diff --git a/django/utils/translation/__init__.py b/django/utils/translation/__init__.py
index 9433ad897f..e8601efc2f 100644
--- a/django/utils/translation/__init__.py
+++ b/django/utils/translation/__init__.py
@@ -102,6 +102,21 @@ def activate(language):
 def deactivate():
     return _trans.deactivate()
 
+class override(object):
+    def __init__(self, language, deactivate=False):
+        self.language = language
+        self.deactivate = deactivate
+        self.old_language = get_language()
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        activate(self.language)
+
+    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
+        if self.deactivate:
+            deactivate()
+        else:
+            activate(self.old_language)
+
 def get_language():
     return _trans.get_language()
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py
index 2a7f0c2841..8a8e4dc430 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/i18n/tests.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from threading import local
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.template import Template, Context
+from django.test import TestCase
 from django.utils.formats import (get_format, date_format, time_format,
     localize, localize_input, iter_format_modules, get_format_modules)
 from django.utils.importlib import import_module
@@ -28,6 +29,13 @@ from test_warnings import DeprecationWarningTests
 
 class TranslationTests(TestCase):
 
+    def test_override(self):
+        activate('de')
+        with translation.override('pl'):
+            self.assertEqual(get_language(), 'pl')
+        self.assertEqual(get_language(), 'de')
+        deactivate()
+
     def test_lazy_objects(self):
         """
         Format string interpolation should work with *_lazy objects.