diff --git a/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dialog.dart b/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dialog.dart
index b914212dc..077959ead 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dialog.dart
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 import 'dart:developer';
 
-import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
-import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
-
-import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/l10n.dart';
-import 'package:future_loading_dialog/future_loading_dialog.dart';
-
+import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/constants/language_keys.dart';
+import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/controllers/language_list_controller.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/controllers/pangea_controller.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/models/language_model.dart';
 import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/utils/error_handler.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_gen/gen_l10n/l10n.dart';
+import 'package:future_loading_dialog/future_loading_dialog.dart';
+
 import '../../../config/themes.dart';
 import '../../../widgets/matrix.dart';
 import 'p_language_dropdown.dart';
@@ -17,12 +18,24 @@ import 'p_question_container.dart';
 pLanguageDialog(BuildContext parentContext, Function callback) {
   final PangeaController pangeaController = MatrixState.pangeaController;
   //PTODO: if source language not set by user, default to languge from device settings
-  LanguageModel selectedSourceLanguage =
-      pangeaController.languageController.userL1 ??
-          pangeaController.pLanguageStore.targetOptions[0];
-  LanguageModel selectedTargetLanguage =
-      pangeaController.languageController.userL2 ??
-          pangeaController.pLanguageStore.targetOptions[1];
+  final LanguageModel? userL1 = pangeaController.languageController.userL1;
+  final LanguageModel? userL2 = pangeaController.languageController.userL2;
+  final String systemLang = Localizations.localeOf(parentContext).languageCode;
+  final LanguageModel systemLanguage = PangeaLanguage.byLangCode(systemLang);
+
+  LanguageModel selectedSourceLanguage = systemLanguage;
+  if (userL1 != null && userL1.langCode != LanguageKeys.unknownLanguage) {
+    selectedSourceLanguage = userL1;
+  }
+
+  LanguageModel selectedTargetLanguage;
+  if (userL2 != null && userL2.langCode != LanguageKeys.unknownLanguage) {
+    selectedTargetLanguage = userL2;
+  } else {
+    selectedTargetLanguage = selectedSourceLanguage.langCode != 'en'
+        ? PangeaLanguage.byLangCode('en')
+        : PangeaLanguage.byLangCode('es');
+  }
 
   return showDialog(
     useRootNavigator: false,
diff --git a/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dropdown.dart b/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dropdown.dart
index 0694355c5..e9a02bb33 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dropdown.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/widgets/user_settings/p_language_dropdown.dart
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // Flutter imports:
 
+import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/models/language_model.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
-import 'package:fluffychat/pangea/models/language_model.dart';
 import '../../widgets/flag.dart';
 
 class PLanguageDropdown extends StatefulWidget {
@@ -27,17 +27,26 @@ class _PLanguageDropdownState extends State<PLanguageDropdown> {
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     final List<LanguageModel> sortedLanguages = widget.languages;
+    final String systemLang = Localizations.localeOf(context).languageCode;
 
     int sortLanguages(LanguageModel a, LanguageModel b) {
-      if (a.langCode == 'en') {
-        return -1; // "English" comes first
-      } else if (b.langCode == 'en') {
-        return 1;
-      } else if (a.langCode == 'es') {
-        return -1; // "Spanish" comes second
-      } else if (b.langCode == 'es') {
-        return 1;
+      final String aLang = a.langCode;
+      final String bLang = b.langCode;
+      if (aLang == bLang) return 0;
+
+      final List<String> languagePriority = [systemLang, 'en', 'es'];
+      final bool aIsPriority = languagePriority.contains(a.langCode);
+      final bool bIsPriority = languagePriority.contains(b.langCode);
+
+      if (aIsPriority && bIsPriority) {
+        final int aPriority = languagePriority.indexOf(a.langCode);
+        final int bPriority = languagePriority.indexOf(b.langCode);
+        return aPriority - bPriority;
       }
+
+      if (aIsPriority) return -1;
+      if (bIsPriority) return 1;
+
       return a.getDisplayName(context)!.compareTo(b.getDisplayName(context)!);
     }