diff --git a/src/kiri/init.js b/src/kiri/init.js
index 968bd516..2dce901b 100644
--- a/src/kiri/init.js
+++ b/src/kiri/init.js
@@ -2561,6 +2561,7 @@
 
     // if a language needs to load, the script is injected and loaded
     // first.  once this loads, or doesn't, the initialization begins
+    let lang_load = false;
     let lang_set = undefined;
     let lang = SETUP.ln ? SETUP.ln[0] : SDB.getItem('kiri-lang') || KIRI.lang.get();
 
@@ -2570,10 +2571,11 @@
         let map = KIRI.lang.map(lang);
         let scr = DOC.createElement('script');
         // scr.setAttribute('defer',true);
-        scr.setAttribute('src',`/kiri/lang/${map}.js`);
+        scr.setAttribute('src',`/kiri/lang/${map}.js?${KIRI.version}`);
         (DOC.body || DOC.head).appendChild(scr);
         STATS.set('ll',lang);
         scr.onload = function() {
+            lang_load = true;
             KIRI.lang.set(map);
             UI.lang();
             init_one();
@@ -2586,8 +2588,10 @@
 
     // set to browser default which will be overridden
     // by any future script loads (above)
-    KIRI.lang.set();
-    UI.lang();
+    if (!lang_load) {
+        KIRI.lang.set();
+        UI.lang();
+    }
 
     // schedule init_one to run after all page content is loaded
     // unless a languge script is loading first, in which case it