diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/context/servlet/ServletExternalContext.java b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/context/servlet/ServletExternalContext.java
index fb963e61..466be5de 100644
--- a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/context/servlet/ServletExternalContext.java
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/context/servlet/ServletExternalContext.java
@@ -286,6 +286,36 @@ public class ServletExternalContext implements ExternalContext {
 		return redirectInPopup;
 	}
 
+	// hooks for subclasses
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the servlet context.
+	 */
+	protected ServletContext getContext() {
+		return context;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the underlying HttpServletRequest.
+	 */
+	protected HttpServletRequest getRequest() {
+		return request;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the underlying HttpServletResponse.
+	 */
+	protected HttpServletResponse getResponse() {
+		return response;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the configured flow url handler.
+	 */
+	protected FlowUrlHandler getFlowUrlHandler() {
+		return flowUrlHandler;
+	}
+
 	// private helpers
 
 	private void init(ServletContext context, HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response,
diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowController.java b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowController.java
index 4cc5e671..7b0bd585 100644
--- a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowController.java
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowController.java
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ public class FlowController extends AbstractController {
 
 	protected ServletExternalContext createServletExternalContext(HttpServletRequest request,
 			HttpServletResponse response) {
-		ServletExternalContext context = new ServletExternalContext(getServletContext(), request, response, urlHandler);
+		ServletExternalContext context = new MvcExternalContext(getServletContext(), request, response, urlHandler);
 		context.setAjaxRequest(ajaxHandler.isAjaxRequest(getServletContext(), request, response));
 		return context;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowHandlerAdapter.java b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowHandlerAdapter.java
index 1a90a9d4..90a3afc9 100644
--- a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/FlowHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class FlowHandlerAdapter extends WebApplicationObjectSupport implements H
 
 	protected ServletExternalContext createServletExternalContext(HttpServletRequest request,
 			HttpServletResponse response) {
-		ServletExternalContext context = new ServletExternalContext(getServletContext(), request, response, urlHandler);
+		ServletExternalContext context = new MvcExternalContext(getServletContext(), request, response, urlHandler);
 		context.setAjaxRequest(ajaxHandler.isAjaxRequest(getServletContext(), request, response));
 		return context;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/MvcExternalContext.java b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/MvcExternalContext.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da023c50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/mvc/servlet/MvcExternalContext.java
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package org.springframework.webflow.mvc.servlet;
+
+import java.util.Locale;
+
+import javax.servlet.ServletContext;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
+
+import org.springframework.web.servlet.support.RequestContextUtils;
+import org.springframework.webflow.context.servlet.FlowUrlHandler;
+import org.springframework.webflow.context.servlet.ServletExternalContext;
+
+/**
+ * Spring MVC external context implementation. Is a {@link ServletExternalContext}, but overrides operations to plug in
+ * specific functionality available in a Spring MVC Environment.
+ * 
+ * @author Keith Donald
+ */
+public class MvcExternalContext extends ServletExternalContext {
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a new external context wrapping given servlet HTTP request and response and given servlet context.
+	 * @param context the servlet context
+	 * @param request the http servlet request
+	 * @param response the http servlet response
+	 * @param flowUrlHandler the flow url handler
+	 */
+	public MvcExternalContext(ServletContext context, HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response,
+			FlowUrlHandler flowUrlHandler) {
+		super(context, request, response, flowUrlHandler);
+	}
+
+	public Locale getLocale() {
+		return RequestContextUtils.getLocale(getRequest());
+	}
+
+}