diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index 974e99370a27..5d04550fa4a7 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -1995,6 +1995,12 @@
 #   "COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS" : ["/edx/src/edx-themes/conf/locale"].
 COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS = []
 
+# .. setting_name: PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS
+# .. setting_default: []
+# .. setting_description: A list of the paths to locale directories to load first e.g.
+#   "PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS" : ["/edx/my-locales/"].
+PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS = []
+
 # .. setting_name: DEFAULT_SITE_THEME
 # .. setting_default: None
 # .. setting_description: See LMS annotation.
diff --git a/cms/envs/production.py b/cms/envs/production.py
index aefd5793bdfb..3c4acdf0f77b 100644
--- a/cms/envs/production.py
+++ b/cms/envs/production.py
@@ -239,6 +239,12 @@ def get_env_setting(setting):
 #    ],
 COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS = ENV_TOKENS.get('COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS', [])
 
+# PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS contain the paths to locale directories to load first e.g.
+# "PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS" : [
+#        "/edx/my-locale/"
+#    ],
+PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS = ENV_TOKENS.get('PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS', [])
+
 #Timezone overrides
 TIME_ZONE = ENV_TOKENS.get('CELERY_TIMEZONE', CELERY_TIMEZONE)
 
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 958d06ccbfd9..306b7ea86fee 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -1840,7 +1840,9 @@ def _make_mako_template_dirs(settings):
 
 # Localization strings (e.g. django.po) are under these directories
 def _make_locale_paths(settings):  # pylint: disable=missing-function-docstring
-    locale_paths = [settings.REPO_ROOT + '/conf/locale']  # edx-platform/conf/locale/
+    locale_paths = list(settings.PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS)
+    locale_paths += [settings.REPO_ROOT + '/conf/locale']  # edx-platform/conf/locale/
+
     if settings.ENABLE_COMPREHENSIVE_THEMING:
         # Add locale paths to settings for comprehensive theming.
         for locale_path in settings.COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS:
@@ -4323,6 +4325,13 @@ def _make_locale_paths(settings):  # pylint: disable=missing-function-docstring
 #   "COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS" : ["/edx/src/edx-themes/conf/locale"].
 COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS = []
 
+
+# .. setting_name: PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS
+# .. setting_default: []
+# .. setting_description: A list of the paths to locale directories to load first e.g.
+#   "PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS" : ["/edx/my-locales/"].
+PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS = []
+
 # .. setting_name: DEFAULT_SITE_THEME
 # .. setting_default: None
 # .. setting_description: Theme to use when no site or site theme is defined, for example
diff --git a/lms/envs/production.py b/lms/envs/production.py
index d517908c0608..0e0259bdf483 100644
--- a/lms/envs/production.py
+++ b/lms/envs/production.py
@@ -281,6 +281,13 @@ def get_env_setting(setting):
 COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS = ENV_TOKENS.get('COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS', [])
 
 
+# PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS contain the paths to locale directories to load first e.g.
+# "PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS" : [
+#        "/edx/my-locale"
+#    ],
+PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS = ENV_TOKENS.get('PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS', [])
+
+
 MKTG_URL_LINK_MAP.update(ENV_TOKENS.get('MKTG_URL_LINK_MAP', {}))
 ENTERPRISE_MARKETING_FOOTER_QUERY_PARAMS = ENV_TOKENS.get(
     'ENTERPRISE_MARKETING_FOOTER_QUERY_PARAMS',
diff --git a/lms/envs/test.py b/lms/envs/test.py
index 69b290fc53e1..775156a78c06 100644
--- a/lms/envs/test.py
+++ b/lms/envs/test.py
@@ -477,6 +477,8 @@
 COMPREHENSIVE_THEME_LOCALE_PATHS = [REPO_ROOT / "themes/conf/locale", ]
 ENABLE_COMPREHENSIVE_THEMING = True
 
+PREPEND_LOCALE_PATHS = []
+
 LMS_ROOT_URL = "http://localhost:8000"
 
 # Needed for derived settings used by cms only.