--- a/UserPreferences.st	Mon Nov 07 09:57:36 2016 +0100
+++ b/UserPreferences.st	Mon Nov 07 10:46:40 2016 +0100
@@ -909,14 +909,22 @@
     "toDo: migrate from ClassVar in Number;
      use this for new applications"
 
-    ^ $.
+    ^ self at:#decimalPointCharacter ifAbsent:[ $. ]
+!
+
+decimalPointCharacter:aCharacter
+    ^ self at:#decimalPointCharacter put:aCharacter
 !
 
 thousandsSeparatorCharacter
     "toDo: migrate from ClassVar elsewhere;
      use this for new applications"
 
-    ^ $'
+    ^ self at:#thousandsSeparatorCharacter ifAbsent:[ $, ]
+!
+
+thousandsSeparatorCharacter:aCharacter
+    ^ self at:#thousandsSeparatorCharacter put:aCharacter
 ! !
 
 !UserPreferences methodsFor:'accessing-misc'!