diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index b7d247a..ec5e682 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -3066,18 +3066,9 @@
       }
     },
     "cookie": {
-      "version": "0.4.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/-/cookie-0.4.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-+Hp8fLp57wnUSt0tY0tHEXh4voZRDnoIrZPqlo3DPiI4y9lwg/jqx+1Om94/W6ZaPDOUbnjOt/99w66zk+l1Xg=="
-    },
-    "cookie-parser": {
-      "version": "1.4.5",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie-parser/-/cookie-parser-1.4.5.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-f13bPUj/gG/5mDr+xLmSxxDsB9DQiTIfhJS/sqjrmfAWiAN+x2O4i/XguTL9yDZ+/IFDanJ+5x7hC4CXT9Tdzw==",
-      "requires": {
-        "cookie": "0.4.0",
-        "cookie-signature": "1.0.6"
-      }
+      "version": "0.4.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/-/cookie-0.4.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ZwrFkGJxUR3EIoXtO+yVE69Eb7KlixbaeAWfBQB9vVsNn/o+Yw69gBWSSDK825hQNdN+wF8zELf3dFNl/kxkUA=="
     },
     "cookie-signature": {
       "version": "1.0.6",
@@ -4501,6 +4492,11 @@
         "vary": "~1.1.2"
       },
       "dependencies": {
+        "cookie": {
+          "version": "0.4.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/-/cookie-0.4.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-+Hp8fLp57wnUSt0tY0tHEXh4voZRDnoIrZPqlo3DPiI4y9lwg/jqx+1Om94/W6ZaPDOUbnjOt/99w66zk+l1Xg=="
+        },
         "debug": {
           "version": "2.6.9",
           "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-2.6.9.tgz",
@@ -4536,6 +4532,11 @@
         "uid-safe": "~2.1.5"
       },
       "dependencies": {
+        "cookie": {
+          "version": "0.4.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/-/cookie-0.4.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-+Hp8fLp57wnUSt0tY0tHEXh4voZRDnoIrZPqlo3DPiI4y9lwg/jqx+1Om94/W6ZaPDOUbnjOt/99w66zk+l1Xg=="
+        },
         "debug": {
           "version": "2.6.9",
           "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-2.6.9.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e8394b6..bdc3d25 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     "bufferutil": "^4.0.3",
     "compression": "^1.7.3",
     "connect-redis": "^5.0.0",
-    "cookie-parser": "^1.4.5",
+    "cookie": "^0.4.1",
     "core-js": "^3.8.3",
     "cors": "^2.8.4",
     "etag": "^1.8.1",
diff --git a/src/components/ChatMessage.jsx b/src/components/ChatMessage.jsx
index 483d659..d6526a0 100644
--- a/src/components/ChatMessage.jsx
+++ b/src/components/ChatMessage.jsx
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function ChatMessage({
           <img
             alt=""
             title={country}
-            src={`${window.assetserver}/cf/${country}.gif`}
+            src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/cf/${country}.gif`}
             onError={(e) => {
               e.target.onerror = null;
               e.target.src = './cf/xx.gif';
diff --git a/src/components/LanguageSelect.jsx b/src/components/LanguageSelect.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e25f1a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/LanguageSelect.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/*
+ * Language selection
+ * language is set with cookies and requires a refresh.
+ * Current language is set under window.lang by the server
+ * Available languages under window.langSel
+ *           [['hz', 'am'], ['de', 'de'], ...]
+ *           [languageCode, countryCode (for flag)]
+ * @flow
+ */
+import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { t } from 'ttag';
+import { MONTH } from '../core/constants';
+
+function LanguageSelect() {
+  if (!navigator.cookieEnabled) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const { lang, langs } = window.ssv;
+
+  const [langSel, setLangSel] = useState(lang);
+  const [ccSel, setCCSel] = useState('xx');
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    for (let i = 0; i < langs.length; i += 1) {
+      const [lc, cc] = langs[i];
+      if (lc === langSel) {
+        setCCSel(cc);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+  }, [langSel]);
+
+  return (
+    <div style={{ textAlign: 'right' }}>
+      <span>
+        <select
+          onChange={(e) => {
+            const sel = e.target;
+            setLangSel(sel.options[sel.selectedIndex].value);
+          }}
+        >
+          {
+            langs.map(([l]) => (
+              <option
+                selected={l === langSel}
+                value={l}
+              >
+                {l.toUpperCase()}
+              </option>
+            ))
+          }
+        </select>
+      </span>&nbsp;&nbsp;
+      <span>
+        <img
+          style={{ height: '1em', imageRendering: 'crisp-edges' }}
+          alt=""
+          src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/cf/${ccSel}.gif`}
+        />
+      </span>
+      <button
+        type="submit"
+        style={{ display: 'block', margin: 5 }}
+        onClick={() => {
+          /* set with selected language */
+          const d = new Date();
+          d.setTime(d.getTime() + 24 * MONTH);
+          document.cookie = `lang=${langSel};expires=${d.toUTCString()};path=/`;
+          window.location.reload();
+        }}
+      >
+        {t`Save`}
+      </button>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+export default LanguageSelect;
diff --git a/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx b/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx
index fd90daf..8a27e22 100644
--- a/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx
+++ b/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { c, t } from 'ttag';
 
