diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/strings/format/date.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/strings/format/date.rs
index fd398753d7..658823aa6a 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/strings/format/date.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/strings/format/date.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,25 @@ impl Command for FormatDate {
     ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
         let list = call.has_flag(engine_state, stack, "list")?;
         let format = call.opt::<Spanned<String>>(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
-        run(engine_state, call, input, list, format)
+
+        // get the locale first so we can use the proper get_env_var functions since this is a const command
+        // we can override the locale by setting $env.NU_TEST_LOCALE_OVERRIDE or $env.LC_TIME
+        let locale = if let Some(loc) = engine_state
+            .get_env_var(LOCALE_OVERRIDE_ENV_VAR)
+            .or_else(|| engine_state.get_env_var("LC_TIME"))
+        {
+            let locale_str = loc.as_str()?.split('.').next().unwrap_or("en_US");
+            locale_str.try_into().unwrap_or(Locale::en_US)
+        } else {
+            get_system_locale_string()
+                .map(|l| l.replace('-', "_"))
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| String::from("en_US"))
+                .as_str()
+                .try_into()
+                .unwrap_or(Locale::en_US)
+        };
+
+        run(engine_state, call, input, list, format, locale)
     }
 
     fn run_const(
@@ -99,7 +117,25 @@ impl Command for FormatDate {
     ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
         let list = call.has_flag_const(working_set, "list")?;
         let format = call.opt_const::<Spanned<String>>(working_set, 0)?;
-        run(working_set.permanent(), call, input, list, format)
+
+        // get the locale first so we can use the proper get_env_var functions since this is a const command
+        // we can override the locale by setting $env.NU_TEST_LOCALE_OVERRIDE or $env.LC_TIME
+        let locale = if let Some(loc) = working_set
+            .get_env_var(LOCALE_OVERRIDE_ENV_VAR)
+            .or_else(|| working_set.get_env_var("LC_TIME"))
+        {
+            let locale_str = loc.as_str()?.split('.').next().unwrap_or("en_US");
+            locale_str.try_into().unwrap_or(Locale::en_US)
+        } else {
+            get_system_locale_string()
+                .map(|l| l.replace('-', "_"))
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| String::from("en_US"))
+                .as_str()
+                .try_into()
+                .unwrap_or(Locale::en_US)
+        };
+
+        run(working_set.permanent(), call, input, list, format, locale)
     }
 }
 
@@ -109,6 +145,7 @@ fn run(
     input: PipelineData,
     list: bool,
     format: Option<Spanned<String>>,
+    locale: Locale,
 ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
     let head = call.head;
     if list {
@@ -124,34 +161,23 @@ fn run(
     }
     input.map(
         move |value| match &format {
-            Some(format) => format_helper(value, format.item.as_str(), format.span, head),
+            Some(format) => format_helper(value, format.item.as_str(), format.span, head, locale),
             None => format_helper_rfc2822(value, head),
         },
         engine_state.signals(),
     )
 }
 
-fn format_from<Tz: TimeZone>(date_time: DateTime<Tz>, formatter: &str, span: Span) -> Value
+fn format_from<Tz: TimeZone>(
+    date_time: DateTime<Tz>,
+    formatter: &str,
+    span: Span,
+    locale: Locale,
+) -> Value
 where
     Tz::Offset: Display,
 {
     let mut formatter_buf = String::new();
-    // Format using locale LC_TIME
-    let locale = if let Ok(l) =
-        std::env::var(LOCALE_OVERRIDE_ENV_VAR).or_else(|_| std::env::var("LC_TIME"))
-    {
-        let locale_str = l.split('.').next().unwrap_or("en_US");
-        locale_str.try_into().unwrap_or(Locale::en_US)
-    } else {
-        // LC_ALL > LC_CTYPE > LANG
-        // Not locale present, default to en_US
-        get_system_locale_string()
-            .map(|l| l.replace('-', "_")) // `chrono::Locale` needs something like `xx_xx`, rather than `xx-xx`
-            .unwrap_or_else(|| String::from("en_US"))
-            .as_str()
-            .try_into()
-            .unwrap_or(Locale::en_US)
-    };
     let format = date_time.format_localized(formatter, locale);
 
     match formatter_buf.write_fmt(format_args!("{format}")) {
@@ -166,14 +192,20 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-fn format_helper(value: Value, formatter: &str, formatter_span: Span, head_span: Span) -> Value {
+fn format_helper(
+    value: Value,
+    formatter: &str,
+    formatter_span: Span,
+    head_span: Span,
+    locale: Locale,
+) -> Value {
     match value {
-        Value::Date { val, .. } => format_from(val, formatter, formatter_span),
+        Value::Date { val, .. } => format_from(val, formatter, formatter_span, locale),
         Value::String { val, .. } => {
             let dt = parse_date_from_string(&val, formatter_span);
 
             match dt {
-                Ok(x) => format_from(x, formatter, formatter_span),
+                Ok(x) => format_from(x, formatter, formatter_span, locale),
                 Err(e) => e,
             }
         }