diff --git a/src/modules/clock.cpp b/src/modules/clock.cpp
index 86ffed28..92061f53 100644
--- a/src/modules/clock.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/clock.cpp
@@ -66,12 +66,17 @@ waybar::modules::Clock::Clock(const std::string& id, const Json::Value& config)
     }
   }
 
-  const char* applyLocale{config_["locale"].isString() ? config_["locale"].asCString() : getenv("LC_TIME")};
-  try {
-    locale_ = applyLocale ? std::locale(applyLocale) : std::locale("");
-  } catch(std::runtime_error const& localeE) {
-    spdlog::warn("Clock module. Wrong \"locale\" or LC_TIME variable(make sure locale is presented in /etc/locale.gen and generated by the locale-gen). Trace: {0}", localeE.what());
-    locale_ = std::locale();
+  if (config_["locale"].isString()) {
+    locale_ = std::locale(config_["locale"].asString());
+  } else {
+    char* sysLocale{getenv("LC_TIME")};
+    try {
+      locale_ = sysLocale ? std::locale(sysLocale) : std::locale("");
+    }
+    catch(std::runtime_error const& localeErr) {
+      spdlog::warn(localeErr.what());
+      locale_ = std::locale();
+    }
   }
 
   thread_ = [this] {