diff --git a/doc/features.txt b/doc/features.txt
index 89a0507a..568c6755 100644
--- a/doc/features.txt
+++ b/doc/features.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 удобно для анализа и обновления (и в отличие от _m-p-d_ -- нет
 вынужденной необходимости либо контролировать включение нужных
 фич "вручную" в скриптах по косвенным признакам, либо выносить
-их в пакеты installer-feature-*).
+их в пакеты installer-feature-*); также возможно добиться большей
+степени интеграции по данным (например, язык gfxboot и LiveCD).
 
 Создание и упаковку installer-feature-* можно рекомендовать, если:
 
diff --git a/features.in/l10n/README b/features.in/l10n/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f5a2208
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features.in/l10n/README
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Эта фича занимается поддержкой локализации (l10n).
diff --git a/features.in/l10n/config.mk b/features.in/l10n/config.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af960847
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features.in/l10n/config.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# install locales
+# setup locale
+# setup console keyboard (kbd)
+# setup X11 keyboard (xkb)
+# install/setup additional packages
+
+# TODO: KEYMAP for default keymap?
+use/l10n:
+	@$(call add_feature)
+	@$(call add,STAGE2_BOOTARGS,lang=$$(LOCALE))
+	@$(call add,THE_PACKAGES,glibc-locales)
+	@$(call add,LOCALES,en_US)
+	@$(call add,XKB_KEYMAPS,us)
+	@$(call xport,LOCALE)
+	@$(call xport,LOCALES)
+	@$(call xport,XKB_KEYMAPS)
+	@$(call xport,XKB_VARIANTS)
+	@$(call xport,XKB_SWITCH)
+	@$(call xport,XKB_LED)
+
+# see also alterator-sysconfig backend
+use/l10n/xkb/switch/ctrl_shift: use/l10n
+	@$(call set,XKB_SWITCH,grp:ctrl_shift_toggle)
+
+use/l10n/xkb/led/scroll: use/l10n
+	@$(call set,XKB_LED,grp_led:scroll)
+
+# FIXME: derive from locale by default if possible
+use/l10n/ru_RU: use/l10n/xkb/switch/ctrl_shift use/l10n/xkb/led/scroll
+	@$(call add,LOCALES,ru_RU)
+	@$(call set,LOCALE,ru_RU)
+	@$(call add,XKB_KEYMAPS,ru)
+	@$(call set,KEYTABLE,ruwin_ct_sh-UTF-8)
+
+# NB: BOOT_LANG is used within mkimage internally
+use/l10n/default/ru_RU: use/l10n/ru_RU
+	@$(call set,GLOBAL_BOOT_LANG,ru_RU)
diff --git a/features.in/l10n/live/image-scripts.d/50-l10n-kbd b/features.in/l10n/live/image-scripts.d/50-l10n-kbd
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..36b66194
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features.in/l10n/live/image-scripts.d/50-l10n-kbd
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# partial port of livecd-setlocale (kbd bits)
+
+CONFIG=/etc/sysconfig/keyboard
+
+# Requires: console-scripts
+if [ -s "$CONFIG" ]; then
+	echo "** l10n-kbd: expected $CONFIG to be an empty file" >&2
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$GLOBAL_KEYTABLE" ]; then
+	echo "** l10n-kbd: empty GLOBAL_KEYTABLE" >&2
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "KEYTABLE=$GLOBAL_KEYTABLE" > "$CONFIG"
diff --git a/features.in/l10n/live/image-scripts.d/50-l10n-xkb b/features.in/l10n/live/image-scripts.d/50-l10n-xkb
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..18b87338
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features.in/l10n/live/image-scripts.d/50-l10n-xkb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# partial port of livecd-setlocale (xkb bits)
+
+PREFIX=/etc/X11/xinit
+
+# Requires: xinitrc
+if [ ! -d "$PREFIX" ]; then
+	echo "** l10n-xkb: expected $PREFIX to exist (xinitrc)" >&2
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$GLOBAL_XKB_VARIANTS" -o -z "$GLOBAL_XKB_KEYMAPS" ]; then
+	echo "** l10n-xkb: empty GLOBAL_XKB_VARIANTS/GLOBAL_XKB_KEYMAPS" >&2
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "-option $GLOBAL_XKB_SWITCH${GLOBAL_XKB_LED:+,$GLOBAL_XKB_LED} \
+${GLOBAL_XKB_VARIANTS:+-variant $GLOBAL_XKB_VARIANTS} \
+-layout $GLOBAL_XKB_KEYMAPS" > "$PREFIX"/Xkbmap
diff --git a/features.in/l10n/live/lib/50-l10n.mk b/features.in/l10n/live/lib/50-l10n.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77d67d61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features.in/l10n/live/lib/50-l10n.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# supplement live with keyboard layout setup
+
+XKB_KEYMAPS := $(subst $(SPACE),$(COMMA),$(XKB_KEYMAPS))
+
+# handle the layouts with a specific variant in the wild
+XKB_VARIANTS := $(subst ru,winkeys, \
+		$(subst ua,winkeys, \
+		$(subst be,winkeys, \
+		$(subst us,,$(XKB_KEYMAPS)))))
+
+debug::
+	@echo "** live: LOCALES: $(LOCALES)"
+	@echo "** live: LOCALE: $(LOCALE)"
+	@echo "** live: XKB_KEYMAPS: $(XKB_KEYMAPS)"
+	@echo "** live: XKB_VARIANTS: $(XKB_VARIANTS)"
diff --git a/features.in/live/config.mk b/features.in/live/config.mk
index 49f40ca0..402a6f8f 100644
--- a/features.in/live/config.mk
+++ b/features.in/live/config.mk
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ use/live/x11: use/live/base use/syslinux/localboot.cfg \
 # this target specifically pulls free xorg drivers in (and a few more bits);
 # a browser is requested too, the recommended one can be overridden downstream
 use/live/desktop: use/live/x11 use/x11/xorg use/x11/wacom \
-	use/browser/firefox/live use/xdg-user-dirs/deep +vmguest; @:
+	use/l10n use/browser/firefox/live use/xdg-user-dirs/deep +vmguest; @:
 
 # preconfigure apt for both live and installed-from-live systems
 use/live/repo: use/live
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ use/live/nodm: use/live/.x11
 use/live/hooks: use/live
 	@$(call add,LIVE_PACKAGES,livecd-run-hooks)
 
-# a crude hack to make sure Russian is supported in a particular image
-use/live/ru: use/live
-	@$(call add,LIVE_PACKAGES,livecd-ru)
+# a crude hack to make sure Russian is the default in a particular image
+use/live/ru: use/live use/l10n/default/ru_RU; @:
+
+use/live/sound: use/live
+	@$(call add,LIVE_PACKAGES,amixer alsa-utils aplay udev-alsa)
diff --git a/image.in/functions.mk b/image.in/functions.mk
index 8148c47a..187e4f74 100644
--- a/image.in/functions.mk
+++ b/image.in/functions.mk
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ map = $(foreach a,$(2),$(call $(1),$(a)))
 # kernel package list generation; see also #24669
 NULL :=
 SPACE := $(NULL) # the officially documented way of getting a space
+COMMA := ,
 
 list2re = $(subst $(SPACE),|,$(strip $(1)))