diff --git a/kdecore/kernel/kglobal.cpp b/kdecore/kernel/kglobal.cpp
index 6acbf8fb..88c93639 100644
--- a/kdecore/kernel/kglobal.cpp
+++ b/kdecore/kernel/kglobal.cpp
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@
 #include <unistd.h> // umask
 
 #include <QThread>
-#include <QtCore/qatomic.h>
-#include <QtCore/QList>
-#include <QtCore/QSet>
+#include <QAtomicInt>
+#include <QList>
+#include <QSet>
+#include <QCoreApplication>
 
 #include <kaboutdata.h>
 #include <kconfig.h>
@@ -43,12 +44,8 @@
 #include <kcharsets.h>
 #include <kstandarddirs.h>
 #include <kcomponentdata.h>
-#undef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
-#include <QtCore/QCoreApplication>
-#define QT_NO_TRANSLATION
-#include <QtCore/QDebug>
-#include <QtCore/QTextCodec>
 #include "kcmdlineargs.h"
+#include "kcatalog_p.h"
 
 mode_t s_umsk;
 
@@ -58,6 +55,9 @@ class KGlobalPrivate
         inline KGlobalPrivate()
             : locale(0),
             charsets(0),
+#ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
+            translator(0),
+#endif
             localeIsFromFakeComponent(false)
         {
             // the umask is read here before any threads are created to avoid race conditions
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ class KGlobalPrivate
 
         inline ~KGlobalPrivate()
         {
+#ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
+            delete translator;
+            translator = 0;
+#endif
             delete locale;
             locale = 0;
             delete charsets;
@@ -78,6 +82,9 @@ class KGlobalPrivate
         KComponentData mainComponent; // holds a refcount
         KLocale *locale;
         KCharsets *charsets;
+#ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
+        KDETranslator* translator;
+#endif
         bool localeIsFromFakeComponent;
         QStringList catalogsToInsert;
 
@@ -173,7 +180,10 @@ KLocale *KGlobal::locale()
                        " takes care of this. If not using KApplication, call KGlobal::locale() during initialization.");
 #ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
             } else {
-                QCoreApplication::installTranslator(new KDETranslator(coreApp));
+                delete d->translator;
+                d->translator = 0;
+                d->translator = new KDETranslator();
+                QCoreApplication::installTranslator(d->translator);
 #endif
             }
         }
diff --git a/kdecore/kernel/kglobal_p.h b/kdecore/kernel/kglobal_p.h
index c50778e4..2d9b4d7f 100644
--- a/kdecore/kernel/kglobal_p.h
+++ b/kdecore/kernel/kglobal_p.h
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ namespace KGlobal
 
 #include "kglobal.h"
 #include "klocale.h"
-#include <QtCore/QTranslator>
+
+#include <QTranslator>
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
 class KDETranslator : public QTranslator
diff --git a/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp b/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp
index 68899d14..4e6a183d 100644
--- a/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp
+++ b/kdecore/localization/kcatalog.cpp
@@ -24,30 +24,14 @@
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QTranslator>
 
-static QByteArray translationData(const QByteArray &localeDir, const QByteArray &language, const QByteArray &name)
-{
-    QByteArray translationpath = localeDir;
-    translationpath.append('/');
-    translationpath.append(language);
-    translationpath.append('/');
-    translationpath.append(name);
-    translationpath.append(".tr");
-    QFile translationfile(QFile::decodeName(translationpath));
-    if (!translationfile.open(QFile::ReadOnly)) {
-        return QByteArray();
-    }
-    return translationfile.readAll();
-}
-
 class KCatalogPrivate
 {
 public:
     KCatalogPrivate();
     ~KCatalogPrivate();
 
-    QByteArray language;
-    QByteArray name;
-    QByteArray localeDir;
+    QString language;
+    QString name;
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
     QTranslator* translator;
@@ -66,20 +50,19 @@ KCatalogPrivate::~KCatalogPrivate()
 
 QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const KCatalog &c)
 {
-    return debug << c.d->language << " " << c.d->name << " " << c.d->localeDir;
+    return debug << c.d->language << " " << c.d->name;
 }
 
