diff --git a/bin/sugar-shell b/bin/sugar-shell
index b0f66b4b..ef69fc1a 100755
--- a/bin/sugar-shell
+++ b/bin/sugar-shell
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ import os
 from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
 import gettext
 
+# HACK we need to import numpy before gtk otherwise we traceback in
+# some locales. See http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/5559.
+import numpy
+
 import pygtk
 pygtk.require('2.0')
 import gtk