diff --git a/django/core/management/base.py b/django/core/management/base.py
index 77c80fe695..d2dd266527 100644
--- a/django/core/management/base.py
+++ b/django/core/management/base.py
@@ -203,9 +203,11 @@ class BaseCommand(object):
         # like permissions, and those shouldn't contain any translations.
         # But only do this if we can assume we have a working settings file,
         # because django.utils.translation requires settings.
+        saved_lang = None
         if self.can_import_settings:
             try:
                 from django.utils import translation
+                saved_lang = translation.get_language()
                 translation.activate('en-us')
             except ImportError, e:
                 # If settings should be available, but aren't,
@@ -232,6 +234,8 @@ class BaseCommand(object):
         except CommandError, e:
             self.stderr.write(smart_str(self.style.ERROR('Error: %s\n' % e)))
             sys.exit(1)
+        if saved_lang is not None:
+            translation.activate(saved_lang)
 
     def validate(self, app=None, display_num_errors=False):
         """
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/user_commands/tests.py b/tests/modeltests/user_commands/tests.py
index bf74a98440..896dd667ff 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/user_commands/tests.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/user_commands/tests.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from StringIO import StringIO
 from django.core import management
 from django.core.management.base import CommandError
 from django.test import TestCase
+from django.utils import translation
 
 
 class CommandTests(TestCase):
@@ -18,5 +19,11 @@ class CommandTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(out.getvalue(),
             "I don't feel like dancing Jive.")
 
+    def test_language_preserved(self):
+        out = StringIO()
+        with translation.override('fr'):
+            management.call_command('dance', stdout=out)
+            self.assertEqual(translation.get_language(), 'fr')
+
     def test_explode(self):
-        self.assertRaises(CommandError, management.call_command, ('explode',))
\ No newline at end of file
+        self.assertRaises(CommandError, management.call_command, ('explode',))