diff --git a/include/unicode.h b/include/unicode.h
index dee02e7..0317a21 100644
--- a/include/unicode.h
+++ b/include/unicode.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 # define unicode_strwidth(string) strlen(string)
 # define unicode_status UNICODE_OFF
 # define init_unicode() ((void)0)
+# define reinit_unicode(LANG) ((void)0)
 
 #else
 
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@
 
 extern uint8_t unicode_status;
 void init_unicode(void) FAST_FUNC;
+void reinit_unicode(const char *LANG) FAST_FUNC;
 
 # else
 
@@ -75,9 +77,11 @@
 #  if !ENABLE_FEATURE_CHECK_UNICODE_IN_ENV
 #   define unicode_status UNICODE_ON
 #   define init_unicode() ((void)0)
+#   define reinit_unicode(LANG) ((void)0)
 #  else
 extern uint8_t unicode_status;
 void init_unicode(void) FAST_FUNC;
+void reinit_unicode(const char *LANG) FAST_FUNC;
 #  endif
 
 #  undef MB_CUR_MAX
diff --git a/libbb/unicode.c b/libbb/unicode.c
index 08a4c74..d01efd9 100644
--- a/libbb/unicode.c
+++ b/libbb/unicode.c
@@ -23,37 +23,43 @@
 
 /* Unicode support using libc locale support. */
 
-void FAST_FUNC init_unicode(void)
+void FAST_FUNC reinit_unicode(const char *LANG UNUSED_PARAM)
 {
 	static const char unicode_0x394[] = { 0xce, 0x94, 0 };
 	size_t width;
 
-	if (unicode_status != UNICODE_UNKNOWN)
-		return;
+//TODO: call setlocale(LC_ALL, LANG) here?
+
 	/* In unicode, this is a one character string */
 // can use unicode_strlen(string) too, but otherwise unicode_strlen() is unused
 	width = mbstowcs(NULL, unicode_0x394, INT_MAX);
 	unicode_status = (width == 1 ? UNICODE_ON : UNICODE_OFF);
 }
 
+void FAST_FUNC init_unicode(void)
+{
+	if (unicode_status == UNICODE_UNKNOWN)
+		reinit_unicode(NULL /*getenv("LANG")*/);
+}
+
 #else
 
 /* Homegrown Unicode support. It knows only C and Unicode locales. */
 
 # if ENABLE_FEATURE_CHECK_UNICODE_IN_ENV
-void FAST_FUNC init_unicode(void)
+void FAST_FUNC reinit_unicode(const char *LANG)
 {
-	char *lang;
-
-	if (unicode_status != UNICODE_UNKNOWN)
-		return;
-
 	unicode_status = UNICODE_OFF;
-	lang = getenv("LANG");
-	if (!lang || !(strstr(lang, ".utf") || strstr(lang, ".UTF")))
+	if (!LANG || !(strstr(LANG, ".utf") || strstr(LANG, ".UTF")))
 		return;
 	unicode_status = UNICODE_ON;
 }
+
+void FAST_FUNC init_unicode(void)
+{
+	if (unicode_status == UNICODE_UNKNOWN)
+		reinit_unicode(getenv("LANG"));
+}
 # endif
 
 static size_t wcrtomb_internal(char *s, wchar_t wc)
diff --git a/shell/ash.c b/shell/ash.c
index 0baf7c8..1520c5a 100644
--- a/shell/ash.c
+++ b/shell/ash.c
@@ -36,12 +36,14 @@
 
 #define JOBS ENABLE_ASH_JOB_CONTROL
 
-#include "busybox.h" /* for applet_names */
 #include <paths.h>
 #include <setjmp.h>
 #include <fnmatch.h>
 #include <sys/times.h>
 
+#include "busybox.h" /* for applet_names */
+#include "unicode.h"
+
 #include "shell_common.h"
 #if ENABLE_SH_MATH_SUPPORT
 # include "math.h"
@@ -72,13 +74,6 @@
 # error "Do not even bother, ash will not run on NOMMU machine"
 #endif
 
