diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java
index b457aa7126e..8cd7974e4ad 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype.joda.ser.DateTimeSerializer;
  * @author Andy Wilkinson
  * @author Marcel Overdijk
  * @author Sebastien Deleuze
+ * @author Johannes Stelzer
  * @since 1.1.0
  */
 @Configuration
@@ -239,7 +241,7 @@ public class JacksonAutoConfiguration {
 		}
 
 		private void configureLocale(Jackson2ObjectMapperBuilder builder) {
-			String locale = this.jacksonProperties.getLocale();
+			Locale locale = this.jacksonProperties.getLocale();
 			if (locale != null) {
 				builder.locale(locale);
 			}
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java
index af98b099ebd..f687648aac8 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonProperties.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.jackson;
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.TimeZone;
 
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.SerializationFeature;
  *
  * @author Andy Wilkinson
  * @author Marcel Overdijk
+ * @author Johannes Stelzer
  * @since 1.2.0
  */
 @ConfigurationProperties(prefix = "spring.jackson")
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ public class JacksonProperties {
 	/**
 	 * Locale used for formatting.
 	 */
-	private String locale;
+	private Locale locale;
 
 	public String getDateFormat() {
 		return this.dateFormat;
@@ -160,11 +162,11 @@ public class JacksonProperties {
 		this.timeZone = timeZone;
 	}
 
-	public String getLocale() {
+	public Locale getLocale() {
 		return this.locale;
 	}
 
-	public void setLocale(String locale) {
+	public void setLocale(Locale locale) {
 		this.locale = locale;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 9f7ce9b7bff..9158f85e7f6 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/jackson/JacksonAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
  * @author Andy Wilkinson
  * @author Marcel Overdijk
  * @author Sebastien Deleuze
+ * @author Johannes Stelzer
  */
 public class JacksonAutoConfigurationTests {
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
index c14daa7e39e..dc693fabc01 100644
--- a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/appendix-application-properties.adoc
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ content into your application; rather pick only the properties that you need.
 	spring.jackson.deserialization.*= # see Jackson's DeserializationFeature
 	spring.jackson.generator.*= # see Jackson's JsonGenerator.Feature
 	spring.jackson.joda-date-time-format= # Joda date time format string
+	spring.jackson.locale= # locale used for formatting
 	spring.jackson.mapper.*= # see Jackson's MapperFeature
 	spring.jackson.parser.*= # see Jackson's JsonParser.Feature
 	spring.jackson.serialization.*= # see Jackson's SerializationFeature