diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php
index 691833022b05..028031f56d69 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ private function addSessionSection(ArrayNodeDefinition $rootNode)
                             }
                             return $v;
                         })
-                    ->end()                    
+                    ->end()
                     ->children()
                         ->booleanNode('auto_start')->end()
                         ->scalarNode('class')->end()
-                        ->scalarNode('default_locale')->end()
+                        ->scalarNode('default_locale')->defaultValue('en')->end()
                         ->scalarNode('storage_id')->defaultValue('native')->end()
                         // NativeSessionStorage options
                         ->scalarNode('name')->end()
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php
index 1065a98c6356..48e7c879dd61 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php
@@ -295,9 +295,7 @@ private function registerSessionConfiguration(array $config, ContainerBuilder $c
             $container->setParameter('session.class', $config['class']);
         }
 
-        if (isset($config['default_locale'])) {
-            $container->setParameter('session.default_locale', $config['default_locale']);
-        }
+        $container->getDefinition('session')->setArgument(1, $config['default_locale']);
 
         $container->setAlias('session.storage', 'session.storage.'.$config['storage_id']);
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Resources/config/session.xml b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Resources/config/session.xml
index b51ebc06010f..c8e81c57c343 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Resources/config/session.xml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Resources/config/session.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
     <parameters>
         <parameter key="session.class">Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Session</parameter>
-        <parameter key="session.default_locale">en</parameter>
         <parameter key="session.storage.native.class">Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\SessionStorage\NativeSessionStorage</parameter>
         <parameter key="session.storage.native.options" type="collection" />
         <parameter key="session.storage.pdo.class">Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\SessionStorage\PdoSessionStorage</parameter>
@@ -18,9 +17,7 @@
     <services>
         <service id="session" class="%session.class%">
             <argument type="service" id="session.storage" />
-            <argument type="collection">
-                <argument key="default_locale">%session.default_locale%</argument>
-            </argument>
+            <argument /> <!-- default locale -->
         </service>
 
         <service id="session.storage.native" class="%session.storage.native.class%" public="false">
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php
index c8ee45b71e13..a57dc47546af 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ public function testSession()
         $container = $this->createContainerFromFile('full');
 
         $this->assertTrue($container->hasDefinition('session'), '->registerSessionConfiguration() loads session.xml');
-        $this->assertEquals('fr', $container->getParameter('session.default_locale'));
+        $arguments = $container->getDefinition('session')->getArguments();
+        $this->assertEquals('fr', $arguments[1]);
         $this->assertTrue($container->getDefinition('session')->hasMethodCall('start'));
         $this->assertEquals('Session', $container->getParameter('session.class'));
         $this->assertEquals('session.storage.native', (string) $container->getAlias('session.storage'));