diff --git a/src/bootstrap-amd.js b/src/bootstrap-amd.js
index bcbb467b436..91aa1e9fad8 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap-amd.js
+++ b/src/bootstrap-amd.js
@@ -4,51 +4,10 @@
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 var path = require('path');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var app = require('electron').app;
 var loader = require('./vs/loader');
 
-// Duplicated in ../index.html for the renderes.
-function getNLSConfiguration() {
-	if (process.env['VSCODE_NLS_CONFIG']) {
-		return JSON.parse(process.env['VSCODE_NLS_CONFIG']);
-	}
-
-	var locale = undefined;
-	var localeOpts = '--locale';
-	for (var i = 0; i < process.argv.length; i++) {
-		var arg = process.argv[i];
-		if (arg.slice(0, localeOpts.length) == localeOpts) {
-			var segments = arg.split('=');
-			locale = segments[1];
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (locale === 'pseudo') {
-		return { availableLanguages: {}, pseudo: true }
-	}
-	if (process.env.VSCODE_DEV) {
-		return { availableLanguages: {} };
-	}
-	// We have a built version so we have extracted nls file. Try to find
-	// the right file to use.
-	locale = locale || app.getLocale();
-	while (locale) {
-		var candidate = path.join(__dirname, 'main.nls.') + locale + '.js';
-		if (fs.existsSync(candidate)) {
-			return { availableLanguages: { '*': locale } };
-		} else {
-			var index = locale.lastIndexOf('-');
-			if (index > 0) {
-				locale = locale.substring(0, index);
-			} else {
-				locale = null;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return { availableLanguages: {} };
-}
-
 function uriFromPath(_path) {
 	var pathName = path.resolve(_path).replace(/\\/g, '/');
 
@@ -59,8 +18,8 @@ function uriFromPath(_path) {
 	return encodeURI('file://' + pathName);
 }
 
-var nlsConfig = getNLSConfiguration();
-process.env['VSCODE_NLS_CONFIG'] = JSON.stringify(nlsConfig);
+var rawNlsConfig = process.env['VSCODE_NLS_CONFIG'];
+var nlsConfig = rawNlsConfig ? JSON.parse(rawNlsConfig) : { availableLanguages:{} };
 
 loader.config({
 	baseUrl: uriFromPath(path.join(__dirname)),
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 0a438771d46..c4cc3ae1f00 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -7,8 +7,48 @@
 global.vscodeStart = Date.now();
 
 var app = require('electron').app;
+var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
 
+// Duplicated in ../index.html for the renderes.
+function getNLSConfiguration() {
+	var locale = undefined;
+	var localeOpts = '--locale';
+	for (var i = 0; i < process.argv.length; i++) {
+		var arg = process.argv[i];
+		if (arg.slice(0, localeOpts.length) == localeOpts) {
+			var segments = arg.split('=');
+			locale = segments[1];
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (locale === 'pseudo') {
+		return { availableLanguages: {}, pseudo: true }
+	}
+	if (process.env.VSCODE_DEV) {
+		return { availableLanguages: {} };
+	}
+	// We have a built version so we have extracted nls file. Try to find
+	// the right file to use.
+	locale = locale || app.getLocale();
+	while (locale) {
+		var candidate = path.join(__dirname, 'main.nls.') + locale + '.js';
+		if (fs.existsSync(candidate)) {
+			return { availableLanguages: { '*': locale } };
+		} else {
+			var index = locale.lastIndexOf('-');
+			if (index > 0) {
+				locale = locale.substring(0, index);
+			} else {
+				locale = null;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return { availableLanguages: {} };
+}
+
 // Change cwd if given via env variable
 try {
 	if (process.env.VSCODE_CWD) {
@@ -31,6 +71,9 @@ app.on('open-file', function(event, path) {
 	global.macOpenFiles.push(path);
 });
 
+var nlsConfig = getNLSConfiguration();
+process.env['VSCODE_NLS_CONFIG'] = JSON.stringify(nlsConfig);
+
 // Load our code once ready
 app.once('ready', function() {
 	process.env['AMD_ENTRYPOINT'] = 'vs/workbench/electron-main/main';