diff --git a/syncplay/messages.py b/syncplay/messages.py
index cd76292..a862f13 100755
--- a/syncplay/messages.py
+++ b/syncplay/messages.py
@@ -996,6 +996,17 @@ def getMissingStrings():
 
     return missingStrings
 
+def getInitialLanguage():
+    import locale
+    try:
+        systemLocale = locale.getdefaultlocale("language")[0]
+        initialLanguage = systemLocale.split("_")[0]
+        if not messages.has_key(systemLocale):
+            initialLanguage = "en"
+    except:
+        initialLanguage = "en"
+    return initialLanguage
+
 def getMessage(type_, locale=None):
     if constants.SHOW_BUTTON_LABELS == False:
         if "-guibuttonlabel" in type_:
@@ -1003,6 +1014,10 @@ def getMessage(type_, locale=None):
     if constants.SHOW_TOOLTIPS == False:
         if "-tooltip" in type_:
             return ""
+
+    if not messages.has_key(messages["CURRENT"]):
+        setLanguage(getInitialLanguage())
+
     lang = messages["CURRENT"]
     if locale and messages.has_key(locale):
         if messages[locale].has_key(type_):
diff --git a/syncplay/ui/GuiConfiguration.py b/syncplay/ui/GuiConfiguration.py
index de3499d..bb783fc 100644
--- a/syncplay/ui/GuiConfiguration.py
+++ b/syncplay/ui/GuiConfiguration.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from syncplay.players.playerFactory import PlayerFactory
 
 import os
 import sys
-from syncplay.messages import getMessage, getLanguages, setLanguage
+from syncplay.messages import getMessage, getLanguages, setLanguage, getInitialLanguage
 from syncplay import constants
 
 class GuiConfiguration:
@@ -630,6 +630,8 @@ class ConfigDialog(QtGui.QDialog):
         self.languageLabel = QLabel(getMessage("language-label"), self)
         self.languageCombobox = QtGui.QComboBox(self)
         self.languages = getLanguages()
+        if self.languages.has_key(self.config['language']) == False:
+            self.config['language'] = getInitialLanguage()
         for lang in self.languages:
             self.languageCombobox.addItem(self.languages[lang], lang)
             if lang == self.config['language']: