diff --git a/Build.sh b/Build.sh
index 1690ef5..ebf4e1c 100644
--- a/Build.sh
+++ b/Build.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-srcversion='$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/Build.sh,v 1.730 2018/01/05 20:05:26 tg Exp $'
+srcversion='$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/Build.sh,v 1.731 2018/01/13 21:38:06 tg Exp $'
 #-
 # Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,
 #		2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
@@ -2427,7 +2427,7 @@ addsrcs '!' HAVE_STRLCPY strlcpy.c
 addsrcs USE_PRINTF_BUILTIN printf.c
 test 1 = "$USE_PRINTF_BUILTIN" && add_cppflags -DMKSH_PRINTF_BUILTIN
 test 1 = "$HAVE_CAN_VERB" && CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -verbose"
-add_cppflags -DMKSH_BUILD_R=562
+add_cppflags -DMKSH_BUILD_R=563
 
 $e $bi$me: Finished configuration testing, now producing output.$ao
 
@@ -2751,6 +2751,7 @@ MKSH_DISABLE_DEPRECATED		disable code paths scheduled for later removal
 MKSH_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL	disable code not yet comfy for (LTS) snapshots
 MKSH_DISABLE_TTY_WARNING	shut up warning about ctty if OS cant be fixed
 MKSH_DONT_EMIT_IDSTRING		omit RCS IDs from binary
+MKSH_EARLY_LOCALE_TRACKING	track utf8-mode from POSIX locale, for SuSE
 MKSH_MIDNIGHTBSD01ASH_COMPAT	set -o sh: additional compatibility quirk
 MKSH_NOPROSPECTOFWORK		disable jobs, co-processes, etc. (do not use)
 MKSH_NOPWNAM			skip PAM calls, for -static on glibc or Solaris
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ab625f2..ca4aa8c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $MirOS: src/bin/mksh/Makefile,v 1.162 2017/08/29 13:38:29 tg Exp $
+# $MirOS: src/bin/mksh/Makefile,v 1.163 2018/01/13 21:38:08 tg Exp $
 #-
 # Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,
 #		2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ CPPFLAGS+=	-DMKSH_ASSUME_UTF8 -DMKSH_DISABLE_DEPRECATED \
 		-DHAVE_STRERROR=0 -DHAVE_STRSIGNAL=0 -DHAVE_STRLCPY=1 \
 		-DHAVE_FLOCK_DECL=1 -DHAVE_REVOKE_DECL=1 \
 		-DHAVE_SYS_ERRLIST_DECL=1 -DHAVE_SYS_SIGLIST_DECL=1 \
-		-DHAVE_PERSISTENT_HISTORY=1 -DMKSH_BUILD_R=562
+		-DHAVE_PERSISTENT_HISTORY=1 -DMKSH_BUILD_R=563
 CPPFLAGS+=	-D${${PROG:L}_tf:C/(Mir${MAN:E}{0,1}){2}/4/:S/x/mksh_BUILD/:U}
 CPPFLAGS+=	-I.
 COPTS+=		-std=c89 -Wall
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 0b48639..a4c48ef 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,
- *		 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
+ *		 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
  *	mirabilos <m@mirbsd.org>
  *
  * Provided that these terms and disclaimer and all copyright notices
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include <locale.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/main.c,v 1.345 2017/10/14 21:05:22 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/main.c,v 1.346 2018/01/13 21:38:08 tg Exp $");
 
 #ifndef MKSHRC_PATH
 #define MKSHRC_PATH	"~/.mkshrc"
@@ -2049,3 +2049,27 @@ init_environ(void)
 	}
 }
 #endif
+
+#ifdef MKSH_EARLY_LOCALE_TRACKING
+void
+recheck_ctype(void)
+{
+	const char *ccp;
+
+	ccp = str_val(global("LC_ALL"));
+	if (ccp == null)
+		ccp = str_val(global("LC_CTYPE"));
+	if (ccp == null)
+		ccp = str_val(global("LANG"));
+	UTFMODE = isuc(ccp);
+#if HAVE_SETLOCALE_CTYPE
+	ccp = setlocale(LC_CTYPE, ccp);
+#if HAVE_LANGINFO_CODESET
+	if (!isuc(ccp))
+		ccp = nl_langinfo(CODESET);
+#endif
+	if (isuc(ccp))
+		UTFMODE = 1;
+#endif
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/sh.h b/sh.h
index 096f1bc..da4d32d 100644
--- a/sh.h
+++ b/sh.h
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef EXTERN
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.849 2017/10/17 23:45:19 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.850 2018/01/13 21:38:09 tg Exp $");
 #endif
 #define MKSH_VERSION "R56 2017/10/17"
 
