diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index d7761f542..2eee0e158 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #4945: i18n: fix lang_COUNTRY not fallback correctly for IndexBuilder. Thanks
   to Shengjing Zhu.
 * #4983: productionlist directive generates invalid IDs for the tokens
+* #5133: latex: index headings "Symbols" and "Numbers" not internationalized
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/python.ist b/sphinx/texinputs/python.ist
index 687d26cd4..acb71712e 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/python.ist
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/python.ist
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ headings_flag 1
 heading_prefix "  \\bigletter "
 
 preamble "\\begin{sphinxtheindex}
-\\def\\bigletter#1{{\\Large\\sffamily#1}\\nopagebreak\\vspace{1mm}}
+\\let\\bigletter\\sphinxstyleindexletterhead
 
 "
 
 postamble "\n\n\\end{sphinxtheindex}\n"
 
-symhead_positive "{Symbols}"
-numhead_positive "{Numbers}"
+symhead_positive "{\\sphinxsymbolsname}"
+numhead_positive "{\\sphinxnumbersname}"
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index 96be30338..ee7698a46 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -470,6 +470,9 @@
  {\newenvironment{sphinxtheindex}{\begin{theindex}}{\end{theindex}}}%
  {}% else clause of \ltx@ifundefined
 
+% redefined in preamble, headings for makeindex produced index
+\newcommand*{\sphinxsymbolsname}{Symbols}
+\newcommand*{\sphinxnumbersname}{Numbers}
 
 %% COLOR (general)
 %
@@ -1592,9 +1595,10 @@
 
 % additional customizable styling
 % FIXME: convert this to package options ?
-\protected\def\sphinxstyleindexentry   #1{\texttt{#1}}
-\protected\def\sphinxstyleindexextra   #1{ \emph{(#1)}}
-\protected\def\sphinxstyleindexpageref #1{, \pageref{#1}}
+\def\sphinxstyleindexentry   #1{\texttt{#1}}
+\def\sphinxstyleindexextra   #1{ \emph{(#1)}}
+\def\sphinxstyleindexpageref #1{, \pageref{#1}}
+\def\sphinxstyleindexletterhead #1{{\Large\sffamily#1}\nopagebreak\vspace{1mm}}
 \protected\def\sphinxstyletopictitle   #1{\textbf{#1}\par\medskip}
 \let\sphinxstylesidebartitle\sphinxstyletopictitle
 \protected\def\sphinxstyleothertitle   #1{\textbf{#1}}
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 55d37da79..833afd8ee 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -673,6 +673,12 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
             ) +
             self.babel_renewcommand(
                 '\\literalblockcontinuesname', self.encode(_('continues on next page'))
+            ) +
+            self.babel_renewcommand(
+                '\\sphinxsymbolsname', self.encode(_('Symbols'))
+            ) +
+            self.babel_renewcommand(
+                '\\sphinxnumbersname', self.encode(_('Numbers'))
             )
         )
         self.elements['pageautorefname'] = \