diff --git a/locale/locale.js b/locale/locale.js
index c3dd5bcc4..8582df03e 100644
--- a/locale/locale.js
+++ b/locale/locale.js
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ locale.current = function(_) {
     return locale;
 };
 
-function t(s, o) {
+function t(s, o, loc) {
+    loc = loc || locale._current;
+
     var path = s.split(".").reverse(),
-        rep = locale[locale._current];
+        rep = locale[loc];
 
     while (rep !== undefined && path.length) rep = rep[path.pop()];
 
@@ -16,6 +18,9 @@ function t(s, o) {
         if (o) for (var k in o) rep = rep.replace('{' + k + '}', o[k]);
         return rep;
     } else {
-        if (console) console.error('key ' + s + ' not found');
+        var missing = 'Missing translation: ' + s;
+        if (console) console.error(missing);
+        if (loc !== 'en') return t(s, o, 'en');
+        return missing;
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index fe81a4ec5..3ba4e3bd8 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@
 
     <!-- include spec files here... -->
     <script src="spec/lib/d3.keybinding.js"></script>
+    <script src="spec/lib/locale.js"></script>
 
     <script src="spec/actions/add_midpoint.js"></script>
     <script src="spec/actions/add_entity.js"></script>
diff --git a/test/index_packaged.html b/test/index_packaged.html
index cd3451357..874639094 100644
--- a/test/index_packaged.html
+++ b/test/index_packaged.html
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
     <!-- include spec files here... -->
     <script src="spec/lib/d3.keybinding.js"></script>
+    <script src="spec/lib/locale.js"></script>
 
     <script src="spec/actions/add_midpoint.js"></script>
     <script src="spec/actions/add_entity.js"></script>
diff --git a/test/spec/lib/locale.js b/test/spec/lib/locale.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3228aa99b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/lib/locale.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+describe("locale", function() {
+    var saved, error;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+        saved = locale;
+        error = console.error;
+        console.error = function () {};
+        locale = { _current: 'en', en: {test: 'test', foo: 'bar'}, __: {}}
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function() {
+        locale = saved;
+        console.error = error;
+    });
+
+    describe("t", function() {
+        it("defaults to locale._current", function() {
+            expect(t('test')).to.equal('test');
+        });
+
+        it("falls back to en", function() {
+            locale._current = '__';
+            expect(t('test')).to.equal('test');
+        });
+    });
+});