diff --git a/pkg/locale/http.go b/pkg/locale/http.go
index 57e658c78..a2633f243 100644
--- a/pkg/locale/http.go
+++ b/pkg/locale/http.go
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ func DetectLanguage(ll *service) func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 
 			// resolve accept-language header
 			// Accept-Language specifies the language of the response payload.
-			ctx = SetAcceptLanguageToContext(ctx, resolveAcceptLanguageHeaders(ll, r))
+			ctx = SetAcceptLanguageToContext(ctx, resolveAcceptLanguageHeaders(r, ll))
 
 			// resolve content-language header
 			// Content-Language specifies the language of the request payload.
-			ctx = SetContentLanguageToContext(ctx, resolveContentLanguageHeaders(r.Header, ll.Default().Tag))
+			ctx = SetContentLanguageToContext(ctx, resolveContentLanguageHeaders(r.Header, ll))
 
 			next.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 		})
@@ -36,11 +36,15 @@ func DetectLanguage(ll *service) func(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 //  - invalid language: (same as skip)
 //  - valid language:   returns valid language; services will treat translatable content from the payload as translations
 //  - no header:        returns default language; (same as valid language)
-func resolveContentLanguageHeaders(h http.Header, def language.Tag) language.Tag {
+func resolveContentLanguageHeaders(h http.Header, ll *service) language.Tag {
+	if ll == nil || ll.Default() == nil {
+		return language.Und
+	}
+
 	var cLang = h.Get(ContentLanguageHeader)
 
 	if cLang == "" {
-		return def
+		return ll.Default().Tag
 	}
 
 	if cLang == "skip" {
@@ -55,7 +59,12 @@ func resolveContentLanguageHeaders(h http.Header, def language.Tag) language.Tag
 	}
 }
 
-func resolveAcceptLanguageHeaders(ll *service, r *http.Request) (tag language.Tag) {
+func resolveAcceptLanguageHeaders(r *http.Request, ll *service) (tag language.Tag) {
+	if ll == nil || ll.Default() == nil {
+		// locale service does not have anything loaded...
+		return language.Und
+	}
+
 	if ll.opt.DevelopmentMode {
 		if err := ll.ReloadStatic(); err != nil {
 			// when in development mode, refresh languages for every request
@@ -64,11 +73,6 @@ func resolveAcceptLanguageHeaders(ll *service, r *http.Request) (tag language.Ta
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ll.Default() == nil {
-		// locale service does not have anything loaded...
-		return
-	}
-
 	var (
 		raw string
 	)
@@ -85,7 +89,7 @@ func resolveAcceptLanguageHeaders(ll *service, r *http.Request) (tag language.Ta
 
 	if len(raw) == 0 {
 		// no need for lang detection
-		return
+		return ll.Default().Tag
 	}
 
 	// parse & ignore errors
diff --git a/pkg/locale/service.go b/pkg/locale/service.go
index 41a43d4f5..fcaa624e2 100644
--- a/pkg/locale/service.go
+++ b/pkg/locale/service.go
@@ -74,8 +74,18 @@ func SetGlobal(ll *service) {
 	global = ll
 }
 
-func Static(ll ...*Language) *service {
-	return &service{}
+func Static(ll ...*Language) (svc *service) {
+	svc = &service{
+		log: zap.NewNop(),
+		set: make(map[language.Tag]*Language),
+	}
+
+	for _, l := range ll {
+		svc.set[l.Tag] = l
+		svc.tags = append(svc.tags, l.Tag)
+	}
+
+	return svc
 }
 
 func Service(log *zap.Logger, opt options.LocaleOpt) (*service, error) {
@@ -84,7 +94,6 @@ func Service(log *zap.Logger, opt options.LocaleOpt) (*service, error) {
 		src: strings.Split(opt.Path, ":"),
 		log: log.Named("locale"),
 	}
-
 	for _, lang := range strings.Split(opt.Languages, ",") {
 		lang = strings.TrimSpace(lang)
 		tag := language.Make(lang)
diff --git a/tests/automation/main_test.go b/tests/automation/main_test.go
index 20e00e6fc..26285fd65 100644
--- a/tests/automation/main_test.go
+++ b/tests/automation/main_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/id"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/label"
 	ltype "github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/label/types"
+	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/locale"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/rand"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/store"
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/joho/godotenv/autoload"
 	"github.com/steinfletcher/apitest"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"golang.org/x/text/language"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -70,6 +72,9 @@ func InitTestApp() {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			// Tests should be executed w/o any locales
+			locale.SetGlobal(locale.Static(&locale.Language{Tag: language.Und}))
+
 			eventbus.Set(eventBus)
 			return nil
 		})
diff --git a/tests/compose/main_test.go b/tests/compose/main_test.go
index 7aa792f7e..3a01cc66d 100644
--- a/tests/compose/main_test.go
+++ b/tests/compose/main_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/envoy/yaml"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/eventbus"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/id"
+	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/locale"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/objstore/plain"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/rand"
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/afero"
 	"github.com/steinfletcher/apitest"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"golang.org/x/text/language"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -80,6 +82,9 @@ func InitTestApp() {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			// Tests should be executed w/o any locales
+			locale.SetGlobal(locale.Static(&locale.Language{Tag: language.Und}))
+
 			eventbus.Set(eventBus)
 			return nil
 		})
diff --git a/tests/system/main_test.go b/tests/system/main_test.go
index d3c5a8d85..ef55cb66d 100644
--- a/tests/system/main_test.go
+++ b/tests/system/main_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/id"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/label"
 	ltype "github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/label/types"
+	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/locale"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/objstore/plain"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-server/pkg/rand"
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/steinfletcher/apitest"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
+	"golang.org/x/text/language"
 )
 
 //go:embed static
@@ -90,10 +92,14 @@ func InitTestApp() {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			// Tests should be executed w/o any locales
+			locale.SetGlobal(locale.Static(&locale.Language{Tag: language.Und}))
+
 			sm = request.NewSessionManager(service.DefaultStore, app.Opt.Auth, service.DefaultLogger)
 
 			return nil
 		})
+
 	}
 
 	sp, _ := loadSAMLService()