diff --git a/src/Mcamara/LaravelLocalization/LaravelLocalization.php b/src/Mcamara/LaravelLocalization/LaravelLocalization.php
index 1f9cbe8..ce0e400 100644
--- a/src/Mcamara/LaravelLocalization/LaravelLocalization.php
+++ b/src/Mcamara/LaravelLocalization/LaravelLocalization.php
@@ -138,12 +138,7 @@ public function __construct()
         $this->url = $this->app['url'];
 
         // set default locale
-        $this->defaultLocale = $this->configRepository->get('app.locale');
-        $supportedLocales = $this->getSupportedLocales();
-
-        if (empty($supportedLocales[$this->defaultLocale])) {
-            throw new UnsupportedLocaleException('Laravel default locale is not in the supportedLocales array.');
-        }
+        $this->setDefaultLocale($this->configRepository->get('app.locale'));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -414,6 +409,22 @@ public function getDefaultLocale()
         return $this->defaultLocale;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the default locale.
+     *
+     * @param $defaultLocale
+     * @throws UnsupportedLocaleException
+     * @throws SupportedLocalesNotDefined
+     */
+    public function setDefaultLocale($defaultLocale)
+    {
+        $supportedLocales = $this->getSupportedLocales();
+        if (empty($supportedLocales[$defaultLocale])) {
+            throw new UnsupportedLocaleException('Laravel default locale is not in the supportedLocales array.');
+        }
+        $this->defaultLocale = $defaultLocale;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Return locales mapping.
      *
diff --git a/tests/LocalizerTests.php b/tests/LocalizerTests.php
index 80f83f6..30f1b69 100644
--- a/tests/LocalizerTests.php
+++ b/tests/LocalizerTests.php
@@ -880,4 +880,46 @@ public function testSetLocaleWithMapping()
         $this->assertEquals('http://localhost/custom/some-route', app('laravellocalization')->localizeURL('some-route', 'custom'));
         $this->assertEquals('http://localhost/custom', app('laravellocalization')->localizeURL('http://localhost/custom', 'en'));
     }
+
+    public function testSetDefaultLocale()
+    {
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            app('laravellocalization')->getDefaultLocale(), $this->defaultLocale
+        );
+
+        app('laravellocalization')->setDefaultLocale('es');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            app('laravellocalization')->getDefaultLocale(), 'es'
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testSetInvalidDefaultLocale()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(\Mcamara\LaravelLocalization\Exceptions\UnsupportedLocaleException::class);
+        app('laravellocalization')->setDefaultLocale('sv');
+    }
+
+    public function testSetDefaultLocaleHiddenInUrl()
+    {
+        app('config')->set('laravellocalization.hideDefaultLocaleInURL', true);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            $this->test_url,
+            app('laravellocalization')->localizeURL('', $this->defaultLocale)
+        );
+
+        app('laravellocalization')->setDefaultLocale('es');
+
+        $this->assertNotEquals(
+            $this->test_url,
+            app('laravellocalization')->localizeURL('', $this->defaultLocale)
+        );
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            $this->test_url,
+            app('laravellocalization')->localizeURL('', 'es')
+        );
+
+    }
 }