diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 5d9a9169..fcda5ce7 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ debian-cd (3.1.14) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * Start jessie work; copy things from the wheezy config for now.
   * Remove older squeeze, lenny, etch dirs
   * Move code hosting from svn to git.
+  * Make sure that when we call apt, we tell it to *not* use localised
+    package descriptions; this causes issues during build. See #712435 in
+    apt.
 
   [ Robert Spencer ]
   * Build without isolinux/desktop. Closes: #706150
diff --git a/tools/apt-selection b/tools/apt-selection
index 364a6fbb..ea8ba331 100755
--- a/tools/apt-selection
+++ b/tools/apt-selection
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ options=" -q -o Dir::State::status=$APTTMP/$CODENAME-$ARCH/status \
 		  -o Dir::Etc=$APTTMP/$CODENAME-$ARCH/apt/ \
 		  -o APT::Cache::AllVersions=0 \
 		  -o APT::Cache::ShowVersion=1 \
-		  -o APT::Architecture=$ARCH "
+		  -o APT::Architecture=$ARCH \
+		  -o Acquire::Languages=none"
 
 sections=main
 if [ "${NONFREE:-0}" != "0" ] || [ "${EXTRANONFREE:-0}" != "0" ] || [ "${FORCE_FIRMWARE:-0}" != "0" ]; then