diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index beed49fb..a3bf4c5e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,28 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   protect_from_forgery with: :exception
 
   before_filter :configure_permitted_parameters, if: :devise_controller?
+  before_filter :check_locale
   before_filter :banned?
 
   # check if user got hit by the banhammer of doom
+  def check_locale
+    if params[:hl].nil?
+      if current_user.present?
+        I18n.locale = current_user.locale
+      elsif not cookies[:hl].nil?
+        I18n.locale = cookies[:hl]
+      end
+    else
+      I18n.locale = params[:hl]
+      if current_user.present?
+        current_user.locale = I18n.locale
+        current_user.save!
+      end
+    end
+
+    cookies[:hl] = I18n.locale #unless cookies[:allow_cookies].nil? # some EU cookie bullsh-
+  end
+
   def banned?
     if current_user.present? && current_user.banned?
       name = current_user.screen_name
diff --git a/config/application.rb b/config/application.rb
index 4f627bb4..27bbe789 100644
--- a/config/application.rb
+++ b/config/application.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ module Justask
     # Use Sidekiq for background jobs
     config.active_job.queue_adapter = :sidekiq
 
+    config.i18n.default_locale = "en"
+    config.i18n.fallbacks = true
+
     # DEPRECATION WARNING: Currently, Active Record suppresses errors raised
     # within `after_rollback`/`after_commit` callbacks and only print them to the logs.
     # In the next version, these errors will no longer be suppressed.
diff --git a/db/migrate/20150526031159_add_locale_to_user.rb b/db/migrate/20150526031159_add_locale_to_user.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fdea9cfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20150526031159_add_locale_to_user.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddLocaleToUser < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :locale, :string
+  end
+end