diff --git a/autoload/ale/sign.vim b/autoload/ale/sign.vim
index 88a47aef..b5e9c075 100644
--- a/autoload/ale/sign.vim
+++ b/autoload/ale/sign.vim
@@ -27,19 +27,26 @@ execute 'sign define ALEWarningSign text=' . g:ale_sign_warning
 \   . ' texthl=ALEWarningSign'
 sign define ALEDummySign
 
-function! ale#sign#FindCurrentSigns(buffer) abort
+" Read sign data for a buffer to a list of lines.
+function! ale#sign#ReadSigns(buffer) abort
+    redir => l:output
+       silent exec 'sign place buffer=' . a:buffer
+    redir end
+
+    return split(l:output, "\n")
+endfunction
+
+" Given a list of lines for sign output, return a list of sign IDs
+function! ale#sign#ParseSigns(line_list) abort
     " Matches output like :
     " line=4  id=1  name=ALEErrorSign
     " строка=1  id=1000001  имя=ALEErrorSign
+    " 行=1  識別子=1000001  名前=ALEWarningSign
     let l:pattern = '^.*=\d*  .*=\(\d\+\)  .*=ALE\(Warning\|Error\|Dummy\)Sign'
 
-    redir => l:output
-       silent exec 'sign place buffer=' . a:buffer
-    redir END
-
     let l:id_list = []
 
-    for l:line in split(l:output, "\n")
+    for l:line in a:line_list
         let l:match = matchlist(l:line, l:pattern)
 
         if len(l:match) > 0
@@ -50,6 +57,12 @@ function! ale#sign#FindCurrentSigns(buffer) abort
     return l:id_list
 endfunction
 
+function! ale#sign#FindCurrentSigns(buffer) abort
+    let l:line_list = ale#sign#ReadSigns(a:buffer)
+
+    return ale#sign#ParseSigns(l:line_list)
+endfunction
+
 " Given a loclist, combine the loclist into a list of signs such that only
 " one sign appears per line. Error lines will take precedence.
 " The loclist will have been previously sorted.
diff --git a/test/test_sign_parsing.vader b/test/test_sign_parsing.vader
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a61de0d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_sign_parsing.vader
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Execute (Parsing English signs should work):
+  AssertEqual [1000001], ale#sign#ParseSigns(['Signs for app.js:', '    line=9  id=1000001  name=ALEWarningSign'])
+
+Execute (Parsing Russian signs should work):
+  AssertEqual [1000001], ale#sign#ParseSigns(['    строка=1  id=1000001  имя=ALEErrorSign'])
+
+Execute (Parsing Japanese signs should work):
+  AssertEqual [1000001], ale#sign#ParseSigns(['    行=1  識別子=1000001  名前=ALEWarningSign'])