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ char *ucstrstr(char *, const char *);
 #endif
 #endif
 
-#if (!defined(MKSH_BUILDMAKEFILE4BSD) && !defined(MKSH_BUILDSH)) || (MKSH_BUILD_R != 562)
+#if (!defined(MKSH_BUILDMAKEFILE4BSD) && !defined(MKSH_BUILDSH)) || (MKSH_BUILD_R != 563)
 #error Must run Build.sh to compile this.
 extern void thiswillneverbedefinedIhope(void);
 int
@@ -2500,6 +2500,7 @@ void shprintf(const char *, ...)
     MKSH_A_FORMAT(__printf__, 1, 2);
 int can_seek(int);
 void initio(void);
+void recheck_ctype(void);
 int ksh_dup2(int, int, bool);
 short savefd(int);
 void restfd(int, int);
diff --git a/var.c b/var.c
index ceabba5..50fc5ec 100644
--- a/var.c
+++ b/var.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,
- *		 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
+ *		 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
  *	mirabilos <m@mirbsd.org>
  *
  * Provided that these terms and disclaimer and all copyright notices
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var.c,v 1.221 2017/10/13 23:34:49 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var.c,v 1.222 2018/01/13 21:38:10 tg Exp $");
 
 /*-
  * Variables
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ initvar(void)
 	struct tbl *tp;
 
 	ktinit(APERM, &specials,
-	    /* currently 18 specials: 75% of 32 = 2^5 */
+	    /* currently 21 specials: 75% of 32 = 2^5 */
 	    5);
 	while (i < V_MAX - 1) {
 		tp = ktenter(&specials, initvar_names[i],
@@ -1386,6 +1386,13 @@ setspec(struct tbl *vp)
 		}
 		vp->flag |= SPECIAL;
 		break;
+#ifdef MKSH_EARLY_LOCALE_TRACKING
+	case V_LANG:
+	case V_LC_ALL:
+	case V_LC_CTYPE:
+		recheck_ctype();
+		return;
+#endif
 	default:
 		/* do nothing, do not touch vp at all */
 		return;
@@ -1485,6 +1492,13 @@ unsetspec(struct tbl *vp)
 		/* AT&T ksh leaves previous value in place */
 		unspecial(vp->name);
 		break;
+#ifdef MKSH_EARLY_LOCALE_TRACKING
+	case V_LANG:
+	case V_LC_ALL:
+	case V_LC_CTYPE:
+		recheck_ctype();
+		return;
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/var_spec.h b/var_spec.h
index 45fa0eb..d8444dd 100644
--- a/var_spec.h
+++ b/var_spec.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*-
- * Copyright (c) 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016
+ * Copyright (c) 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018
  *	mirabilos <m@mirbsd.org>
  *
  * Provided that these terms and disclaimer and all copyright notices
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  */
 
 #if defined(VARSPEC_DEFNS)
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var_spec.h,v 1.10 2016/11/11 23:31:39 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var_spec.h,v 1.11 2018/01/13 21:38:10 tg Exp $");
 #define FN(name)			/* nothing */
 #elif defined(VARSPEC_ENUMS)
 #define FN(name)			V_##name,
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ FN(HISTFILE)
 #endif
 FN(HISTSIZE)
 FN(IFS)
+#ifdef MKSH_EARLY_LOCALE_TRACKING
+FN(LANG)
+FN(LC_ALL)
+FN(LC_CTYPE)
+#endif
 #ifdef __OS2__
 FN(LIBPATHSTRICT)
 #endif