diff --git a/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/__tests__/index.test.js b/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/__tests__/index.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8112154766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/__tests__/index.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const { getInitLocale } = require('../');
+
+describe('I18N default locale', () => {
+  describe('getInitLocale', () => {
+    test('The init locale is english by default', () => {
+      expect(getInitLocale()).toStrictEqual({
+        code: 'en',
+        name: 'English (en)',
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('The init locale can be configured by an env var', () => {
+      process.env.STRAPI_PLUGIN_I18N_INIT_LOCALE_CODE = 'fr';
+      expect(getInitLocale()).toStrictEqual({
+        code: 'fr',
+        name: 'French (fr)',
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('Throws if env var code is unknown in iso list', () => {
+      process.env.STRAPI_PLUGIN_I18N_INIT_LOCALE_CODE = 'zzzzz';
+      expect(() => getInitLocale()).toThrow();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/index.js b/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/index.js
index e8b2428a53..9eb537d692 100644
--- a/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/index.js
+++ b/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/constants/index.js
@@ -2,12 +2,35 @@
 
 const isoLocales = require('./iso-locales');
 
-const DEFAULT_LOCALE = {
-  name: 'English',
-  code: 'en',
+/**
+ * Returns the default locale based either on env var or english
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+const getInitLocale = () => {
+  const envLocaleCode = process.env.STRAPI_PLUGIN_I18N_INIT_LOCALE_CODE;
+
+  if (envLocaleCode) {
+    const matchingLocale = isoLocales.find(({ code }) => code === envLocaleCode);
+
+    if (!matchingLocale) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Unknown locale code provided in the environment variable STRAPI_PLUGIN_I18N_INIT_LOCALE_CODE'
+      );
+    }
+
+    return { ...matchingLocale };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    code: 'en',
+    name: 'English (en)',
+  };
 };
 
+const DEFAULT_LOCALE = getInitLocale();
+
 module.exports = {
   isoLocales,
   DEFAULT_LOCALE,
+  getInitLocale,
 };
diff --git a/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/services/__tests__/locales.test.js b/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/services/__tests__/locales.test.js
index 74ced80d73..2384785635 100644
--- a/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/services/__tests__/locales.test.js
+++ b/packages/strapi-plugin-i18n/services/__tests__/locales.test.js
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ describe('Locales', () => {
       await localesService.initDefaultLocale();
       expect(count).toHaveBeenCalledWith();
       expect(create).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        name: 'English',
+        name: 'English (en)',
         code: 'en',
       });
       expect(set).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ key: 'default_locale', value: 'en' });