-//applet:IF_ASH(APPLET(ash, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP))
-//applet:IF_FEATURE_SH_IS_ASH(APPLET_ODDNAME(sh, ash, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, sh))
-//applet:IF_FEATURE_BASH_IS_ASH(APPLET_ODDNAME(bash, ash, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, bash))
-
-//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_ASH) += ash.o ash_ptr_hack.o shell_common.o
-//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_ASH_RANDOM_SUPPORT) += random.o
-
 //config:config ASH
 //config:	bool "ash"
 //config:	default y
@@ -190,6 +185,13 @@
 //config:	  variable each time it is displayed.
 //config:
 
+//applet:IF_ASH(APPLET(ash, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP))
+//applet:IF_FEATURE_SH_IS_ASH(APPLET_ODDNAME(sh, ash, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, sh))
+//applet:IF_FEATURE_BASH_IS_ASH(APPLET_ODDNAME(bash, ash, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, bash))
+
+//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_ASH) += ash.o ash_ptr_hack.o shell_common.o
+//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_ASH_RANDOM_SUPPORT) += random.o
+
 
 /* ============ Hash table sizes. Configurable. */
 
@@ -9626,6 +9628,11 @@
 # if ENABLE_FEATURE_TAB_COMPLETION
 		line_input_state->path_lookup = pathval();
 # endif
+		/* Unicode support should be activated even if LANG is set
+		 * _during_ shell execution, not only if it was set when
+		 * shell was started. Therefore, re-check LANG every time:
+		 */
+		reinit_unicode(lookupvar("LANG"));
 		nr = read_line_input(line_input_state, cmdedit_prompt, buf, IBUFSIZ, timeout);
 		if (nr == 0) {
 			/* Ctrl+C pressed */
diff --git a/shell/hush.c b/shell/hush.c
index 64d5e85..339f334 100644
--- a/shell/hush.c
+++ b/shell/hush.c
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@
  *              $ "export" i=`echo 'aaa  bbb'`; echo "$i"
  *              aaa
  */
-#include "busybox.h"  /* for APPLET_IS_NOFORK/NOEXEC */
 #if !(defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__NetBSD__) \
 	|| defined(__APPLE__) \
     )
@@ -93,6 +92,8 @@
 # include <fnmatch.h>
 #endif
 
+#include "busybox.h"  /* for APPLET_IS_NOFORK/NOEXEC */
+#include "unicode.h"
 #include "shell_common.h"
 #include "math.h"
 #include "match.h"
@@ -105,14 +106,6 @@
 # define PIPE_BUF 4096  /* amount of buffering in a pipe */
 #endif
 
-//applet:IF_HUSH(APPLET(hush, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP))
-//applet:IF_MSH(APPLET(msh, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP))
-//applet:IF_FEATURE_SH_IS_HUSH(APPLET_ODDNAME(sh, hush, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, sh))
-//applet:IF_FEATURE_BASH_IS_HUSH(APPLET_ODDNAME(bash, hush, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, bash))
-
-//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_HUSH) += hush.o match.o shell_common.o
-//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_HUSH_RANDOM_SUPPORT) += random.o
-
 //config:config HUSH
 //config:	bool "hush"
 //config:	default y
@@ -249,6 +242,14 @@
 //config:	  msh is deprecated and will be removed, please migrate to hush.
 //config:
 
+//applet:IF_HUSH(APPLET(hush, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP))
+//applet:IF_MSH(APPLET(msh, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP))
+//applet:IF_FEATURE_SH_IS_HUSH(APPLET_ODDNAME(sh, hush, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, sh))
+//applet:IF_FEATURE_BASH_IS_HUSH(APPLET_ODDNAME(bash, hush, BB_DIR_BIN, BB_SUID_DROP, bash))
+
+//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_HUSH) += hush.o match.o shell_common.o
+//kbuild:lib-$(CONFIG_HUSH_RANDOM_SUPPORT) += random.o
+
 /* -i (interactive) and -s (read stdin) are also accepted,
  * but currently do nothing, therefore aren't shown in help.
  * NOMMU-specific options are not meant to be used by users,
@@ -1906,6 +1907,12 @@
 	/* Enable command line editing only while a command line
 	 * is actually being read */
 	do {
+		/* Unicode support should be activated even if LANG is set
+		 * _during_ shell execution, not only if it was set when
+		 * shell was started. Therefore, re-check LANG every time:
+		 */
+		reinit_unicode(get_local_var_value("LANG"));
+
 		G.flag_SIGINT = 0;
 		/* buglet: SIGINT will not make new prompt to appear _at once_,
 		 * only after <Enter>. (^C will work) */