diff --git a/bundles/basic/files/locale b/bundles/basic/files/locale
index 01ec548..c8227c5 100644
--- a/bundles/basic/files/locale
+++ b/bundles/basic/files/locale
@@ -1 +1 @@
-LANG=en_US.UTF-8
+LANG=${node.metadata['locale']['default']}
diff --git a/bundles/basic/files/locale.gen b/bundles/basic/files/locale.gen
index 518904d..f41230e 100644
--- a/bundles/basic/files/locale.gen
+++ b/bundles/basic/files/locale.gen
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
-
-% for locale in sorted(node.metadata.get('locales', set())):
+% for locale in sorted(node.metadata['locale']['installed']):
 ${locale} ${locale.split('.')[-1]}
 % endfor
diff --git a/bundles/basic/items.py b/bundles/basic/items.py
index 84f4d6f..420d695 100644
--- a/bundles/basic/items.py
+++ b/bundles/basic/items.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 files = {
     '/etc/default/locale': {
+        'content_type': 'mako',
         'needs': {
             'action:locale-gen',
         },
diff --git a/bundles/basic/metadata.py b/bundles/basic/metadata.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b28a554
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundles/basic/metadata.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+defaults = {
+    'locale': {
+        'default': 'en_US.UTF-8',
+        'installed': {
+            'de_DE.UTF-8',
+            'en_US.UTF-8',
+        },
+    },
+}
+
+
+@metadata_reactor.provides(
+    'locale/installed',
+)
+def ensure_default_is_installed(metadata):
+    return {
+        'locale': {
+            'installed': {
+                metadata.get('locale/default'),
+            },
+        },
+    }
diff --git a/nodes/htz/ex42-1048908.py b/nodes/htz/ex42-1048908.py
index d61285f..22d3db6 100644
--- a/nodes/htz/ex42-1048908.py
+++ b/nodes/htz/ex42-1048908.py
@@ -137,11 +137,11 @@ nodes['htz.ex42-1048908'] = {
                 'part.of.the.trans-agenda.eu': set(),
             },
         },
-        'locales': {
-            # because scripts need to generate german date outputs
-            'de_DE.UTF-8',
-            # legacy
-            'en_DK.UTF-8',
+        'locale': {
+            'installed': {
+                # legacy
+                'en_DK.UTF-8',
+            },
         },
         'matrix-media-repo': {
             'version': 'v1.2.2',