diff --git a/src/json.hpp b/src/json.hpp
index 2f48639ff..79df1f782 100644
--- a/src/json.hpp
+++ b/src/json.hpp
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ Class @ref nlohmann::basic_json is a good entry point for the documentation.
 #include <iostream>
 #include <iterator>
 #include <limits>
-#include <locale>
 #include <map>
 #include <memory>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -6933,18 +6932,18 @@ basic_json_parser_59:
         read past the current token. The latter case needs to be treated by the
         caller function.
 
-        @note This function is locale-independent, see
-        http://stackoverflow.com/a/1333899/266378
-
         @throw std::range_error if passed value is out of range
         */
         long double get_number() const
         {
-            long double f = NAN;
-            std::stringstream ss(get_token());
-            ss.imbue(std::locale("C"));
-            ss >> f;
-            return f;
+            // conversion
+            typename string_t::value_type* endptr;
+            const auto float_val = std::strtold(reinterpret_cast<typename string_t::const_pointer>(m_start),
+                                                &endptr);
+
+            // return float_val if the whole number was translated and NAN
+            // otherwise
+            return (reinterpret_cast<lexer_char_t*>(endptr) == m_cursor) ? float_val : NAN;
         }
 
       private:
diff --git a/src/json.hpp.re2c b/src/json.hpp.re2c
index 708124e33..585aa2056 100644
--- a/src/json.hpp.re2c
+++ b/src/json.hpp.re2c
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ Class @ref nlohmann::basic_json is a good entry point for the documentation.
 #include <iostream>
 #include <iterator>
 #include <limits>
-#include <locale>
 #include <map>
 #include <memory>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -6239,18 +6238,18 @@ class basic_json
         read past the current token. The latter case needs to be treated by the
         caller function.
 
-        @note This function is locale-independent, see
-        http://stackoverflow.com/a/1333899/266378
-
         @throw std::range_error if passed value is out of range
         */
         long double get_number() const
         {
-            long double f = NAN;
-            std::stringstream ss(get_token());
-            ss.imbue(std::locale("C"));
-            ss >> f;
-            return f;
+            // conversion
+            typename string_t::value_type* endptr;
+            const auto float_val = std::strtold(reinterpret_cast<typename string_t::const_pointer>(m_start),
+                                                &endptr);
+
+            // return float_val if the whole number was translated and NAN
+            // otherwise
+            return (reinterpret_cast<lexer_char_t*>(endptr) == m_cursor) ? float_val : NAN;
         }
 
       private: