diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/cleverraven/cataclysmdda/CataclysmDDA.java b/android/app/src/main/java/com/cleverraven/cataclysmdda/CataclysmDDA.java
index 7be201bf01560..762d0257cab86 100755
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/cleverraven/cataclysmdda/CataclysmDDA.java
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/cleverraven/cataclysmdda/CataclysmDDA.java
@@ -59,15 +59,6 @@ public boolean getDefaultSetting(final String settingsName, boolean defaultValue
     }
 
     public String getSystemLang() {
-        String language = getResources().getConfiguration().locale.toString();
-        // remove suffix we are not interested in if it exists, eg. "en_US_WIN" -> "en_US"
-        int first_underscore = language.indexOf("_");
-        if(first_underscore != -1) {
-            int second_underscore = language.indexOf("_", first_underscore + 1);
-            if(second_underscore != -1) {
-                language = language.substring(0, second_underscore);
-            }
-        }
-        return language;
+        return getResources().getConfiguration().locale.toLanguageTag().replace('-', '_');
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/translations.cpp b/src/translations.cpp
index 30e477c2d1a5b..2649d09dc54bc 100644
--- a/src/translations.cpp
+++ b/src/translations.cpp
@@ -219,9 +219,6 @@ void set_language()
 #elif defined(__ANDROID__)
     system_lang = getAndroidSystemLang();
 #endif
-    if( !isValidLanguage( system_lang ) ) {
-        system_lang = std::string();
-    }
     // Step 1. Setup locale settings.
     std::string lang_opt = get_option<std::string>( "USE_LANG" ).empty() ? system_lang :
                            get_option<std::string>( "USE_LANG" );
@@ -346,11 +343,20 @@ std::string getAndroidSystemLang()
         // fail-safe if retrieving Java string failed
         return std::string();
     }
-    std::string lang( ans_c_str );
+    const std::string lang( ans_c_str );
     env->ReleaseStringUTFChars( ans, ans_c_str );
     env->DeleteLocalRef( activity );
     env->DeleteLocalRef( clazz );
-    return lang;
+    DebugLog( D_INFO, D_MAIN ) << "Read Android system language: '" << lang << '\'';
+    const std::vector<options_manager::id_and_option> available_languages =
+        get_options().get_option( "USE_LANG" ).getItems();
+    for( const options_manager::id_and_option &available_language : available_languages ) {
+        if( string_starts_with( lang, available_language.first ) ) {
+            return available_language.first;
+        }
+    }
+    DebugLog( D_WARNING, D_MAIN ) << "Unrecognised language: '" << lang << "', fallback to English";
+    return std::string();
 }
 #endif