diff --git a/public/javascripts/widgets/i18n.js b/public/javascripts/widgets/i18n.js
index 728a978dd..8914c8bca 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/widgets/i18n.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/widgets/i18n.js
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 Diaspora.widgets.add("i18n", function() {
   this.start = $.noop;
 
-  this.language = undefined;
-  this.locale = undefined;
+  this.language = "en";
+  this.locale = {};
 
   this.loadLocale = function(locale, language) {
     this.language = language;
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/widget-i18n-spec.js b/spec/javascripts/widget-i18n-spec.js
index ddecc2276..7307faff5 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/widget-i18n-spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/widget-i18n-spec.js
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
  * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
  */
 describe("Diaspora", function() {
-  beforeEach(function() {
-    Diaspora.widgets.i18n.loadLocale(null/* TODO: spec.retrieveFixture("locale")*/, "en");
-  });
   describe("widgets", function() {
     describe("i18n", function() {
       describe("loadLocale", function() {