diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index afb65c3..e7d8d39 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ schema.cast({
 Allows you to customize the default messages used by Yup, when no message is provided with a validation test.
 If any message is missing in the custom dictionary the error message will default to Yup's one.
 ```js
-import { setLocale } from 'yup/lib/customLocale'
+import setLocale from 'yup/lib/customLocale'
 
 setLocale({
   mixed: {
diff --git a/src/customLocale.js b/src/customLocale.js
index 1d9f3dc..73647de 100644
--- a/src/customLocale.js
+++ b/src/customLocale.js
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-let dict = {};
+import locale from './locale';
 
-export function setLocale(custom) {
-  dict = { ...dict, ...custom };
-  return dict;
-}
-
-export function getLocale() {
-  return dict;
+export default function setLocale(custom) {
+  Object.keys(custom).forEach((type) => {
+    Object.keys(custom[type]).forEach((method) => {
+      locale[type][method] = custom[type][method];
+    });
+  });
 }
diff --git a/src/locale.js b/src/locale.js
index 90a4893..7d10d28 100644
--- a/src/locale.js
+++ b/src/locale.js
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-template-curly-in-string */
 import printValue from './util/printValue';
-import { getLocale } from './customLocale';
-
-const customLocale = getLocale();
 
 export const mixed = {
   default: '${path} is invalid',
@@ -21,7 +18,6 @@ export const mixed = {
 
     return msg;
   },
-  ...customLocale.mixed,
 };
 
 export const string = {
@@ -34,7 +30,6 @@ export const string = {
   trim: '${path} must be a trimmed string',
   lowercase: '${path} must be a lowercase string',
   uppercase: '${path} must be a upper case string',
-  ...customLocale.string,
 };
 
 export const number = {
@@ -43,28 +38,23 @@ export const number = {
   positive: '${path} must be a positive number',
   negative: '${path} must be a negative number',
   integer: '${path} must be an integer',
-  ...customLocale.number,
 };
 
 export const date = {
   min: '${path} field must be later than ${min}',
   max: '${path} field must be at earlier than ${max}',
-  ...customLocale.date,
 };
 
 export const boolean = {
-  ...customLocale.boolean,
 };
 
 export const object = {
   noUnknown: '${path} field cannot have keys not specified in the object shape',
-  ...customLocale.object,
 };
 
 export const array = {
   min: '${path} field must have at least ${min} items',
   max: '${path} field must have less than ${max} items',
-  ...customLocale.array,
 };
 
 export default {
diff --git a/test/customLocale.js b/test/customLocale.js
index cf30d20..2e9a60c 100644
--- a/test/customLocale.js
+++ b/test/customLocale.js
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
-import { setLocale, getLocale } from '../src/customLocale';
+/* eslint-disable no-template-curly-in-string */
+import setLocale from '../src/customLocale';
 
 describe('Custom locale', () => {
+  it('should get default locale', () => {
+    const locale = require('../src/locale').default; // eslint-disable-line global-require
+    expect(locale.string.email).to.equal('${path} must be a valid email');
+  });
+
   it('should set a new locale', () => {
+    const locale = require('../src/locale').default; // eslint-disable-line global-require
     const dict = {
       string: {
         email: 'Invalid email',
@@ -10,11 +17,11 @@ describe('Custom locale', () => {
 
     setLocale(dict);
 
-    expect(getLocale()).to.deep.equal(dict);
+    expect(locale.string.email).to.equal(dict.string.email);
   });
 
   it('should update the main locale', () => {
     const locale = require('../src/locale').default; // eslint-disable-line global-require
-    expect(locale.string).to.deep.include(getLocale().string);
+    expect(locale.string.email).to.equal('Invalid email');
   });
 });