diff --git a/docs/UPGRADING.md b/docs/UPGRADING.md
index 39729a1c592..a6cfad9a5f9 100644
--- a/docs/UPGRADING.md
+++ b/docs/UPGRADING.md
@@ -6,6 +6,21 @@ Here you can find a list of migration guides to handle breaking changes between
 
 ### Change public library interface
 
+#### `github.com/arduino/arduino-cli/i18n` package
+
+The behavior of the `Init` function has changed. The user specified locale code is no longer read from the
+`github.com/arduino/arduino-cli/configuration` package and now must be passed directly to `Init` as a string:
+
+```go
+i18n.Init("it")
+```
+
+Omit the argument for automated locale detection:
+
+```go
+i18n.Init()
+```
+
 #### `github.com/arduino/arduino-cli/arduino/builder` package
 
 `GenBuildPath()` function has been moved to `github.com/arduino/arduino-cli/arduino/sketch` package. The signature is
diff --git a/i18n/i18n.go b/i18n/i18n.go
index 6881922b96a..9a0ffead925 100644
--- a/i18n/i18n.go
+++ b/i18n/i18n.go
@@ -15,18 +15,20 @@
 
 package i18n
 
-import "github.com/arduino/arduino-cli/configuration"
-
 // Init initializes the i18n module, setting the locale according to this order of preference:
-// 1. Configuration set in arduino-cli.yaml
+// 1. Locale specified via the function call
 // 2. OS Locale
 // 3. en (default)
-func Init() {
+func Init(configLocale ...string) {
 	initRiceBox()
 	locales := supportedLocales()
 
-	if configLocale := configuration.Settings.GetString("locale"); configLocale != "" {
-		if locale := findMatchingLocale(configLocale, locales); locale != "" {
+	if len(configLocale) > 1 {
+		panic("Multiple arguments not supported")
+	}
+
+	if len(configLocale) > 0 && configLocale[0] != "" {
+		if locale := findMatchingLocale(configLocale[0], locales); locale != "" {
 			setLocale(locale)
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index fd691f526c9..2405f612188 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 func main() {
 	configuration.Settings = configuration.Init(configuration.FindConfigFileInArgsOrWorkingDirectory(os.Args))
-	i18n.Init()
+	i18n.Init(configuration.Settings.GetString("locale"))
 	arduinoCmd := cli.NewCommand()
 	if err := arduinoCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		os.Exit(errorcodes.ErrGeneric)