diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e9a246b333..ab9043d346 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     "cropperjs": "1.5.12",
     "diff": "3.5.0",
     "escape-html": "1.0.3",
+    "js-cookie": "^3.0.1",
     "localforage": "1.10.0",
     "parse-link-header": "1.0.1",
     "phoenix": "1.6.2",
diff --git a/src/components/interface_language_switcher/interface_language_switcher.vue b/src/components/interface_language_switcher/interface_language_switcher.vue
index 6d1f83c436..757ec01f0c 100644
--- a/src/components/interface_language_switcher/interface_language_switcher.vue
+++ b/src/components/interface_language_switcher/interface_language_switcher.vue
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     {{ ' ' }}
     <Select
       id="interface-language-switcher"
-      v-model="language"
+      v-model="controlledLanguage"
     >
       <option
         v-for="lang in languages"
@@ -20,39 +20,33 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import languagesObject from '../../i18n/messages'
 import localeService from '../../services/locale/locale.service.js'
-import ISO6391 from 'iso-639-1'
-import _ from 'lodash'
 import Select from '../select/select.vue'
 
 export default {
   components: {
     Select
   },
+  props: {
+    language: String,
+    setLanguage: Function
+  },
   computed: {
     languages () {
-      return _.map(languagesObject.languages, (code) => ({ code: code, name: this.getLanguageName(code) })).sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name))
+      return localeService.languages
     },
 
-    language: {
-      get: function () { return this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.interfaceLanguage },
+    controlledLanguage: {
+      get: function () { return this.language },
       set: function (val) {
-        this.$store.dispatch('setOption', { name: 'interfaceLanguage', value: val })
+        this.setLanguage(val)
       }
     }
   },
 
   methods: {
     getLanguageName (code) {
-      const specialLanguageNames = {
-        'ja_easy': 'やさしいにほんご',
-        'zh': '简体中文',
-        'zh_Hant': '繁體中文'
-      }
-      const languageName = specialLanguageNames[code] || ISO6391.getNativeName(code)
-      const browserLocale = localeService.internalToBrowserLocale(code)
-      return languageName.charAt(0).toLocaleUpperCase(browserLocale) + languageName.slice(1)
+      return localeService.getLanguageName(code)
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.js b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.js
index 62d86176d4..de925155c5 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.js
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.js
@@ -72,6 +72,12 @@ const GeneralTab = {
         !this.$store.state.users.currentUser.background_image
     },
     instanceShoutboxPresent () { return this.$store.state.instance.shoutAvailable },
+    language: {
+      get: function () { return this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.interfaceLanguage },
+      set: function (val) {
+        this.$store.dispatch('setOption', { name: 'interfaceLanguage', value: val })
+      }
+    },
     ...SharedComputedObject()
   },
   methods: {
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.vue b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.vue
index a2c6bffa51..5bc0f516ff 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.vue
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/general_tab.vue
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
       <h2>{{ $t('settings.interface') }}</h2>
       <ul class="setting-list">
         <li>
-          <interface-language-switcher />
+          <interface-language-switcher
+            :language="language"
+            :set-language="val => language = val"
+          />
         </li>
         <li v-if="instanceSpecificPanelPresent">
           <BooleanSetting path="hideISP">
diff --git a/src/modules/config.js b/src/modules/config.js
index ff5ef27002..eeefd896cc 100644
--- a/src/modules/config.js
+++ b/src/modules/config.js
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
+import { set, delete as del } from 'vue'
+import Cookies from 'js-cookie'
 import { setPreset, applyTheme } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
 import messages from '../i18n/messages'
+import localeService from '../services/locale/locale.service.js'
+
+const BACKEND_LANGUAGE_COOKIE_NAME = 'userLanguage'
 
 const browserLocale = (window.navigator.language || 'en').split('-')[0]
 
@@ -162,6 +167,7 @@ const config = {
           break
         case 'interfaceLanguage':
           messages.setLanguage(this.getters.i18n, value)
+          Cookies.set(BACKEND_LANGUAGE_COOKIE_NAME, localeService.internalToBackendLocale(value))
           break
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/services/locale/locale.service.js b/src/services/locale/locale.service.js
index 5be99d81f4..8cef252219 100644
--- a/src/services/locale/locale.service.js
+++ b/src/services/locale/locale.service.js
@@ -1,12 +1,35 @@
+import languagesObject from '../../i18n/messages'
+import ISO6391 from 'iso-639-1'
+import _ from 'lodash'
+
 const specialLanguageCodes = {
   'ja_easy': 'ja',
-  'zh_Hant': 'zh-HANT'
+  'zh_Hant': 'zh-HANT',
+  'zh': 'zh-Hans'
 }
 
 const internalToBrowserLocale = code => specialLanguageCodes[code] || code
 
+const internalToBackendLocale = code => internalToBrowserLocale(code).replace('_', '-')
+
+const getLanguageName = (code) => {
+  const specialLanguageNames = {
+    'ja_easy': 'やさしいにほんご',
+    'zh': '简体中文',
+    'zh_Hant': '繁體中文'
+  }
+  const languageName = specialLanguageNames[code] || ISO6391.getNativeName(code)
+  const browserLocale = internalToBrowserLocale(code)
+  return languageName.charAt(0).toLocaleUpperCase(browserLocale) + languageName.slice(1)
+}
+
+const languages = _.map(languagesObject.languages, (code) => ({ code: code, name: getLanguageName(code) })).sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name))
+
 const localeService = {
-  internalToBrowserLocale
+  internalToBrowserLocale,
+  internalToBackendLocale,
+  languages,
+  getLanguageName
 }
 
 export default localeService
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 042d87acd7..cd96543b13 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5722,6 +5722,11 @@ js-base64@^2.1.9:
   version "2.5.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/js-base64/-/js-base64-2.5.0.tgz#42255ba183ab67ce59a0dee640afdc00ab5ae93e"
 
+js-cookie@^3.0.1:
+  version "3.0.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/js-cookie/-/js-cookie-3.0.1.tgz#9e39b4c6c2f56563708d7d31f6f5f21873a92414"
+  integrity sha512-+0rgsUXZu4ncpPxRL+lNEptWMOWl9etvPHc/koSRp6MPwpRYAhmk0dUG00J4bxVV3r9uUzfo24wW0knS07SKSw==
+
 "js-tokens@^3.0.0 || ^4.0.0", js-tokens@^3.0.2:
   version "3.0.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/js-tokens/-/js-tokens-3.0.2.tgz#9866df395102130e38f7f996bceb65443209c25b"