diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 37ff61404..4dc3b373f 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@
     </head>
     <body>
         <div id='iD'></div><script>
-            locale.current = 'en';
+            locale
+                .current('en')
+                .current(iD.detect().locale);
+
             d3.json('keys.json', function(err, keys) {
                 var id = iD();
 
diff --git a/locale/locale.js b/locale/locale.js
index 291b255a0..c3dd5bcc4 100644
--- a/locale/locale.js
+++ b/locale/locale.js
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
-var locale = { current: 'en' };
+var locale = { _current: 'en' };
+
+locale.current = function(_) {
+    if (!arguments.length) return locale._current;
+    if (locale[_] !== undefined) locale._current = _;
+    return locale;
+};
 
 function t(s, o) {
     var path = s.split(".").reverse(),
-        rep = locale[locale.current];
+        rep = locale[locale._current];
 
     while (rep !== undefined && path.length) rep = rep[path.pop()];
 
