diff --git a/src/common/card.js b/src/common/card.js
index 27d9f60..f56a4cb 100644
--- a/src/common/card.js
+++ b/src/common/card.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import copy from './data/copy.json'
-const cardStack = copy[process.env.store.app.language].cardstack
+const language = process.env.store.app.language || 'en-US'
+const cardStack = copy[language].cardstack
 
 // Sensible defaults for generating a basic card layout
 // based on the example Timemap datasheet.
diff --git a/src/common/utilities.js b/src/common/utilities.js
index c9df1c7..eedf179 100644
--- a/src/common/utilities.js
+++ b/src/common/utilities.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import moment from 'moment'
 import hash from 'object-hash'
 
+const language = process.env.store.app.language || 'en-US'
 let { DATE_FMT, TIME_FMT } = process.env
 if (!DATE_FMT) DATE_FMT = 'MM/DD/YYYY'
 if (!TIME_FMT) TIME_FMT = 'HH:mm'
@@ -397,7 +398,7 @@ export function makeNiceDate (datetime) {
   if (datetime === null) return null
   // see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3552461/how-to-format-a-javascript-date
   const dateTimeFormat = new Intl.DateTimeFormat(
-    process.env.store.app.language,
+    language,
     { year: 'numeric', month: 'long', day: '2-digit' }
   )
   const [
@@ -418,7 +419,7 @@ export function setD3Locale (d3) {
     'es-MX': require('./data/es-MX.json')
   }
 
-  if (process.env.store.app.language !== 'es-US' && languages[process.env.store.app.language]) {
-    d3.timeFormatDefaultLocale(languages[process.env.store.app.language])
+  if (language !== 'es-US' && languages[language]) {
+    d3.timeFormatDefaultLocale(languages[language])
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/store/initial.js b/src/store/initial.js
index 7bb47fc..b1564d5 100644
--- a/src/store/initial.js
+++ b/src/store/initial.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import global, { colors } from '../common/global'
 import generateCardLayout from '../common/card'
 import copy from '../common/data/copy.json'
 
-const language = process.env.store.app.language
+const language = process.env.store.app.language || 'en-US'
 const isSmallLaptop = window.innerHeight < 800
 const initial = {
   /*