diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/I18n.java b/app/src/processing/app/I18n.java
index 6c7c9079d..d87442c0a 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/I18n.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/I18n.java
@@ -28,14 +28,16 @@ public class I18n {
   static String PROMPT_OK;
   static String PROMPT_BROWSE;
 
-  static protected void init (String language) {
+  static protected void init (String language) throws MissingResourceException {
     // there might be a null pointer exception ... most likely will never happen but the jvm gets mad
     try {
       if (language != null && language.trim().length() > 0) {
-        Locale.setDefault(new Locale(language));
+        Locale locale = new Locale(language);
+        i18n = ResourceBundle.getBundle("processing.app.i18n.Resources", locale);
+        Locale.setDefault(locale);
+      } else {
+        i18n = ResourceBundle.getBundle("processing.app.i18n.Resources", Locale.getDefault());
       }
-      i18n = ResourceBundle.getBundle("processing.app.i18n.Resources", Locale.getDefault());
-
       PROMPT_YES = _("Yes");
       PROMPT_NO = _("No");
       PROMPT_CANCEL = _("Cancel");
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java b/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
index f9319cd7c..6505b9cef 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
@@ -267,7 +267,12 @@ public class Preferences {
     }
 
     // load the I18n module for internationalization
-    I18n.init(Preferences.get("editor.languages.current"));
+    try {
+      I18n.init(Preferences.get("editor.languages.current"));
+    } catch (MissingResourceException e) {
+      I18n.init("");
+      Preferences.set("editor.languages.current", "");
+    }
 
     // set some other runtime constants (not saved on preferences file)
     table.put("runtime.os", PConstants.platformNames[PApplet.platform]);