diff --git a/config/kibana.yml b/config/kibana.yml
index d88b30883e9d2a..62077469d4cd86 100644
--- a/config/kibana.yml
+++ b/config/kibana.yml
@@ -98,6 +98,6 @@
 # metrics. Minimum is 100ms. Defaults to 5000.
 #ops.interval: 5000
 
-# The default locale to use for translations if the locale specified by user
-# is not supported
-#i18n.locale: "en"
+# The default locale. This locale can be used in certain circumstances to substitute any missing
+# translations.
+#i18n.defaultLocale: "en"
diff --git a/src/server/config/schema.js b/src/server/config/schema.js
index c347077bf6f482..957afe2f869ce5 100644
--- a/src/server/config/schema.js
+++ b/src/server/config/schema.js
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ module.exports = () => Joi.object({
   }).default(),
 
   i18n: Joi.object({
-    locale: Joi.string().default('en'),
+    defaultLocale: Joi.string().default('en'),
   }).default(),
 
 }).default();
diff --git a/src/ui/index.js b/src/ui/index.js
index 008511c820557b..568ba449e9a39a 100644
--- a/src/ui/index.js
+++ b/src/ui/index.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export default async (kbnServer, server, config) => {
     urlBasePath: config.get('server.basePath')
   });
 
-  const uiI18n = kbnServer.uiI18n = new UiI18n(config.get('i18n.locale'));
+  const uiI18n = kbnServer.uiI18n = new UiI18n(config.get('i18n.defaultLocale'));
   uiI18n.addUiExportConsumer(uiExports);
 
   const bundlerEnv = new UiBundlerEnv(config.get('optimize.bundleDir'));