diff --git a/src/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php b/src/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php
index d29549af39c..9714088bcea 100644
--- a/src/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php
+++ b/src/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehavior.php
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ public function beforeFind(Event $event, $query) {
 	}
 
 	public function beforeSave(Event $event, $entity) {
-		$locale = $this->locale();
+		$locale = $entity->get('_locale') ?: $this->locale();
 
 		if (!$locale) {
 			return;
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ public function beforeSave(Event $event, $entity) {
 		}
 
 		$entity->set('_i18n', array_values($modified + $new));
+		$entity->set('_locale', $locale, ['setter' => false]);
+		$entity->dirty('_locale', false);
 
 		foreach ($fields as $field) {
 			$entity->dirty($field, false);
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php b/tests/TestCase/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php
index 6943a87a26c..961a9fbefe4 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/Model/Behavior/TranslateBehaviorTest.php
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ public function testInsertNewTranslations() {
 		$this->assertEquals(1, $article->get('id'));
 		$article->set('title', 'Le titre');
 		$table->save($article);
+		$this->assertEquals('fra', $article->get('_locale'));
 
 		$article = $table->find()->first();
 		$this->assertEquals(1, $article->get('id'));
@@ -520,4 +521,31 @@ public function testInsertNewTranslations() {
 		$this->assertEquals('Le contenu', $article->get('body'));
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Tests that it is possible to use the _locale property to specify the language
+ * to use for saving an entity
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testUpdateTranslationWithLocaleInEntity() {
+		$table = TableRegistry::get('Articles');
+		$table->addBehavior('Translate', ['fields' => ['title', 'body']]);
+		$article = $table->find()->first();
+		$this->assertEquals(1, $article->get('id'));
+		$article->set('_locale', 'fra');
+		$article->set('title', 'Le titre');
+		$table->save($article);
+
+		$article = $table->find()->first();
+		$this->assertEquals(1, $article->get('id'));
+		$this->assertEquals('First Article', $article->get('title'));
+		$this->assertEquals('First Article Body', $article->get('body'));
+
+		$table->locale('fra');
+		$article = $table->find()->first();
+		$this->assertEquals(1, $article->get('id'));
+		$this->assertEquals('Le titre', $article->get('title'));
+		$this->assertEquals('First Article Body', $article->get('body'));
+	}
+
 }