
-/* 
- * Copyright (c) 2008-2024, Tomasz Sowa
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2008-2026, Tomasz Sowa
  * All rights reserved.
  * 
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -678,10 +678,11 @@ void Templates::CreateFunctions()
 
 void Templates::ReadLocale()
 {
+	TemplatesFunctions::locale.SetDirectories(config->locale_dirs);
 	TemplatesFunctions::locale.SetLocaleFiles(config->locale_files);
 	TemplatesFunctions::locale.SetLocaleMaxId(config->locale_max_id);
 	TemplatesFunctions::locale.SetDefLang(config->locale_default_id);
-	TemplatesFunctions::locale.Read(config->locale_dir, config->locale_dir_default);
+	TemplatesFunctions::locale.ReadLocales();
 
 	log << log3 << "Templates: there are " << TemplatesFunctions::locale.Size() << " locales" << logend;
 }