diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsConf.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsConf.java
index 5e6b7ca13..b07c9710f 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsConf.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsConf.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import java.io.*;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -234,7 +235,7 @@ public class EssentialsConf extends Configuration
 		List<String> enchants = getKeys(path + ".enchant");
 		for (String enchant : enchants)
 		{
-			Enchantment enchantment = Enchantment.getByName(enchant);
+			Enchantment enchantment = Enchantment.getByName(enchant.toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH));
 			if (enchantment == null) {
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -260,7 +261,7 @@ public class EssentialsConf extends Configuration
 			Map<String, Integer> enchant = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
 			for (Map.Entry<Enchantment, Integer> entry : enchantments.entrySet())
 			{
-				enchant.put(entry.getKey().getName(), entry.getValue());
+				enchant.put(entry.getKey().getName().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH), entry.getValue());
 			}
 			map.put("enchant", enchant);
 		}
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
index ab5b0a364..4fa67a72a 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ public class Settings implements ISettings
 
 		try
 		{
-			return ChatColor.valueOf(colorName.toUpperCase());
+			return ChatColor.valueOf(colorName.toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH));
 		}
 		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex)
 		{
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandeco.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandeco.java
index f4a653ce3..8f432ca6e 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandeco.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandeco.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.earth2me.essentials.commands;
 
 import com.earth2me.essentials.User;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import org.bukkit.Server;
 import org.bukkit.command.CommandSender;
 import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ public class Commandeco extends EssentialsCommand
 		double amount;
 		try
 		{
-			cmd = EcoCommands.valueOf(args[0].toUpperCase());
+			cmd = EcoCommands.valueOf(args[0].toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH));
 			amount = Double.parseDouble(args[2].replaceAll("[^0-9\\.]", ""));
 		}
 		catch (Exception ex)
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandenchant.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandenchant.java
index 107727e32..ed0a98fd1 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandenchant.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandenchant.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public class Commandenchant extends EssentialsCommand
 			final Set<String> enchantmentslist = new TreeSet<String>();
 			for (Map.Entry<String, Enchantment> entry : ENCHANTMENTS.entrySet())
 			{
-				final String enchantmentName = entry.getValue().getName().toLowerCase();
+				final String enchantmentName = entry.getValue().getName().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH);
 				if (enchantmentslist.contains(enchantmentName) || user.isAuthorized("essentials.enchant." + enchantmentName))
 				{
 					enchantmentslist.add(entry.getKey());
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public class Commandenchant extends EssentialsCommand
 		{
 			throw new Exception(_("enchantmentNotFound"));
 		}
-		final String enchantmentName = enchantment.getName().toLowerCase();
+		final String enchantmentName = enchantment.getName().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH);
 		if (!user.isAuthorized("essentials.enchant." + enchantmentName))
 		{
 			throw new Exception(_("enchantmentPerm", enchantmentName));
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandspawnmob.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandspawnmob.java
index 14fa3dca3..66c6b4414 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandspawnmob.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandspawnmob.java
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public class Commandspawnmob extends EssentialsCommand
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					((Sheep)spawned).setColor(DyeColor.valueOf(data.toUpperCase()));
+					((Sheep)spawned).setColor(DyeColor.valueOf(data.toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH)));
 				}
 			}
 			catch (Exception e)
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/storage/YamlStorageWriter.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/storage/YamlStorageWriter.java
index da636bf71..c260b3bde 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/storage/YamlStorageWriter.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/storage/YamlStorageWriter.java
@@ -219,12 +219,12 @@ public class YamlStorageWriter implements IStorageWriter
 		}
 		else if (data instanceof Material)
 		{
-			writer.println(data.toString().toLowerCase());
+			writer.println(data.toString().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH));
 		}
 		else if (data instanceof MaterialData)
 		{
 			final MaterialData matData = (MaterialData)data;
-			writer.println(matData.getItemType().toString().toLowerCase()
+			writer.println(matData.getItemType().toString().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH)
 						   + (matData.getData() > 0 ? ":" + matData.getData() : ""));
 		}
 		else if (data instanceof ItemStack)
@@ -271,12 +271,12 @@ public class YamlStorageWriter implements IStorageWriter
 		}
 		else if (data instanceof Material)
 		{
-			writer.print(data.toString().toLowerCase());
+			writer.print(data.toString().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH));
 		}
 		else if (data instanceof MaterialData)
 		{
 			final MaterialData matData = (MaterialData)data;
-			writer.print(matData.getItemType().toString().toLowerCase()
+			writer.print(matData.getItemType().toString().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH)
 						 + (matData.getData() > 0 ? ":" + matData.getData() : ""));
 		}
 		else
diff --git a/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerLowest.java b/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerLowest.java
index 0945fcd93..0a599e88b 100644
--- a/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerLowest.java
+++ b/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerLowest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.earth2me.essentials.chat;
 
