diff --git a/app/locale.ts b/app/locale.ts
index 8c3d74de56..145e55a72a 100644
--- a/app/locale.ts
+++ b/app/locale.ts
@@ -78,34 +78,6 @@ function getLocaleDirection(
   return 'ltr';
 }
 
-function finalize(
-  availableLocales: Array<string>,
-  messages: LocaleMessagesType,
-  backupMessages: LocaleMessagesType,
-  localeName: string,
-  hourCyclePreference: HourCyclePreference,
-  localeDisplayNames: LocaleDisplayNames,
-  logger: LoggerType
-): LocaleType {
-  // We start with english, then overwrite that with anything present in locale
-  const finalMessages = merge(backupMessages, messages);
-
-  const i18n = setupI18n(localeName, finalMessages);
-
-  const direction = getLocaleDirection(localeName, logger);
-  logger.info(`locale: Text info direction for ${localeName}: ${direction}`);
-
-  return {
-    availableLocales,
-    i18n,
-    name: localeName,
-    direction,
-    messages: finalMessages,
-    hourCyclePreference,
-    localeDisplayNames,
-  };
-}
-
 export function _getAvailableLocales(): Array<string> {
   return JSON.parse(
     readFileSync(
@@ -118,11 +90,13 @@ export function _getAvailableLocales(): Array<string> {
 export function load({
   preferredSystemLocales,
   localeOverride,
+  localeDirectionTestingOverride,
   hourCyclePreference,
   logger,
 }: {
   preferredSystemLocales: Array<string>;
   localeOverride: string | null;
+  localeDirectionTestingOverride: LocaleDirection | null;
   hourCyclePreference: HourCyclePreference;
   logger: LoggerType;
 }): LocaleType {
@@ -151,15 +125,22 @@ export function load({
 
   const matchedLocaleMessages = getLocaleMessages(matchedLocale);
   const englishMessages = getLocaleMessages('en');
-  const languageDisplayNames = getLocaleDisplayNames();
+  const localeDisplayNames = getLocaleDisplayNames();
 
-  return finalize(
+  // We start with english, then overwrite that with anything present in locale
+  const finalMessages = merge(englishMessages, matchedLocaleMessages);
+  const i18n = setupI18n(matchedLocale, finalMessages);
+  const direction =
+    localeDirectionTestingOverride ?? getLocaleDirection(matchedLocale, logger);
+  logger.info(`locale: Text info direction for ${matchedLocale}: ${direction}`);
+
+  return {
     availableLocales,
-    matchedLocaleMessages,
-    englishMessages,
-    matchedLocale,
+    i18n,
+    name: matchedLocale,
+    direction,
+    messages: finalMessages,
     hourCyclePreference,
-    languageDisplayNames,
-    logger
-  );
+    localeDisplayNames,
+  };
 }
diff --git a/app/main.ts b/app/main.ts
index 9eb746e606..6e54cd5c1d 100644
--- a/app/main.ts
+++ b/app/main.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ import { SettingsChannel } from '../ts/main/settingsChannel';
 import { maybeParseUrl, setUrlSearchParams } from '../ts/util/url';
 import { getHeicConverter } from '../ts/workers/heicConverterMain';
 
-import type { LocaleType } from './locale';
+import type { LocaleDirection, LocaleType } from './locale';
 import { load as loadLocale } from './locale';
 
 import type { LoggerType } from '../ts/types/Logging';
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ const consoleLogger = createBufferedConsoleLogger();
 let logger: LoggerType | undefined;
 let preferredSystemLocales: Array<string> | undefined;
 let localeOverride: string | null | undefined;
+
 let resolvedTranslationsLocale: LocaleType | undefined;
 let settingsChannel: SettingsChannel | undefined;
 
@@ -159,6 +160,11 @@ const development =
 
 const ciMode = config.get<'full' | 'benchmark' | false>('ciMode');
 const forcePreloadBundle = config.get<boolean>('forcePreloadBundle');
+const localeDirectionTestingOverride = config.has(
+  'localeDirectionTestingOverride'
+)
+  ? config.get<LocaleDirection>('localeDirectionTestingOverride')
+  : null;
 
 const preventDisplaySleepService = new PreventDisplaySleepService(
   powerSaveBlocker
@@ -1858,6 +1864,7 @@ app.on('ready', async () => {
     resolvedTranslationsLocale = loadLocale({
       preferredSystemLocales,
       localeOverride,
+      localeDirectionTestingOverride,
       hourCyclePreference,
       logger: getLogger(),
     });
diff --git a/ts/test-node/app/locale_test.ts b/ts/test-node/app/locale_test.ts
index 77ddf33677..f4b17b112c 100644
--- a/ts/test-node/app/locale_test.ts
+++ b/ts/test-node/app/locale_test.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ describe('locale', async () => {
         const actualLocale = await load({
           preferredSystemLocales,
           localeOverride: null,
+          localeDirectionTestingOverride: null,
           hourCyclePreference: HourCyclePreference.UnknownPreference,
           logger,
         });
diff --git a/ts/test-node/app/menu_test.ts b/ts/test-node/app/menu_test.ts
index c215f7bd12..0d50b186ef 100644
--- a/ts/test-node/app/menu_test.ts
+++ b/ts/test-node/app/menu_test.ts
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ describe('createTemplate', () => {
   const { i18n } = loadLocale({
     preferredSystemLocales: ['en'],
     localeOverride: null,
+    localeDirectionTestingOverride: null,
     hourCyclePreference: HourCyclePreference.UnknownPreference,
     logger: {
       fatal: stub().throwsArg(0),