diff -urN libstdc++-v3-orig/include/bits/fstream.tcc libstdc++-v3/include/bits/fstream.tcc
--- libstdc++-v3-orig/include/bits/fstream.tcc	2003-11-04 06:27:37.000000000 +0100
+++ libstdc++-v3/include/bits/fstream.tcc	2003-11-11 13:13:47.000000000 +0100
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@
     basic_filebuf<_CharT, _Traits>::
     imbue(const locale& __loc)
     {
-      if (this->_M_buf_locale != __loc)
+      if (this->getloc() != __loc)
 	{
 	  bool __testfail = false;
 	  if (this->is_open())
@@ -765,7 +765,6 @@
 
 	  if (!__testfail)
 	    {
-	      this->_M_buf_locale = __loc;
 	      if (__builtin_expect(has_facet<__codecvt_type>(__loc), true))
 		_M_codecvt = &use_facet<__codecvt_type>(__loc);
 	      else
diff -urN libstdc++-v3-orig/include/std/std_streambuf.h libstdc++-v3/include/std/std_streambuf.h
--- libstdc++-v3-orig/include/std/std_streambuf.h	2003-10-12 12:12:08.000000000 +0200
+++ libstdc++-v3/include/std/std_streambuf.h	2003-11-11 13:19:58.000000000 +0100
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@
       {
 	locale __tmp(this->getloc());
 	this->imbue(__loc);
+	if (__tmp != __loc)
+	  _M_buf_locale = __loc;
 	return __tmp;
       }
 
@@ -538,15 +540,13 @@
        *  are changed by this call.  The standard adds, "Between invocations
        *  of this function a class derived from streambuf can safely cache
        *  results of calls to locale functions and to members of facets
-       *  so obtained."  This function simply stores the new locale for use
-       *  by derived classes.
+       *  so obtained."
+       *
+       *  @note  Base class version does nothing.
       */
       virtual void 
-      imbue(const locale& __loc) 
-      { 
-	if (_M_buf_locale != __loc)
-	  _M_buf_locale = __loc;
-      }
+      imbue(const locale&) 
+      { }
 
       // [27.5.2.4.2] buffer management and positioning
       /**
diff -urN libstdc++-v3-orig/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/char/2.cc libstdc++-v3/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/char/2.cc
--- libstdc++-v3-orig/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/char/2.cc	2003-09-23 22:02:54.000000000 +0200
+++ libstdc++-v3/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/char/2.cc	2003-11-11 14:10:27.000000000 +0100
@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@
   pos_type p = ob.pubseekoff(2, ios_base::beg, ios_base::in);
   VERIFY( p != bad);
 
-  // 1 "if file is not positioned at its beginning" fails...
+  // "if file is not positioned at its beginning" imbue fails
+  // but, according to 27.5.2.2.1, p1, still loc == getloc()
+  // after pubimbue(loc).
   locale loc_de = __gnu_test::try_named_locale("de_DE");
   locale ret = ob.pubimbue(loc_de);
-  VERIFY( ob.getloc() == loc );
+  VERIFY( ob.getloc() == loc_de );
 }
 
 int main() 
diff -urN libstdc++-v3-orig/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/wchar_t/2.cc libstdc++-v3/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/wchar_t/2.cc
--- libstdc++-v3-orig/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/wchar_t/2.cc	2003-09-23 22:02:54.000000000 +0200
+++ libstdc++-v3/testsuite/27_io/basic_filebuf/imbue/wchar_t/2.cc	2003-11-11 14:10:50.000000000 +0100
@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@
   pos_type p = ob.pubseekoff(2, ios_base::beg, ios_base::in);
   VERIFY( p != bad);
 
-  // 1 "if file is not positioned at its beginning" fails...
+  // "if file is not positioned at its beginning" imbue fails
+  // but, according to 27.5.2.2.1, p1, still loc == getloc()
+  // after pubimbue(loc).
   locale loc_de = __gnu_test::try_named_locale("de_DE");
   locale ret = ob.pubimbue(loc_de);
-  VERIFY( ob.getloc() == loc );
+  VERIFY( ob.getloc() == loc_de );
 }
 
 int main()