Index: lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/web/action/UserAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -re250eb2937a65729d87cc30e6a46b4d4fb82c13a -r6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c
--- lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/web/action/UserAction.java	(.../UserAction.java)	(revision e250eb2937a65729d87cc30e6a46b4d4fb82c13a)
+++ lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/web/action/UserAction.java	(.../UserAction.java)	(revision 6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c)
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@
 	}
 
 	request.setAttribute("locales", locales);
-	request.setAttribute("countryCodes", LanguageUtil.getCountryCodes());
+	request.setAttribute("countryCodes", LanguageUtil.getCountryCodes(false));
 	request.setAttribute("authenticationMethods", authenticationMethods);
 
 	return mapping.findForward("user");
Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/ProfileAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r74a2b3a59c65dff1bd5bf94988fa6fb9ae24160a -r6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/ProfileAction.java	(.../ProfileAction.java)	(revision 74a2b3a59c65dff1bd5bf94988fa6fb9ae24160a)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/ProfileAction.java	(.../ProfileAction.java)	(revision 6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c)
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@
 	userForm.set("localeId", locale.getLocaleId());
 	request.setAttribute("locales", locales);
 	
-	request.setAttribute("countryCodes", LanguageUtil.getCountryCodes());
+	request.setAttribute("countryCodes", LanguageUtil.getCountryCodes(false));
 
 	themeService = getThemeService();
 
Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/action/SignupAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r74a2b3a59c65dff1bd5bf94988fa6fb9ae24160a -r6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/action/SignupAction.java	(.../SignupAction.java)	(revision 74a2b3a59c65dff1bd5bf94988fa6fb9ae24160a)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/action/SignupAction.java	(.../SignupAction.java)	(revision 6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c)
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 	    signupService = (ISignupService) wac.getBean("signupService");
 	}
 	
-	request.setAttribute("countryCodes", LanguageUtil.getCountryCodes());
+	request.setAttribute("countryCodes", LanguageUtil.getCountryCodes(true));
 
 	DynaActionForm signupForm = (DynaActionForm) form;
 	String method = WebUtil.readStrParam(request, "method", true);
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/LanguageUtil.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r74a2b3a59c65dff1bd5bf94988fa6fb9ae24160a -r6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/LanguageUtil.java	(.../LanguageUtil.java)	(revision 74a2b3a59c65dff1bd5bf94988fa6fb9ae24160a)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/LanguageUtil.java	(.../LanguageUtil.java)	(revision 6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c)
@@ -192,13 +192,19 @@
     
     /**
      * Get list of all available country names sorted alphabetically.
+     * 
+     * @parama enforceUsingDefaultLocale in some rare cases (like with SignupAction) it's useful to enforce using LAMS
+     *         server's default locale, instead of the system default one
      */
-    public static Map<String, String> getCountryCodes() {
+    public static Map<String, String> getCountryCodes(boolean enforceUsingDefaultLocale) {
 	getMessageService();
+	SupportedLocale lamsDefaultLocale = enforceUsingDefaultLocale ? LanguageUtil.getDefaultLocale() : null;
 	
 	Map<String, String> countryCodesMap = new HashMap<String, String>();
 	for (String countryCode : CommonConstants.COUNTRY_CODES) {
-	    String countryName = messageService.getMessage("country." + countryCode);
+	    String countryName = enforceUsingDefaultLocale
+		    ? messageService.getMessage("country." + countryCode, lamsDefaultLocale)
+		    : messageService.getMessage("country." + countryCode);
 	    countryCodesMap.put(countryCode, countryName);
 	}
 	
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/MessageService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r51fb2a37254f24bb2a805d4ffd54482c779f43fa -r6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/MessageService.java	(.../MessageService.java)	(revision 51fb2a37254f24bb2a805d4ffd54482c779f43fa)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/MessageService.java	(.../MessageService.java)	(revision 6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c)
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 
 package org.lamsfoundation.lams.util;
 
+import java.util.Locale;
+
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.usermanagement.SupportedLocale;
 import org.springframework.context.MessageSource;
 import org.springframework.context.NoSuchMessageException;
 import org.springframework.context.i18n.LocaleContextHolder;
@@ -71,7 +74,26 @@
 	}
 	return message;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * The same as getMessage(String key) but allows specifying locale in which to do a loockup.
+     * 
+     * @param key
+     * @param supportedLocale
+     * @return
+     */
+    public String getMessage(String key, SupportedLocale supportedLocale) {
+	Locale locale = new Locale(supportedLocale.getLanguageIsoCode(), supportedLocale.getCountryIsoCode());
 
+	String message;
+	try {
+	    message = messageSource.getMessage(key, null, locale);
+	} catch (NoSuchMessageException e) {
+	    message = "??" + key + "??";
+	}
+	return message;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @see org.springframework.context.support.MessageSourceAccessor#getMessage(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
      * @param key