diff --git a/gramps/gen/plug/_manager.py b/gramps/gen/plug/_manager.py
index 081333ada..c437536b9 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/plug/_manager.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/plug/_manager.py
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 import os
 import sys
 import re
-import logging
-LOG = logging.getLogger('.' + __name__)
-LOG.progagate = True
 from ..const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.gettext
 
@@ -255,12 +252,7 @@ class BasePluginManager(object):
         if pdata.fpath not in sys.path:
             if pdata.mod_name:
                 sys.path.insert(0, pdata.fpath)
-                try:
-                    module = __import__(pdata.mod_name)
-                except ValueError as err:
-                    LOG.warning('Plugin error: %s', err)
-                except ImportError as err:
-                    LOG.warning('Plugin error: %s', err)
+                module = __import__(pdata.mod_name)
                 sys.path.pop(0)
             else:
                 print("WARNING: module cannot be loaded")
diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py b/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
index 57a303f75..b38787459 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
@@ -237,10 +237,10 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         if not self.language:
             self.language = [self.lang[:5]]
 
-        if 'COLLATION' in os.environ:
-            coll = os.environ['COLLATION']
+        if 'LC_COLLATE' in os.environ:
+            coll = os.environ['LC_COLLATE']
             if HAVE_ICU:
-                if coll[:2] in ICU_LOCALES:
+                if coll[:5] in ICU_LOCALES:
                     self.collation = coll
                 else:
                     self.collation = self.lang
@@ -347,9 +347,6 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         else:
             self.collation = self.lang
 
-        if HAVE_ICU and 'COLLATION' in os.environ:
-            self.collation = os.environ['COLLATION']
-
         loc = locale.getlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC)
         if loc and loc[0]:
             self.numeric = '.'.join(loc)
@@ -550,6 +547,9 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         else:
             self.language = None
 
+         #For alternate collation sequences. Works only with ICU, and
+         #set only on Macs.
+        self.coll_qualifier = None
         _first = self._GrampsLocale__first_instance
         if self == _first:
             self._GrampsLocale__init_first_instance()
@@ -561,7 +561,6 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         if HAVE_ICU:
             self.icu_locales["default"] = Locale.createFromName(self.lang)
             if self.collation and self.collation != self.lang:
-                print ("Setting up for collation %s" % self.collation)
                 self.icu_locales["collation"] = Locale.createFromName(self.collation)
             else:
                 self.icu_locales["collation"] = self.icu_locales["default"]
@@ -617,7 +616,7 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
         if not languages or len(languages) == 0:
             LOG.warning("No language provided, using US English")
         else:
-            raise ValueError("No usable translations in %s for " %
+            raise ValueError("No usable translations in %s" %
                              ':'.join(languages))
         translator = GrampsNullTranslations()
         translator._language = "en"
diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py b/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
index d0474ebd6..5cfdeb9b8 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
@@ -194,27 +194,24 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale):
         """
         Extract the collation (sort order) locale from the defaults string.
         """
-        # The locale module can't deal with collation-qualified
-        # locales, so we read $LC_COLLATE directly rather than trying
-        # to use locale.getlocale.
-        if ('LC_COLLATE') in os.environ:
-            apple_collation = os.environ['LC_COLLATE']
-        else:
-            apple_collation = _mac_get_gramps_defaults("Gramps",
-                                                       "AppleCollationOrder")
+        apple_collation = _mac_get_gramps_defaults("Gramps", "AppleCollationOrder")
         if not apple_collation:
             apple_collation = _mac_get_gramps_defaults("Global",
                                                        "AppleCollationOrder")
 
         if not apple_collation:
-            print('No apple collation')
-            return None
+            return (None, None)
         apple_collation = apple_collation.strip()
         if not apple_collation or apple_collation.startswith("root"):
-            print('No meaningful apple collation')
-            return None
-        print('Got collation %s from defaults' % apple_collation)
-        return apple_collation
+            return (None, None)
+        div = apple_collation.split(b"@")
+        collation = div[0]
+        qualifier = None
+        if len(div) > 1:
+            parts = div[1].split(b"=")
+            if len(parts) == 2 and parts[0] == 'collation':
+                qualifier = parts[1]
+        return (collation, qualifier)
 
 #The action starts here
     _locale = None
@@ -237,11 +234,12 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale):
         (glocale.lang, glocale.currency, glocale.calendar) = _mac_get_locale()
 
     glocale.coll_qualifier = None
-    glocale.collation = _mac_get_collation()
+    glocale.collation = locale.getlocale(locale.LC_COLLATE)[0]
+    if not glocale.collation:
+        (glocale.collation, glocale.coll_qualifier) = _mac_get_collation()
 
     if not glocale.lang and glocale.collation:
-        coll_parts = glocale.collation.split('@')
-        glocale.lang = glocale.check_available_translations(coll_parts[0])
+        glocale.lang = glocale.check_available_translations(glocale.collation)
 
     glocale.lang = locale.normalize(glocale.lang)
     glocale.encoding = glocale.lang.split('.')[1]