diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e8c323519..e0db4740a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with: { go-version: "${{ env.GO_VERSION }}" }
+      - name: "Copy language files"
+        working-directory: server/pkg/locale
+        run: make src/en
       - name: "Unit"
         working-directory: server
         run: make test.unit
@@ -87,12 +90,14 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with: { go-version: "${{ env.GO_VERSION }}" }
-#      - name: "Restore web console dist from cache"
-#        uses: actions/cache@v3
-#        with: { path: ./server/webconsole/dist, key: console-build }
-
+      - name: "Restore web console dist from cache"
+        uses: actions/cache@v3
+        with: { path: ./server/webconsole/dist, key: console-build }
       - name: "Copy essentials"
         run: cp *.md DCO LICENSE server/
+      - name: "Copy language files"
+        working-directory: server/pkg/locale
+        run: make src/en src/de src/fr
       - name: "Build"
         working-directory: server
         run: make release-clean release
diff --git a/server/Makefile b/server/Makefile
index 1d5077468..3348f38ff 100644
--- a/server/Makefile
+++ b/server/Makefile
@@ -163,13 +163,6 @@ provision:
 webapp:
 	@ $(MAKE) --directory=webapp
 
-locale.update:
-	$(GO) get github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-locale@2022.9.x
-	$(GO) mod vendor
-	git add --all vendor/github.com/cortezaproject
-	git commit -m 'Update corteza-locale dep' vendor/github.com/cortezaproject vendor/modules.txt go.mod go.sum
-
-
 vendors.check: $(MODOUTDATED)
 	$(GO) list -mod=mod -u -m -json all | $(MODOUTDATED) -update -direct
 
@@ -216,7 +209,6 @@ test.pkg: $(GOTEST)
 # Test defaults to test.unit
 test: test.unit
 
-
 vet:
 	$(GO) vet ./...
 
diff --git a/server/app/boot_levels.go b/server/app/boot_levels.go
index 7091bd28d..2915dcca3 100644
--- a/server/app/boot_levels.go
+++ b/server/app/boot_levels.go
@@ -134,7 +134,10 @@ func (app *CortezaApp) Setup() (err error) {
 		}
 
 		if languages, err := locale.Service(localeLog, app.Opt.Locale); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("locale service setup: %w", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"locale service setup: %w; "+
+					"if this is development environment set ENVIRONMENT=dev or LOCALE_DEVELOPMENT_MODE=true, "+
+					"or run make -C pkg/locale if you want to embed languages before bulding server binary", err)
 		} else {
 			locale.SetGlobal(languages)
 		}
diff --git a/server/app/options/locale.cue b/server/app/options/locale.cue
index b7caf1028..1bbb5b889 100644
--- a/server/app/options/locale.cue
+++ b/server/app/options/locale.cue
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@ locale: schema.#optionsGroup & {
 		}
 
 		path: {
-			description: "One or more paths to locale config and translation files, separated by colon"
+			description: """
+				One or more paths to locale config and translation files, separated by colon
+
+				When with LOCALE_DEVELOPMENT_MODE=true, default value for path is ../../locale
+				"""
+			"""
 		}
 
 		query_string_param: {
diff --git a/server/pkg/locale/Makefile b/server/pkg/locale/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d633f0f55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/pkg/locale/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+
+PATH_ROOT     := ../../..
+PATH_INTERNAL := $(PATH_ROOT)/locale
+VERSION       := 2022.9.x
+
+EXTERNAL_PKG  := corteza-locale-$(VERSION).zip
+EXTERNAL_DIR  := corteza-locale-$(VERSION)
+
+# Default task
+copy-english-from-root-locale-dir: src/en
+
+# Copy internal language files (english) to pkg/locale/src
+#
+# This way languages will be embedded into the build
+src/en:
+	rm -rf $*
+	cp -r $(PATH_INTERNAL)/en ./src
+
+# Catch-all for external locales
+src/%: unpack-external
+	cp -r $(EXTERNAL_DIR)/src/$* ./src
+
+unpack-external: $(EXTERNAL_DIR)
+
+$(EXTERNAL_DIR): $(EXTERNAL_PKG)
+	unzip $@
+
+$(EXTERNAL_PKG):
+	curl -L https://github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-locale/archive/refs/heads/$(VERSION).zip -o $@
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf $(EXTERNAL_PKG) $(EXTERNAL_DIR)
diff --git a/server/pkg/locale/embeded.go b/server/pkg/locale/embeded.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a55840e8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/pkg/locale/embeded.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package locale
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// This helps us import translations into corteza-server as a module
+// dependency
+
+import (
+	"embed"
+	"io/fs"
+)
+
+//go:embed src/*
+var languages embed.FS
+
+// LoadEmbedded returns embedded translation files
+// as a virtual filesystem
+func LoadEmbedded() fs.FS {
+	sub, _ := fs.Sub(languages, "src")
+	return sub
+}
diff --git a/server/pkg/locale/service.go b/server/pkg/locale/service.go
index f4e424e76..2fc0427e7 100644
--- a/server/pkg/locale/service.go
+++ b/server/pkg/locale/service.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
-	locale "github.com/cortezaproject/corteza-locale"
 	"github.com/cortezaproject/corteza/server/pkg/options"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"golang.org/x/text/language"
@@ -156,7 +155,7 @@ func (svc *service) ReloadStatic() (err error) {
 	}
 
 	// load embedded locales from the corteza-locale package
-	if ll, err = loadConfigs(locale.Languages()); err != nil {
+	if ll, err = loadConfigs(LoadEmbedded()); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not load embedded locales: %w", err)
 	} else {
 		// cleanup src and effectively mark the
@@ -173,6 +172,13 @@ func (svc *service) ReloadStatic() (err error) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not load imported locales: %w", err)
 		}
 
+		if len(aux) == 0 {
+			svc.log.Warn(
+				"no languages found in path, future versions of Corteza will require at least one language to be present",
+				zap.String("path", p),
+			)
+		}
+
 		for _, l := range aux {
 			l.src = p + "/" + l.src
 		}
@@ -230,6 +236,11 @@ func (svc *service) ReloadStatic() (err error) {
 		svc.set[lang.Tag] = lang
 	}
 
+	svc.log.Debug("languages loaded",
+		zap.Strings("path", svc.src),
+		zap.Int("count", len(svc.set)),
+	)
+
 	// Do another pass and link all extended languages
 	for _, lang := range svc.set {
 		if lang.Extends.IsRoot() {
diff --git a/server/pkg/locale/src/README.md b/server/pkg/locale/src/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..823b7fe0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/pkg/locale/src/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Place for embedded language files that get copied here before building the Corteza server. 
+
+See Makefile for details
diff --git a/server/pkg/options/locale.go b/server/pkg/options/locale.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de9dce998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/pkg/options/locale.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+package options
+
+func (o *LocaleOpt) Defaults() {
+	if Environment().IsDevelopment() || o.DevelopmentMode {
+		o.Path = "../locale"
+	}
+}