diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/comment/create.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/comment/create.rs
index f85a4d929..192035c58 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/comment/create.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/comment/create.rs
@@ -89,17 +89,13 @@ pub async fn create_comment(
   }
 
   // attempt to set default language if none was provided
-  let language_id = match data.language_id {
-    Some(lid) => lid,
-    None => {
-      default_post_language(
-        &mut context.pool(),
-        community_id,
-        local_user_view.local_user.id,
-      )
-      .await?
-    }
-  };
+  let language_id = default_post_language(
+    &mut context.pool(),
+    data.language_id,
+    community_id,
+    local_user_view.local_user.id,
+  )
+  .await?;
 
   CommunityLanguage::is_allowed_community_language(&mut context.pool(), language_id, community_id)
     .await?;
diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/comment/update.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/comment/update.rs
index 51f65aa67..a86b375a0 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/comment/update.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/comment/update.rs
@@ -55,14 +55,19 @@ pub async fn update_comment(
     Err(LemmyErrorType::NoCommentEditAllowed)?
   }
 
-  if let Some(language_id) = data.language_id {
+    let language_id = default_post_language(
+      &mut context.pool(),
+      data.language_id,
+      community_id,
+      local_user_view.local_user.id,
+    )
+    .await?;
     CommunityLanguage::is_allowed_community_language(
       &mut context.pool(),
       language_id,
       orig_comment.community.id,
     )
     .await?;
-  }
 
   let slur_regex = local_site_to_slur_regex(&local_site);
   let url_blocklist = get_url_blocklist(&context).await?;
diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/post/create.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/post/create.rs
index 90c68bdbd..86b20cb5c 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/post/create.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/post/create.rs
@@ -105,17 +105,13 @@ pub async fn create_post(
   }
 
   // attempt to set default language if none was provided
-  let language_id = match data.language_id {
-    Some(lid) => lid,
-    None => {
-      default_post_language(
-        &mut context.pool(),
-        community_id,
-        local_user_view.local_user.id,
-      )
-      .await?
-    }
-  };
+  let language_id = default_post_language(
+    &mut context.pool(),
+    data.language_id,
+    community_id,
+    local_user_view.local_user.id,
+  )
+  .await?;
 
   // Only need to check if language is allowed in case user set it explicitly. When using default
   // language, it already only returns allowed languages.
diff --git a/crates/api_crud/src/post/update.rs b/crates/api_crud/src/post/update.rs
index cef8bfea8..1c59d73c3 100644
--- a/crates/api_crud/src/post/update.rs
+++ b/crates/api_crud/src/post/update.rs
@@ -101,14 +101,19 @@ pub async fn update_post(
     Err(LemmyErrorType::NoPostEditAllowed)?
   }
 
-  if let Some(language_id) = data.language_id {
+    let language_id = default_post_language(
+      &mut context.pool(),
+      data.language_id,
+      community_id,
+      local_user_view.local_user.id,
+    )
+    .await?;
     CommunityLanguage::is_allowed_community_language(
       &mut context.pool(),
       language_id,
       orig_post.community_id,
     )
     .await?;
-  }
 
   // handle changes to scheduled_publish_time
   let scheduled_publish_time = match (
diff --git a/crates/db_schema/src/impls/actor_language.rs b/crates/db_schema/src/impls/actor_language.rs
index bff729f41..964496122 100644
--- a/crates/db_schema/src/impls/actor_language.rs
+++ b/crates/db_schema/src/impls/actor_language.rs
@@ -321,26 +321,32 @@ impl CommunityLanguage {
 
 pub async fn default_post_language(
   pool: &mut DbPool<'_>,
+  language_id: Option<LanguageId>,
   community_id: CommunityId,
   local_user_id: LocalUserId,
 ) -> Result<LanguageId, Error> {
   use crate::schema::{community_language::dsl as cl, local_user_language::dsl as ul};
   let conn = &mut get_conn(pool).await?;
-  let mut intersection = ul::local_user_language
-    .inner_join(cl::community_language.on(ul::language_id.eq(cl::language_id)))
-    .filter(ul::local_user_id.eq(local_user_id))
-    .filter(cl::community_id.eq(community_id))
-    .select(cl::language_id)
-    .get_results::<LanguageId>(conn)
-    .await?;
+  match language_id {
+    None | Some(LanguageId(0)) => {
+      let mut intersection = ul::local_user_language
+        .inner_join(cl::community_language.on(ul::language_id.eq(cl::language_id)))
+        .filter(ul::local_user_id.eq(local_user_id))
+        .filter(cl::community_id.eq(community_id))
+        .select(cl::language_id)
+        .get_results::<LanguageId>(conn)
+        .await?;
 
-  if intersection.len() == 1 {
-    Ok(intersection.pop().unwrap_or(UNDETERMINED_ID))
-  } else if intersection.len() == 2 && intersection.contains(&UNDETERMINED_ID) {
-    intersection.retain(|i| i != &UNDETERMINED_ID);
-    Ok(intersection.pop().unwrap_or(UNDETERMINED_ID))
-  } else {
-    Ok(UNDETERMINED_ID)
+      if intersection.len() == 1 {
+        Ok(intersection.pop().unwrap_or(UNDETERMINED_ID))
+      } else if intersection.len() == 2 && intersection.contains(&UNDETERMINED_ID) {
+        intersection.retain(|i| i != &UNDETERMINED_ID);
+        Ok(intersection.pop().unwrap_or(UNDETERMINED_ID))
+      } else {
+        Ok(UNDETERMINED_ID)
+      }
+    }
+    Some(lid) => Ok(lid),
   }
 }