 import com.earth2me.essentials.IEssentials;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.User;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.bukkit.Server;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerChatEvent;
@@ -30,6 +31,6 @@ public class EssentialsChatPlayerListenerLowest extends EssentialsChatPlayer
 		{
 			event.setMessage(event.getMessage().replaceAll("&([0-9a-f])", "\u00a7$1"));
 		}
-		event.setFormat(ess.getSettings().getChatFormat(user.getGroup()).replace('&', '\u00a7').replace("\u00a7\u00a7", "&").replace("{DISPLAYNAME}", "%1$s").replace("{GROUP}", user.getGroup()).replace("{MESSAGE}", "%2$s").replace("{WORLDNAME}", user.getWorld().getName()).replace("{SHORTWORLDNAME}", user.getWorld().getName().substring(0, 1).toUpperCase()));
+		event.setFormat(ess.getSettings().getChatFormat(user.getGroup()).replace('&', '\u00a7').replace("\u00a7\u00a7", "&").replace("{DISPLAYNAME}", "%1$s").replace("{GROUP}", user.getGroup()).replace("{MESSAGE}", "%2$s").replace("{WORLDNAME}", user.getWorld().getName()).replace("{SHORTWORLDNAME}", user.getWorld().getName().substring(0, 1).toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH)));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerNormal.java b/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerNormal.java
index 363e4ca6e..7789009e1 100644
--- a/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerNormal.java
+++ b/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChatPlayerListenerNormal.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import com.earth2me.essentials.ChargeException;
 import static com.earth2me.essentials.I18n._;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.IEssentials;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.User;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.bukkit.Server;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerChatEvent;
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ public class EssentialsChatPlayerListenerNormal extends EssentialsChatPlayer
 				format.append(chatType).append("Format");
 
 				StringBuilder errorMsg = new StringBuilder();
-				errorMsg.append("notAllowedTo").append(chatType.substring(0, 1).toUpperCase()).append(chatType.substring(1));
+				errorMsg.append("notAllowedTo").append(chatType.substring(0, 1).toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH)).append(chatType.substring(1));
 
 				if (user.isAuthorized(permission.toString()))
 				{
diff --git a/EssentialsUpdate/src/org/jibble/pircbot/PircBot.java b/EssentialsUpdate/src/org/jibble/pircbot/PircBot.java
index acdf01b46..28148075f 100755
--- a/EssentialsUpdate/src/org/jibble/pircbot/PircBot.java
+++ b/EssentialsUpdate/src/org/jibble/pircbot/PircBot.java
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ public abstract class PircBot implements ReplyConstants {
             }
         }
         
-        command = command.toUpperCase();
+        command = command.toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH);
         if (sourceNick.startsWith(":")) {
             sourceNick = sourceNick.substring(1);
         }
diff --git a/EssentialsXMPP/src/com/earth2me/essentials/xmpp/XMPPManager.java b/EssentialsXMPP/src/com/earth2me/essentials/xmpp/XMPPManager.java
index 695969378..72bdb113d 100644
--- a/EssentialsXMPP/src/com/earth2me/essentials/xmpp/XMPPManager.java
+++ b/EssentialsXMPP/src/com/earth2me/essentials/xmpp/XMPPManager.java
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class XMPPManager extends Handler implements MessageListener, ChatManager
 			final String level = config.getString("log-level", "info");
 			try
 			{
-				logLevel = Level.parse(level.toUpperCase());
+				logLevel = Level.parse(level.toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH));
 			}
 			catch (IllegalArgumentException e)
 			{