diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/integrationtest/tsconfig-build.json b/packages/compiler-cli/integrationtest/tsconfig-build.json
index 5c753f89ba..f967c96ccc 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/integrationtest/tsconfig-build.json
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/integrationtest/tsconfig-build.json
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
     "debug": true,
     "enableSummariesForJit": true,
     "alwaysCompileGeneratedCode": true,
-    "locale": "fi",
     "i18nFormat": "xlf"
   },
 
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts
index 3c67b1881f..7c62d72dc4 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/main.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ function readCommandLineAndConfiguration(args: any): ParsedConfiguration {
   const allDiagnostics: Diagnostics = [];
   const config = readConfiguration(project);
   const options = mergeCommandLineParams(args, config.options);
+  if (options.locale) {
+    options.i18nInLocale = options.locale;
+  }
   return {project, rootNames: config.rootNames, options, errors: config.errors};
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts
index 6a611027e0..3cbc53fbbc 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/src/transformers/program.ts
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ function getAotCompilerOptions(options: CompilerOptions): AotCompilerOptions {
   let translations: string = '';
 
   if (options.i18nInFile) {
-    if (!options.locale) {
+    if (!options.i18nInLocale) {
       throw new Error(`The translation file (${options.i18nInFile}) locale must be provided.`);
     }
     translations = fs.readFileSync(options.i18nInFile, 'utf8');