diff --git a/defaults/main.yaml b/defaults/main.yaml
index ee7e9ef..07b7338 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 timezone: Europe/Berlin
 
+locales_default:
+  lang: de_DE.UTF-8
+  language: de
+
+locales_gen:
+  - de_DE.UTF-8
+
+root_ssh_key: false
+
 debian_distribution: bullseye
 debian_components:
   - main
diff --git a/tasks/fish.yml b/tasks/fish.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from tasks/fish.yml
rename to tasks/fish.yaml
diff --git a/tasks/locales.yaml b/tasks/locales.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..481de59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/locales.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+
+- name: Ensure a locale exists
+  community.general.locale_gen:
+    name: "{{item}}"
+    state: present
+  loop: "{{locales_gen}}"
+
+- name: default locale
+  template:
+    src: default_locale.j2
+    dest: /etc/default/locale
diff --git a/tasks/main.yaml b/tasks/main.yaml
index 1c5d0ae..f823ab9 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 ---
 
 # user setup
-- import_tasks: root_user
-- import_tasks: fish
-- import_tasks: ssh-agent
+- import_tasks: root_user.yaml
+- import_tasks: fish.yaml
+- import_tasks: ssh-agent.yaml
 
 # system setup
-- import_tasks: hostname
+- import_tasks: hostname.yaml
   when:
     - not ansible_bender is defined
     - not container_type | default('') == 'podman'
 
-- import_tasks: locales
+- import_tasks: locales.yaml
 
 - import_tasks: timezone.yaml
   when: not ansible_bender is defined
@@ -25,5 +25,5 @@
     - ansible_distribution == "Debian"
     - not ansible_lsb.id is defined or ansible_lsb.id != "Raspbian"
 
-- import_tasks: debian_packages
+- import_tasks: debian_packages.yaml
   when: ansible_distribution == "Debian"
diff --git a/templates/default_locale.j2 b/templates/default_locale.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4cb7245
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/default_locale.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+LANG="{{ locales_default.lang }}"
+{% if locales_default.language is defined %}
+LANGUAGE="{{ locales_default.language }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_address is defined %}
+LC_ADDRESS="{{ locales_default.lc_address }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_all is defined %}
+LC_ALL="{{ locales_default.lc_all }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_collate is defined %}
+LC_COLLATE="{{ locales_default.lc_collate }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_ctype is defined %}
+LC_CTYPE="{{ locales_default.lc_ctype }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_identification is defined %}
+LC_IDENTIFICATION="{{ locales_default.lc_identification }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_measurement is defined %}
+LC_MEASUREMENT="{{ locales_default.lc_measurement }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_messages is defined %}
+LC_MESSAGES="{{ locales_default.lc_messages }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_monetary is defined %}
+LC_MONETARY="{{ locales_default.lc_monetary }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_name is defined %}
+LC_NAME="{{ locales_default.lc_name }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_numeric is defined %}
+LC_NUMERIC="{{ locales_default.lc_numeric }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_paper is defined %}
+LC_PAPER="{{ locales_default.lc_paper }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_response is defined %}
+LC_RESPONSE="{{ locales_default.lc_response }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_telephone is defined %}
+LC_TELEPHONE="{{ locales_default.lc_telephone }}"
+{% endif %}
+{% if locales_default.lc_time is defined %}
+LC_TIME="{{ locales_default.lc_time }}"
+{% endif %}
\ No newline at end of file