diff --git i/session.c w/session.c
index 58826db1..658dd911 100644
--- i/session.c
+++ w/session.c
@@ -1053,6 +1053,10 @@ do_setup_env(struct ssh *ssh, Session *s, const char *shell)
 	if (getenv("TZ"))
 		child_set_env(&env, &envsize, "TZ", getenv("TZ"));
 
+	/* NixOS path to the glibc locale archive, to be set in the systemd job */
+	if (getenv("LOCALE_ARCHIVE"))
+		child_set_env(&env, &envsize, "LOCALE_ARCHIVE", getenv("LOCALE_ARCHIVE"));
+
 	/* Set custom environment options from pubkey authentication. */
 	if (options.permit_user_env) {
 		for (n = 0 ; n < auth_opts->nenv; n++) {