diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/gencode-remote
index 17941c63..d7fd6942 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/gencode-remote
@@ -84,8 +84,19 @@ in
 				EOF
 				;;
 			(absent)
-				localename=$(format_locale "${lang}" "$(gnu_normalize_codeset "${codeset}")" "${modifier}")
-				printf "localedef --delete-from-archive '%s'\n" "${localename}"
+				main_localename=$(format_locale "${lang}" "$(gnu_normalize_codeset "${codeset}")" "${modifier}")
+
+				cat <<-EOF
+				while read -r _alias _localename
+				do
+				    if test "\${_localename}" = '$(format_locale "${lang}" "${codeset}")'
+				    then
+				        localedef --delete-from-archive "\${_alias}"
+				    fi
+				done <'${aliasfile}'
+
+				localedef --delete-from-archive '${main_localename}'
+				EOF
 				;;
 		esac
 		;;
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/man.rst b/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/man.rst
index 0ccf484a..454ce9d1 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/man.rst
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__localedef/man.rst
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ This cdist type allows you to define locales on the system using
 On systems that don't support definition of new locales, the type will raise an
 error.
 
+**NB:** This type respects the glibc ``locale.alias`` file,
+i.e. it defines alias locales or deletes aliases of a locale when it is removed.
+It is not possible, however, to use alias names to define locales or only remove
+certain aliases of a locale.
+
 
 OPTIONAL PARAMETERS
 -------------------