diff --git a/src/support/Messages.cpp b/src/support/Messages.cpp
index 096485335f..39ea1f2ae5 100644
--- a/src/support/Messages.cpp
+++ b/src/support/Messages.cpp
@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ docstring const Messages::get(string const & m) const
 #endif
 	}
 
+	// FIXME: gettext sometimes "forgets" the ucs4_codeset we set
+	// in init(), which leads to severe message corruption (#7371)
+	// We set it again here unconditionally. A real fix must be found!
+	LASSERT(bind_textdomain_codeset(PACKAGE, ucs4_codeset), /**/);
+
 	char const * m_c = m.c_str();
 	char const * trans_c = gettext(m_c);
 	docstring trans;
diff --git a/status.16x b/status.16x
index 64bddd39b3..fe0ef5dd57 100644
--- a/status.16x
+++ b/status.16x
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ What's new
 
 * USER INTERFACE
 
+- Fix corruption of localized messages while changing color preferences,
+  which could result in a non-functional lyx instance, an assertion and
+  dataloss (bug 7371).
+
 - Fix a crash when editing the name of an unknown math macro with an argument
   which is immediately followed by another unknown math macro (bug 7316).