diff --git a/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/EmailService.cs b/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/EmailService.cs
index 2093081a5c..c634f1329b 100644
--- a/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/EmailService.cs
+++ b/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/EmailService.cs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public async Task SendForgotPasswordEmail(string emailAddress)
             "Login",
             new { jwt, returnTo = "/resetPassword" });
         ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrEmpty(forgotLink);
-        await RenderEmail(email, new ForgotPasswordEmail(user.Name, forgotLink));
+        await RenderEmail(email, new ForgotPasswordEmail(user.Name, forgotLink), user.LocalizationCode);
         await SendEmailAsync(email);
     }
 
@@ -72,14 +72,14 @@ public async Task SendVerifyAddressEmail(User user, string? newEmail = null)
             "Login",
             new { jwt, returnTo = $"/user?emailResult={queryParam}", email = newEmail ?? user.Email, });
         ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrEmpty(verifyLink);
-        await RenderEmail(email, new VerifyAddressEmail(user.Name, verifyLink, !string.IsNullOrEmpty(newEmail)));
+        await RenderEmail(email, new VerifyAddressEmail(user.Name, verifyLink, !string.IsNullOrEmpty(newEmail)), user.LocalizationCode);
         await SendEmailAsync(email);
     }
 
     public async Task SendPasswordChangedEmail(User user)
     {
         var email = StartUserEmail(user);
-        await RenderEmail(email, new PasswordChangedEmail(user.Name));
+        await RenderEmail(email, new PasswordChangedEmail(user.Name), user.LocalizationCode);
         await SendEmailAsync(email);
     }
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public async Task SendCreateProjectRequestEmail(LexAuthUser user, CreateProjectI
         var email = new MimeMessage();
         email.To.Add(new MailboxAddress("Admin", _emailConfig.CreateProjectEmailDestination));
         await RenderEmail(email,
-            new CreateProjectRequestEmail("Admin", new CreateProjectRequestUser(user.Name, user.Email), projectInput));
+            new CreateProjectRequestEmail("Admin", new CreateProjectRequestUser(user.Name, user.Email), projectInput), "en");
         await SendEmailAsync(email);
     }
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ private async Task SendEmailAsync(MimeMessage message)
 
     private record RenderResult(string Subject, string Html);
 
-    private async Task RenderEmail<T>(MimeMessage message, T parameters) where T : EmailTemplateBase
+    private async Task RenderEmail<T>(MimeMessage message, T parameters, string recipientLocale) where T : EmailTemplateBase
     {
         using var activity = LexBoxActivitySource.Get().StartActivity();
         activity?.AddTag("app.email.template", typeof(T).Name);
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ private async Task RenderEmail<T>(MimeMessage message, T parameters) where T : E
         var httpClient = clientFactory.CreateClient();
         httpClient.BaseAddress = new Uri("http://" + _emailConfig.EmailRenderHost);
         parameters.BaseUrl = _emailConfig.BaseUrl;
+        // Uses TryAddWithoutValidation to work around: https://github.com/cibernox/precompile-intl-runtime/issues/45
+        httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Accept-Language", $"{recipientLocale};q=1.0");
         var response = await httpClient.PostAsJsonAsync("email", parameters, jsonSerializerOptions);
         response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
         var renderResult = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<RenderResult>();
diff --git a/frontend/src/app.d.ts b/frontend/src/app.d.ts
index 5aad4c32d7..6c00fe1fed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app.d.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app.d.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ declare global {
     interface Locals {
       client: Client;
       getUser: (() => LexAuthUser | null);
+      requestedLocale?: string;
     }
 
     interface Error {
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks.server.ts b/frontend/src/hooks.server.ts
index 16156bcf61..f5f2ea5b00 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks.server.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks.server.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
+import { loadI18n } from '$lib/i18n';
 import { AUTH_COOKIE_NAME, getUser, isAuthn } from '$lib/user'
 import { apiVersion } from '$lib/util/version';
 import { redirect, type Handle, type HandleFetch, type HandleServerError, type ResolveOptions } from '@sveltejs/kit'
 import { ensureErrorIsTraced, traceRequest, traceFetch } from '$lib/otel/otel.server'
+import { availableLocales } from '$locales';
 import { env } from '$env/dynamic/private';
 import { getErrorMessage, validateFetchResponse } from './hooks.shared';
-import {setViewMode} from './routes/(authenticated)/shared';
+import { setViewMode } from './routes/(authenticated)/shared';
 import * as setCookieParser from 'set-cookie-parser';
+import { getLocaleFromAcceptLanguageHeader } from 'svelte-intl-precompile';
 import { AUTHENTICATED_ROOT, UNAUTHENTICATED_ROOT } from './routes';
 
 const PUBLIC_ROUTE_ROOTS = [
@@ -24,6 +27,10 @@ export const handle: Handle = ({ event, resolve }) => {
   console.log(`HTTP request: ${event.request.method} ${event.request.url}`);
   event.locals.getUser = () => getUser(event.cookies);
   return traceRequest(event, async () => {
+    const user = event.locals.getUser();
+    const requestedLocale = user?.locale
+      ?? getLocaleFromAcceptLanguageHeader(event.request.headers.get('Accept-Language'), availableLocales);
+    await loadI18n(requestedLocale);
 
     const options: ResolveOptions = {
       filterSerializedResponseHeaders: () => true,
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/+layout.server.ts b/frontend/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
index d12166b8ca..974e6d9039 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,9 @@ import { APP_VERSION, apiVersion } from '$lib/util/version';
 
 import type { LayoutServerLoadEvent } from './$types'
 import { USER_LOAD_KEY } from '$lib/user';
-import { availableLocales } from '$locales';
-import { getLocaleFromAcceptLanguageHeader } from 'svelte-intl-precompile';
 import { getRootTraceparent } from '$lib/otel/otel.server'
 
-export async function load({ locals, depends, fetch, request }: LayoutServerLoadEvent) {
-  const requestLang = getLocaleFromAcceptLanguageHeader(request.headers.get('Accept-Language'), availableLocales);
+export async function load({ locals, depends, fetch }: LayoutServerLoadEvent) {
   const user = locals.getUser();
   const traceParent = getRootTraceparent()
 
@@ -20,7 +17,7 @@ export async function load({ locals, depends, fetch, request }: LayoutServerLoad
   }
   return {
     user,
-    locale: user?.locale ?? requestLang,
+    locale: user?.locale ?? locals.requestedLocale,
     traceParent,
     serverVersion: APP_VERSION,
     apiVersion: apiVersion.value
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/+layout.ts b/frontend/src/routes/+layout.ts
index 6a530aa526..07a81bfcd1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/+layout.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/+layout.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 import type { LayoutLoadEvent } from './$types';
+import { browser } from '$app/environment';
 import { loadI18n } from '$lib/i18n';
 
 //setting this to false can help diagnose requests to the api as you can see them in the browser instead of sveltekit
 export const ssr = true;
 
 export async function load(event: LayoutLoadEvent) {
-  await loadI18n(event.data.locale);
+  if (browser) { // i18n is initialized on the server in hooks.server.ts
+    await loadI18n(event.data.locale);
+  }
   return event.data;
 }