diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog b/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
index fe0fbf7bbdc..84e61ca955c 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2018-10-03  Jonathan Wakely  <jwakely@redhat.com>
+
+	PR libstdc++/59439
+	* src/c++98/locale.cc (locale::locale(const locale&)): Bypass
+	reference count updates for the classic locale.
+	(locale::~locale()): Likewise.
+	(locale::operator=(const locale&)): Likewise.
+	* src/c++98/locale_init.cc (locale::locale()): Likewise.
+	(locale::global(const locale&)): Likewise.
+
 2018-10-03  François Dumont  <fdumont@gcc.gnu.org>
 
 	* include/debug/map.h
diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale.cc b/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale.cc
index 148bf59658e..fe06d297039 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale.cc
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale.cc
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ _GLIBCXX_BEGIN_NAMESPACE_VERSION
 
   locale::locale(const locale& __other) throw()
   : _M_impl(__other._M_impl)
-  { _M_impl->_M_add_reference(); }
+  {
+    if (_M_impl != _S_classic)
+      _M_impl->_M_add_reference();
+  }
 
   // This is used to initialize global and classic locales, and
   // assumes that the _Impl objects are constructed correctly.
@@ -86,7 +89,10 @@ _GLIBCXX_BEGIN_NAMESPACE_VERSION
   { }
 
   locale::~locale() throw()
-  { _M_impl->_M_remove_reference(); }
+  {
+    if (_M_impl != _S_classic)
+      _M_impl->_M_remove_reference();
+  }
 
   bool
   locale::operator==(const locale& __rhs) const throw()
@@ -112,8 +118,10 @@ _GLIBCXX_BEGIN_NAMESPACE_VERSION
   const locale&
   locale::operator=(const locale& __other) throw()
   {
-    __other._M_impl->_M_add_reference();
-    _M_impl->_M_remove_reference();
+    if (__other._M_impl != _S_classic)
+      __other._M_impl->_M_add_reference();
+    if (_M_impl != _S_classic)
+      _M_impl->_M_remove_reference();
     _M_impl = __other._M_impl;
     return *this;
   }
diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale_init.cc b/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale_init.cc
index c9078c015c3..b580a9f9d58 100644
--- a/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale_init.cc
+++ b/libstdc++-v3/src/c++98/locale_init.cc
@@ -257,9 +257,7 @@ _GLIBCXX_BEGIN_NAMESPACE_VERSION
     //   fall back to lock protected access to both _S_global and
     //   its reference count.
     _M_impl = _S_global;
-    if (_M_impl == _S_classic)
-      _M_impl->_M_add_reference();
-    else
+    if (_M_impl != _S_classic)
       {
         __gnu_cxx::__scoped_lock sentry(get_locale_mutex());
         _S_global->_M_add_reference();
@@ -275,7 +273,8 @@ _GLIBCXX_BEGIN_NAMESPACE_VERSION
     {
       __gnu_cxx::__scoped_lock sentry(get_locale_mutex());
       __old = _S_global;
-      __other._M_impl->_M_add_reference();
+      if (__other._M_impl != _S_classic)
+	__other._M_impl->_M_add_reference();
       _S_global = __other._M_impl;
       const string __other_name = __other.name();
       if (__other_name != "*")
@@ -284,7 +283,7 @@ _GLIBCXX_BEGIN_NAMESPACE_VERSION
 
     // Reference count sanity check: one reference removed for the
     // subsition of __other locale, one added by return-by-value. Net
-    // difference: zero. When the returned locale object's destrutor
+    // difference: zero. When the returned locale object's destructor
     // is called, then the reference count is decremented and possibly
     // destroyed.
     return locale(__old);