diff --git a/bin/sugar-activity b/bin/sugar-activity
index 51ba6bff..5aef1ae5 100644
--- a/bin/sugar-activity
+++ b/bin/sugar-activity
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import dbus.service
 import dbus.glib
 
 from sugar3.activity import activityhandle
+from sugar3.activity import i18n
+import sugar3
 from sugar3.bundle.activitybundle import ActivityBundle
 from sugar3 import logger
 
@@ -97,6 +99,12 @@ def main():
     os.environ['SUGAR_BUNDLE_NAME'] = bundle.get_name()
     os.environ['SUGAR_BUNDLE_VERSION'] = str(bundle.get_activity_version())
 
+    # must be done early, some activities set translations globally, SL #3654
+    locale_path = i18n.get_locale_path(bundle.get_bundle_id())
+    gettext.bindtextdomain(bundle.get_bundle_id(), locale_path)
+    gettext.bindtextdomain('sugar-toolkit', sugar3.locale_path)
+    gettext.textdomain(bundle.get_bundle_id())
+
     splitted_module = args[0].rsplit('.', 1)
     module_name = splitted_module[0]
     class_name = splitted_module[1]
diff --git a/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py b/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py
index 4dea5545..8386c1ee 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/activity/activity.py
@@ -73,10 +73,8 @@ from telepathy.interfaces import CHANNEL, \
 from telepathy.constants import CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_CONTACT
 from telepathy.constants import CONNECTION_HANDLE_TYPE_ROOM
 
-import sugar3
 from sugar3 import util
 from sugar3.presence import presenceservice
-from sugar3.activity import i18n
 from sugar3.activity.activityservice import ActivityService
 from sugar3.graphics import style
 from sugar3.graphics.window import Window
@@ -259,12 +257,6 @@ class Activity(Window, Gtk.Container):
 
         """
         # Stuff that needs to be done early
-
-        locale_path = i18n.get_locale_path(self.get_bundle_id())
-        gettext.bindtextdomain(self.get_bundle_id(), locale_path)
-        gettext.bindtextdomain('sugar-toolkit', sugar3.locale_path)
-        gettext.textdomain(self.get_bundle_id())
-
         icons_path = os.path.join(get_bundle_path(), 'icons')
         Gtk.IconTheme.get_default().append_search_path(icons_path)
 
@@ -322,7 +314,7 @@ class Activity(Window, Gtk.Container):
         self._session.connect('quit', self.__session_quit_cb)
 
         accel_group = Gtk.AccelGroup()
-        self.set_data('sugar-accel-group', accel_group)
+        self.sugar_accel_group = accel_group
         self.add_accel_group(accel_group)
 
         self._bus = ActivityService(self)
diff --git a/src/sugar3/activity/i18n.py b/src/sugar3/activity/i18n.py
index 92acb963..8b8e6631 100644
--- a/src/sugar3/activity/i18n.py
+++ b/src/sugar3/activity/i18n.py
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 # Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
 # Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
 
-from gi.repository import GConf
-
 from gettext import gettext
 import locale
 import os
@@ -135,11 +133,6 @@ def get_locale_path(bundle_id):
     if 'SUGAR_LOCALEDIR' in os.environ:
         candidate_dirs[os.environ['SUGAR_LOCALEDIR']] = 2
 
-    gconf_client = GConf.Client.get_default()
-    package_dir = gconf_client.get_string('/desktop/sugar/i18n/langpackdir')
-    if package_dir is not None and package_dir is not '':
-        candidate_dirs[package_dir] = 1
-
     candidate_dirs[os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'share', 'locale')] = 0
 
     for candidate_dir in candidate_dirs.keys():