diff --git a/src/supertux/error_handler.cpp b/src/supertux/error_handler.cpp
index a06dff1f1c9..b07e5517b08 100644
--- a/src/supertux/error_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/supertux/error_handler.cpp
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
 
 #include "supertux/error_handler.hpp"
 
-// apparently this is exclusive to glibc as of 2020, keep checking for
-// llvm/msvc equivalent from time to time   ~ Semphris
-#ifdef __GLIBCXX__
+// execinfo.h as a built-in libc feature is exclusive to glibc as of 2020.
+// On FreeBSD and musl systems, an external libexecinfo is available, but
+// it has to be explicitly linked into the final executable.
+// This is a *libc* feature, not a compiler one; furthermore, it's possible
+// to verify its availability in CMakeLists.txt, if one is so inclined.
+#ifdef __GLIBC__
 #include <execinfo.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -29,7 +32,7 @@ bool ErrorHandler::m_handing_error = false;
 void
 ErrorHandler::set_handlers()
 {
-#ifdef __GLIBCXX__
+#ifdef __GLIBC__
   signal(SIGSEGV, handle_error);
 #endif
 }
@@ -56,7 +59,7 @@ ErrorHandler::handle_error(int sig)
 void
 ErrorHandler::print_stack_trace()
 {
-#ifdef __GLIBCXX__
+#ifdef __GLIBC__
   void *array[10];
   size_t size;
 
diff --git a/src/supertux/main.cpp b/src/supertux/main.cpp
index ad5e3fde69b..efd655855b0 100644
--- a/src/supertux/main.cpp
+++ b/src/supertux/main.cpp
@@ -563,10 +563,20 @@ Main::run(int argc, char** argv)
 	_wfreopen(w_errpath.c_str(), L"a", stderr);
 #endif
 
-  // Create and install global locale
-  std::locale::global(boost::locale::generator().generate(""));
-  // Make boost.filesystem use it
-  boost::filesystem::path::imbue(std::locale());
+  // Create and install global locale - this can fail on some situations:
+  // - with bad values for env vars (LANG, LC_ALL, ...)
+  // - targets where libstdc++ uses its generic locales code (https://gcc.gnu.org/legacy-ml/libstdc++/2003-02/msg00345.html)
+  // NOTE: when moving to C++ >= 17, keep the try-catch block, but use std::locale:global(std::locale(""));
+  try
+  {
+    std::locale::global(boost::locale::generator().generate(""));
+    // Make boost.filesystem use it
+    boost::filesystem::path::imbue(std::locale());
+  }
+  catch(const std::runtime_error& err)
+  {
+    std::cout << "Warning: " << err.what() << std::endl;
+  }
 
   int result = 0;