diff --git a/src/Orchard.Tests/Localization/CultureManagerTests.cs b/src/Orchard.Tests/Localization/CultureManagerTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef46905d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard.Tests/Localization/CultureManagerTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.IO;
+using Autofac;
+using NHibernate;
+using NUnit.Framework;
+using Orchard.Data;
+using Orchard.Localization;
+using Orchard.Localization.Records;
+using Orchard.Tests.ContentManagement;
+
+namespace Orchard.Tests.Localization {
+    [TestFixture]
+    public class CultureManagerTests {
+        private IContainer _container;
+        private ICultureManager _cultureManager;
+        private ISessionFactory _sessionFactory;
+        private ISession _session;
+        private string _databaseFileName;
+
+        [TestFixtureSetUp]
+        public void InitFixture() {
+            _databaseFileName = System.IO.Path.GetTempFileName();
+            _sessionFactory = DataUtility.CreateSessionFactory(
+                _databaseFileName,
+                typeof(CultureRecord));
+        }
+
+        [SetUp]
+        public void Init() {
+            var builder = new ContainerBuilder();
+            builder.RegisterType<DefaultCultureManager>().As<ICultureManager>();
+            builder.RegisterGeneric(typeof(Repository<>)).As(typeof(IRepository<>));
+            _session = _sessionFactory.OpenSession();
+            builder.RegisterInstance(new DefaultContentManagerTests.TestSessionLocator(_session)).As<ISessionLocator>();
+            _container = builder.Build();
+            _cultureManager = _container.Resolve<ICultureManager>();
+        }
+
+        [TearDown]
+        public void Term() {
+            _session.Close();
+        }
+
+        [TestFixtureTearDown]
+        public void TermFixture() {
+            File.Delete(_databaseFileName);
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void CultureManagerCanAddAndListValidCultures() {
+            _cultureManager.AddCulture("tr-TR");
+            _cultureManager.AddCulture("fr-FR");
+            _cultureManager.AddCulture("bs-Latn-BA");
+            List<string> cultures = new List<string>(_cultureManager.ListCultures());
+            Assert.That(cultures.Count, Is.Not.EqualTo(0));
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void CultureManagerRejectsInvalidCultureNames() {
+            Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => _cultureManager.AddCulture("a-b-c"));
+        }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void CultureManagerAcceptsValidDotNetCultureNames() {
+            foreach (var cultureInfo in CultureInfo.GetCultures(CultureTypes.NeutralCultures)) {
+                if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(cultureInfo.Name)) {
+                    Assert.DoesNotThrow(() => _cultureManager.AddCulture(cultureInfo.Name));
+                }
+            }
+
+            foreach (var cultureInfo in CultureInfo.GetCultures(CultureTypes.SpecificCultures)) {
+                if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(cultureInfo.Name)) {
+                    Assert.DoesNotThrow(() => _cultureManager.AddCulture(cultureInfo.Name));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Tests/Orchard.Framework.Tests.csproj b/src/Orchard.Tests/Orchard.Framework.Tests.csproj
index cb1d41974..258137642 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Tests/Orchard.Framework.Tests.csproj
+++ b/src/Orchard.Tests/Orchard.Framework.Tests.csproj
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Environment\OrchardStarterTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\ShellBuilders\DefaultShellContainerFactoryTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\ShellBuilders\DefaultShellContextFactoryTests.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Localization\CultureManagerTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Mvc\Routes\ShellRouteTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Mvc\Routes\UrlPrefixTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Stubs\StubCacheManager.cs" />
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Setup/Services/SetupService.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Setup/Services/SetupService.cs
index 5495ae7a8..e918d7f97 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Setup/Services/SetupService.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Setup/Services/SetupService.cs
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ namespace Orchard.Setup.Services {
                     var themeService = environment.Resolve<IThemeService>();
                     themeService.SetSiteTheme("Classic");
 
+                    // set default culture
+                    var cultureManager = environment.Resolve<ICultureManager>();
+                    cultureManager.AddCulture("en-US");
+
                     var contentManager = environment.Resolve<IContentManager>();
 
                     // this needs to exit the standalone environment? rework this process entirely?
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Localization/DefaultCultureManager.cs b/src/Orchard/Localization/DefaultCultureManager.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..722329ade
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard/Localization/DefaultCultureManager.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using Orchard.Data;
+using Orchard.Localization.Records;
+
+namespace Orchard.Localization {
+    public class DefaultCultureManager : ICultureManager {
+        private readonly IRepository<CultureRecord> _cultureRepository;
+
+        public DefaultCultureManager(IRepository<CultureRecord> cultureRepository) {
+            _cultureRepository = cultureRepository;
+        }
+
+        public IEnumerable<string> ListCultures() {
+            var query = from culture in _cultureRepository.Table select culture.Culture;
+            return query.ToList();
+        }
+
+        public void AddCulture(string cultureName) {
+            if (!IsValidCulture(cultureName)) {
+                throw new ArgumentException("cultureName");
+            }
+            _cultureRepository.Create(new CultureRecord { Culture = cultureName });
+        }
+
+        // "<languagecode2>" or
+        // "<languagecode2>-<country/regioncode2>" or
+        // "<languagecode2>-<scripttag>-<country/regioncode2>"
+        private static bool IsValidCulture(string cultureName) {
+            Regex cultureRegex = new Regex(@"\w{2}(-\w{2,})*");
+            if (cultureRegex.IsMatch(cultureName)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Localization/ICultureManager.cs b/src/Orchard/Localization/ICultureManager.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b4e7ac18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard/Localization/ICultureManager.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+
+namespace Orchard.Localization {
+    public interface ICultureManager : IDependency {
+        IEnumerable<string> ListCultures();
+        void AddCulture(string cultureName);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Localization/Records/CultureRecord.cs b/src/Orchard/Localization/Records/CultureRecord.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac164aa14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard/Localization/Records/CultureRecord.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+namespace Orchard.Localization.Records {
+        public class CultureRecord {
+            public virtual int Id { get; set; }
+            public virtual string Culture { get; set; }
+        }
+}
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj b/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj
index fed37f65b..64114adb8 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj
+++ b/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj
@@ -143,6 +143,9 @@
     <Compile Include="Environment\State\IShellStateManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\State\ShellStateCoordinator.cs" />
     <Compile Include="IDependency.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Localization\DefaultCultureManager.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Localization\ICultureManager.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Localization\Records\CultureRecord.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Mvc\Html\ThemeExtensions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Mvc\Routes\IRoutePublisher.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Mvc\Routes\IRouteProvider.cs" />