diff --git a/searx/preferences.py b/searx/preferences.py
index 37d4f13a..6e31aa18 100644
--- a/searx/preferences.py
+++ b/searx/preferences.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from sys import version
 
 from searx import settings, autocomplete
 from searx.languages import language_codes as languages
+from searx.utils import match_language
 from searx.url_utils import parse_qs, urlencode
 
 if version[0] == '3':
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ if version[0] == '3':
 
 
 COOKIE_MAX_AGE = 60 * 60 * 24 * 365 * 5  # 5 years
-LANGUAGE_CODES = [l[0].split('-')[0] for l in languages]
+LANGUAGE_CODES = [l[0] for l in languages]
 LANGUAGE_CODES.append('all')
 DISABLED = 0
 ENABLED = 1
@@ -132,6 +133,10 @@ class SetSetting(Setting):
 class SearchLanguageSetting(EnumStringSetting):
     """Available choices may change, so user's value may not be in choices anymore"""
 
+    def _validate_selection(self, selection):
+        if not match_language(selection, self.choices, fallback=None) and selection != "":
+            raise ValidationException('Invalid language code: "{0}"'.format(selection))
+
     def parse(self, data):
         if data not in self.choices and data != self.value:
             # hack to give some backwards compatibility with old language cookies
@@ -268,7 +273,7 @@ class Preferences(object):
         super(Preferences, self).__init__()
 
         self.key_value_settings = {'categories': MultipleChoiceSetting(['general'], choices=categories + ['none']),
-                                   'language': SearchLanguageSetting(settings['ui']['default_locale'],
+                                   'language': SearchLanguageSetting(settings['search']['default_lang'],
                                                                      choices=list(LANGUAGE_CODES) + ['']),
                                    'locale': EnumStringSetting(settings['ui']['default_locale'],
                                                                choices=list(settings['locales'].keys()) + ['']),
diff --git a/searx/settings.yml b/searx/settings.yml
index ab3de395..65f42af8 100644
--- a/searx/settings.yml
+++ b/searx/settings.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ general:
 search:
     safe_search : 0 # Filter results. 0: None, 1: Moderate, 2: Strict
     autocomplete : "" # Existing autocomplete backends: "dbpedia", "duckduckgo", "google", "startpage", "wikipedia" - leave blank to turn it off by default
+    default_lang : "" # Default search language - leave blank to detect from browser information or use codes from 'languages.py'
     ban_time_on_fail : 5 # ban time in seconds after engine errors
     max_ban_time_on_fail : 120 # max ban time in seconds after engine errors
 
diff --git a/searx/webapp.py b/searx/webapp.py
index a856c07d..8712cc3c 100644
--- a/searx/webapp.py
+++ b/searx/webapp.py
@@ -157,14 +157,16 @@ _category_names = (gettext('files'),
 outgoing_proxies = settings['outgoing'].get('proxies') or None
 
 
+def _get_browser_language(request, lang_list):
+    for lang in request.headers.get("Accept-Language", "en").split(","):
+        locale = match_language(lang, lang_list, fallback=None)
+        if locale is not None:
+            return locale
+
+
 @babel.localeselector
 def get_locale():
-    locale = "en-US"
-
-    for lang in request.headers.get("Accept-Language", locale).split(","):
-        locale = match_language(lang, settings['locales'].keys(), fallback=None)
-        if locale is not None:
-            break
+    locale = _get_browser_language(request, settings['locales'].keys())
 
     logger.debug("default locale from browser info is `%s`", locale)
 
@@ -372,8 +374,7 @@ def render(template_name, override_theme=None, **kwargs):
     kwargs['language_codes'] = languages
     if 'current_language' not in kwargs:
         kwargs['current_language'] = match_language(request.preferences.get_value('language'),
-                                                    LANGUAGE_CODES,
-                                                    fallback=locale)
+                                                    LANGUAGE_CODES)
 
     # override url_for function in templates
     kwargs['url_for'] = url_for_theme
@@ -444,11 +445,10 @@ def pre_request():
             request.errors.append(gettext('Invalid settings'))
 
     # init search language and locale
-    locale = get_locale()
     if not preferences.get_value("language"):
-        preferences.parse_dict({"language": locale})
+        preferences.parse_dict({"language": _get_browser_language(request, LANGUAGE_CODES)})
     if not preferences.get_value("locale"):
-        preferences.parse_dict({"locale": locale})
+        preferences.parse_dict({"locale": get_locale()})
 
     # request.user_plugins
     request.user_plugins = []