diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/settings.ts b/app/soapbox/actions/settings.ts
index 79ffe19752..fdc6f394cd 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/settings.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/settings.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { Map as ImmutableMap, List as ImmutableList, OrderedSet as ImmutableOrderedSet } from 'immutable';
-import { defineMessages } from 'react-intl';
+import { defineMessage } from 'react-intl';
 import { createSelector } from 'reselect';
 import { v4 as uuid } from 'uuid';
 
 import { patchMe } from 'soapbox/actions/me';
+import messages from 'soapbox/locales/messages';
 import toast from 'soapbox/toast';
 import { isLoggedIn } from 'soapbox/utils/auth';
 
@@ -21,9 +22,7 @@ type SettingOpts = {
   showAlert?: boolean
 }
 
-const messages = defineMessages({
-  saveSuccess: { id: 'settings.save.success', defaultMessage: 'Your preferences have been saved!' },
-});
+const saveSuccessMessage = defineMessage({ id: 'settings.save.success', defaultMessage: 'Your preferences have been saved!' });
 
 const defaultSettings = ImmutableMap({
   onboarded: false,
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ const defaultSettings = ImmutableMap({
   defaultPrivacy: 'public',
   defaultContentType: 'text/plain',
   themeMode: 'system',
-  locale: navigator.language.split(/[-_]/)[0] || 'en',
+  locale: navigator.language || 'en',
   showExplanationBox: true,
   explanationBox: true,
   autoloadTimelines: true,
@@ -221,7 +220,7 @@ const saveSettingsImmediate = (opts?: SettingOpts) =>
       dispatch({ type: SETTING_SAVE });
 
       if (opts?.showAlert) {
-        toast.success(messages.saveSuccess);
+        toast.success(saveSuccessMessage);
       }
     }).catch(error => {
       toast.showAlertForError(error);
@@ -231,6 +230,12 @@ const saveSettingsImmediate = (opts?: SettingOpts) =>
 const saveSettings = (opts?: SettingOpts) =>
   (dispatch: AppDispatch) => dispatch(saveSettingsImmediate(opts));
 
+const getLocale = (state: RootState, fallback = 'en') => {
+  const localeWithVariant = (getSettings(state).get('locale') as string).replace('_', '-');
+  const locale = localeWithVariant.split('-')[0];
+  return Object.keys(messages).includes(localeWithVariant) ? localeWithVariant : Object.keys(messages).includes(locale) ? locale : fallback;
+};
+
 export {
   SETTING_CHANGE,
   SETTING_SAVE,
@@ -242,4 +247,5 @@ export {
   changeSetting,
   saveSettingsImmediate,
   saveSettings,
+  getLocale,
 };
diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts b/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts
index c9095e0218..f3e393f274 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/streaming.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
+import { getLocale, getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
 import messages from 'soapbox/locales/messages';
 import { ChatKeys, IChat, isLastMessage } from 'soapbox/queries/chats';
 import { queryClient } from 'soapbox/queries/client';
@@ -34,13 +34,6 @@ import type { APIEntity, Chat } from 'soapbox/types/entities';
 const STREAMING_CHAT_UPDATE = 'STREAMING_CHAT_UPDATE';
 const STREAMING_FOLLOW_RELATIONSHIPS_UPDATE = 'STREAMING_FOLLOW_RELATIONSHIPS_UPDATE';
 
-const validLocale = (locale: string) => Object.keys(messages).includes(locale);
-
-const getLocale = (state: RootState) => {
-  const locale = getSettings(state).get('locale') as string;
-  return validLocale(locale) ? locale : 'en';
-};
-
 const updateFollowRelationships = (relationships: APIEntity) =>
   (dispatch: AppDispatch, getState: () => RootState) => {
     const me = getState().me;
diff --git a/app/soapbox/hooks/useLocale.ts b/app/soapbox/hooks/useLocale.ts
index 98619d969a..21302e1748 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/hooks/useLocale.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/hooks/useLocale.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
-import MESSAGES from 'soapbox/locales/messages';
+import { getLocale } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
 
-import { useSettings } from './useSettings';
+import { useAppSelector } from './useAppSelector';
 
 import type { CSSProperties } from 'react';
 
 /** Locales which should be presented in right-to-left. */
 const RTL_LOCALES = ['ar', 'ckb', 'fa', 'he'];
 
-/** Ensure the given locale exists in our codebase */
-const validLocale = (locale: string): boolean => Object.keys(MESSAGES).includes(locale);
-
 interface UseLocaleResult {
   locale: string
   direction: CSSProperties['direction']
@@ -17,13 +14,7 @@ interface UseLocaleResult {
 
 /** Get valid locale from settings. */
 const useLocale = (fallback = 'en'): UseLocaleResult => {
-  const settings = useSettings();
-  const userLocale = settings.get('locale') as unknown;
-
-  const locale =
-    (typeof userLocale === 'string' && validLocale(userLocale))
-      ? userLocale
-      : fallback;
+  const locale = useAppSelector((state) => getLocale(state, fallback));
 
   const direction: CSSProperties['direction'] =
     RTL_LOCALES.includes(locale)