diff --git a/tests/status.in b/tests/status.in
index 875f62f38..9be049bad 100644
--- a/tests/status.in
+++ b/tests/status.in
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ and echo 'block'
 
 # Issue #1728
 # Bad file redirection on a block causes `status --is-block` to return 0 forever.
+set -gx LANG C
 begin; end >/ # / is a directory, it can't be opened for writing
 status -b
 and echo 'unexpected block'