diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 2ab2838c2..3e32d4c27 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   end
 
   def set_locale
+    I18n.default_locale = DEFAULT_LANGUAGE
     if current_user
       I18n.locale = current_user.language
     else
diff --git a/config/environment.rb b/config/environment.rb
index e95579b99..9afe20c52 100644
--- a/config/environment.rb
+++ b/config/environment.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ end
 
 if File.exists?(File.expand_path("./config/languages.yml"))
   languages = YAML::load(File.open(File.expand_path("./config/languages.yml")))
-  AVAILABLE_LANGUAGES = languages['available']
-  DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = languages['default']
-  AVAILABLE_LANGUAGE_CODES = languages['available'].keys.map { |v| v.to_s}
+  AVAILABLE_LANGUAGES = (languages['available'].length > 0) ? languages['available'] : { :en => 'English' }
+  DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = (AVAILABLE_LANGUAGES.include?(languages['default'])) ? languages['default'] : AVAILABLE_LANGUAGES.keys[0].to_s
+  AVAILABLE_LANGUAGE_CODES = languages['available'].keys.map { |v| v.to_s }
 else
   AVAILABLE_LANGUAGES = { :en => 'English' }
   DEFAULT_LANGUAGES = 'en'