diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
index e91d3236020d..66da7081b074 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ticker.py
@@ -1352,6 +1352,17 @@ def test_engformatter_usetex_useMathText():
         assert x_tick_label_text == ['$0$', '$500$', '$1$ k']
 
 
+def test_locale_comma():
+    import locale
+    currentLocale = locale.getlocale()
+    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, 'deu_deu')
+    ticks = mticker.ScalarFormatter(useMathText=True, useLocale=True)
+    fmt = '$\\mathdefault{%1.1f}$'
+    formatted = ticks._format_maybe_minus_and_locale(fmt, 0.5)
+    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, currentLocale)
+    assert formatted == '$\\mathdefault{0{,}5}$'
+
+
 class TestPercentFormatter:
     percent_data = [
         # Check explicitly set decimals over different intervals and values
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
index dfacdf4aead9..dac139469c52 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
@@ -532,8 +532,11 @@ def _format_maybe_minus_and_locale(self, fmt, arg):
         """
         Format *arg* with *fmt*, applying Unicode minus and locale if desired.
         """
-        return self.fix_minus(locale.format_string(fmt, (arg,), True)
-                              if self._useLocale else fmt % arg)
+        formatted = self.fix_minus(locale.format_string(fmt, (arg,), True)
+                                   if self._useLocale else fmt % arg)
+        if (self.get_useMathText()):  # removed unintended space after comma
+            formatted = formatted.replace(',', '{,}')
+        return formatted
 
     def get_useMathText(self):
         """