In standard finite element algorithms, the local stability conditions are not accounted for in the formulation of the tangent stiffness matrix. As a result, the loss of the local stability is not adequately related to the onset of the global instability. The phenomenon typically arises with material-type localizations, such as shear bands and plastic hinges. This paper addresses the problem in the context of the planar, finite-strain, rate-independent, materially non-linear beam theory, although the proposed technology is in principle not limited to beam structures. A weak formulation of Reissner's finite-strain beam theory is first presented, where the pseudocurvature of the deformed axis is the only unknown function. We further derive the local stability conditions for the large deformation case, and suggest various possible combinations of the interpolation and numerical integration schemes that trigger the simultaneous loss of the local and global instabilities of a statically determined beam. For practical applications, we advice on a procedure that uses a special numerical integration rule, where interpolation nodes and integration points are equal in number, but not in locations, except for the point of the local instability, where the interpolation node and the integration point coalesce. Provided that the point of instability is an end-point of the beam-a condition often met in engineering practice-the procedure simplifies substantially; one of such algorithms uses the combination of the Lagrangian interpolation and Lobatto's integration. The present paper uses the Galerkin finite element discretization, but a conceptually similar technology could be extended to other discretization methods.