Index: bsd.ruby.mk
===================================================================
--- bsd.ruby.mk	(revision 342164)
+++ bsd.ruby.mk	(working copy)
@@ -186,8 +186,16 @@
 
 RUBY_WRKSRC=		${WRKDIR}/ruby-${RUBY_DISTVERSION}
 
-GEM_ENV?=		LANG=en_US.UTF-8 LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 LC_CTYPE=UTF-8
+GEM_LANG=		${LANG}
+GEM_LC_ALL=		${LC_ALL}
+GEM_LC_CTYPE=		${LC_CTYPE}
 
+# if LANG, LC_ALL or LC_CTYPE are not defined, give them defaults
+GEM_LANG?=		en_US.UTF-8
+GEM_LC_ALL?=		en_US.UTF-8
+GEM_LC_CTYPE?=		UTF-8
+GEM_ENV?=		LANG=${GEM_LANG} LC_ALL=${GEM_LC_ALL} LC_CTYPE=${GEM_LC_CTYPE}
+
 RUBY_CONFIGURE_ARGS+=	--with-rubyhdrdir="${PREFIX}/include/ruby-1.9/" \
 			--with-rubylibprefix="${PREFIX}/lib/ruby" \
 			--docdir="${RUBY_DOCDIR}" \