 KCatalog::KCatalog(const QString &name, const QString &language)
     : d(new KCatalogPrivate())
 {
-    d->language = QFile::encodeName(language);
-    d->name = QFile::encodeName(name);
-    d->localeDir = QFile::encodeName(catalogLocaleDir(name, language));
+    d->language = language;
+    d->name = name;
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
     d->translator = new QTranslator();
-    d->translator->loadFromData(translationData(d->localeDir, d->language, d->name));
-    // kDebug() << << name << language << localeDir;
+    d->translator->loadFromData(catalogData(d->name, d->language));
+    // kDebug() << << name << language;
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -88,11 +71,10 @@ KCatalog::KCatalog(const KCatalog &rhs)
 {
     d->language = rhs.d->language;
     d->name = rhs.d->name;
-    d->localeDir = rhs.d->localeDir;
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
     d->translator = new QTranslator();
-    d->translator->loadFromData(translationData(d->localeDir, d->language, d->name));
+    d->translator->loadFromData(catalogData(d->name, d->language));
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -100,10 +82,9 @@ KCatalog & KCatalog::operator=(const KCatalog & rhs)
 {
     d->language = rhs.d->language;
     d->name = rhs.d->name;
-    d->localeDir = rhs.d->localeDir;
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_TRANSLATION
-    d->translator->loadFromData(translationData(d->localeDir, d->language, d->name));
+    d->translator->loadFromData(catalogData(d->name, d->language));
 #endif
     return *this;
 }
@@ -116,23 +97,33 @@ KCatalog::~KCatalog()
 QString KCatalog::catalogLocaleDir(const QString &name,
                                    const QString &language)
 {
-    QString relpath =  QString::fromLatin1("%1/%2.tr").arg(language).arg(name);
+    const QString relpath =  QString::fromLatin1("%1/%2.tr").arg(language).arg(name);
     return KGlobal::dirs()->findResourceDir("locale", relpath);
 }
 
+QByteArray KCatalog::catalogData(const QString &name, const QString &language)
+{
+    const QString relpath =  QString::fromLatin1("%1/%2.tr").arg(language).arg(name);
+    const QString translationpath = KGlobal::dirs()->locate("locale", relpath);
+    if (translationpath.isEmpty()) {
+        return QByteArray();
+    }
+    QFile translationfile(translationpath);
+    if (!translationfile.open(QFile::ReadOnly)) {
+        return QByteArray();
+    }
+    return translationfile.readAll();
+}
+
+
 QString KCatalog::name() const
 {
-    return QFile::decodeName(d->name);
+    return d->name;
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::language() const
 {
-    return QFile::decodeName(d->language);
-}
-
-QString KCatalog::localeDir() const
-{
-  return QFile::decodeName(d->localeDir);
+    return d->language;
 }
 
 QString KCatalog::translate(const char * msgid) const
diff --git a/kdecore/localization/kcatalog_p.h b/kdecore/localization/kcatalog_p.h
index 17287186..bfbea7d8 100644
--- a/kdecore/localization/kcatalog_p.h
+++ b/kdecore/localization/kcatalog_p.h
@@ -42,17 +42,17 @@ public:
    * @param name The name of the catalog
    * @param language The language of this catalog
    */
-  KCatalog( const QString &name, const QString &language );
+  KCatalog(const QString &name, const QString &language);
 
   /**
    * Copy constructor.
    */
-  KCatalog(const KCatalog & rhs);
+  KCatalog(const KCatalog &rhs);
 
   /**
    * Assignment operator.
    */
-  KCatalog & operator = ( const KCatalog & rhs);
+  KCatalog& operator=(const KCatalog &rhs);
 
   /**
    * Destructor.
@@ -67,8 +67,18 @@ public:
    *
    * @return The locale directory if found, QString() otherwise.
    */
-  static QString catalogLocaleDir( const QString &name,
-                                   const QString &language );
+  static QString catalogLocaleDir(const QString &name, const QString &language);
+
+  /**
+   * Finds the catalog file for the given catalog in given language, reads it
+   * and returns its data.
+   *
+   * @param name The name of the catalog
+   * @param language The language of this catalog
+   *
+   * @return The catalog data if found, QByteArray() otherwise.
+   */
+  static QByteArray catalogData(const QString &name, const QString &language);
 
   /**
    * Returns the name of the catalog.
@@ -84,13 +94,6 @@ public:
    */
   QString language() const;
 
-  /**
-   * Returns locale directory of the catalog.
-   *
-   * @return The locale directory of the catalog.
-   */
-  QString localeDir() const;
-
   /**
    * Retrieves a translation of the specified message id.
    *