diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/get-first-preferred-lang-code.js b/app/scripts/lib/get-first-preferred-lang-code.js
index bcac7937a..5cd028e91 100644
--- a/app/scripts/lib/get-first-preferred-lang-code.js
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/get-first-preferred-lang-code.js
@@ -38,9 +38,23 @@ export default async function getFirstPreferredLangCode() {
     userPreferredLocaleCodes = [];
   }
 
-  const firstPreferredLangCode = userPreferredLocaleCodes
+  let firstPreferredLangCode = userPreferredLocaleCodes
     .map((code) => code.toLowerCase().replace('_', '-'))
-    .find((code) => existingLocaleCodes[code] !== undefined);
+    .find(
+      (code) =>
+        existingLocaleCodes[code] !== undefined ||
+        existingLocaleCodes[code.split('-')[0]] !== undefined,
+    );
+
+  // if we have matched against a code with a '-' present, meaning its a regional
+  // code for which we have a non-regioned locale, we need to set firstPreferredLangCode
+  // to the correct non-regional code.
+  if (
+    firstPreferredLangCode !== undefined &&
+    existingLocaleCodes[firstPreferredLangCode] === undefined
+  ) {
+    firstPreferredLangCode = firstPreferredLangCode.split('-')[0];
+  }
 
   return existingLocaleCodes[firstPreferredLangCode] || 'en';
 }