+import LanguageSelect from './LanguageSelect';
 import MdToggleButtonHover from './MdToggleButtonHover';
 import {
   toggleGrid,
@@ -49,11 +50,12 @@ const rowStyles = {
 };
 
 const SettingsItemSelect = ({
-  title, description, values, selected, onSelect,
+  title, description, values, selected, onSelect, icon,
 }) => (
   <div style={itemStyles}>
     <div style={rowStyles}>
       <h3 style={titleStyles} className="modaltitle">{title}</h3>
+      {(icon) && <img alt="" src={icon} />}
       <select
         onChange={(e) => {
           const sel = e.target;
@@ -173,25 +175,34 @@ function SettingsModal({
         value={isLightGrid}
         onToggle={onToggleLightGrid}
       />
-      { (window.backupurl)
-        ? (
-          <SettingsItem
-            title={t`Historical View`}
-            description={t`Check out past versions of the canvas.`}
-            value={isHistoricalView}
-            keyBind={c('keybinds').t`H`}
-            onToggle={onToggleHistoricalView}
-          />
-        ) : null }
-      {(typeof window.availableStyles !== 'undefined') && (
+      {(window.ssv && window.ssv.backupurl) && (
+      <SettingsItem
+        title={t`Historical View`}
+        description={t`Check out past versions of the canvas.`}
+        value={isHistoricalView}
+        keyBind={c('keybinds').t`H`}
+        onToggle={onToggleHistoricalView}
+      />
+      )}
+      {(window.ssv && window.ssv.availableStyles) && (
         <SettingsItemSelect
           title={t`Themes`}
           description={t`How pixelplanet should look like.`}
-          values={Object.keys(window.availableStyles)}
+          values={Object.keys(window.ssv.availableStyles)}
           selected={selectedStyle}
           onSelect={onSelectStyle}
         />
       )}
+      {(window.ssv && navigator.cookieEnabled && window.ssv.langs) && (
+        <div style={itemStyles}>
+          <div style={rowStyles}>
+            <h3 style={titleStyles} className="modaltitle">
+              {t`Select Language`}
+            </h3>
+            <LanguageSelect />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )}
     </p>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/Style.jsx b/src/components/Style.jsx
index 19fbe88..893ccab 100644
--- a/src/components/Style.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Style.jsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import type { State } from '../reducers';
 
 function Style({ style }) {
-  const cssUri = window.availableStyles[style];
+  const cssUri = window.ssv.availableStyles[style];
   return (style === 'default') ? null
     : (<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href={cssUri} />);
 }
diff --git a/src/components/UserAreaModal.jsx b/src/components/UserAreaModal.jsx
index d5d078b..390782b 100644
--- a/src/components/UserAreaModal.jsx
+++ b/src/components/UserAreaModal.jsx
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const LogInArea = ({ register, forgotPassword, me }) => (
       <img
         style={logoStyle}
         width={32}
-        src={`${window.assetserver}/discordlogo.svg`}
+        src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/discordlogo.svg`}
         alt="Discord"
       />
     </a>
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ const LogInArea = ({ register, forgotPassword, me }) => (
       <img
         style={logoStyle}
         width={32}
-        src={`${window.assetserver}/googlelogo.svg`}
+        src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/googlelogo.svg`}
         alt="Google"
       />
     </a>
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ const LogInArea = ({ register, forgotPassword, me }) => (
       <img
         style={logoStyle}
         width={32}
-        src={`${window.assetserver}/facebooklogo.svg`}
+        src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/facebooklogo.svg`}
         alt="Facebook"
       />
     </a>
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ const LogInArea = ({ register, forgotPassword, me }) => (
       <img
         style={logoStyle}
         width={32}
-        src={`${window.assetserver}/vklogo.svg`}
+        src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/vklogo.svg`}
         alt="VK"
       />
     </a>
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const LogInArea = ({ register, forgotPassword, me }) => (
       <img
         style={logoStyle}
         width={32}
-        src={`${window.assetserver}/redditlogo.svg`}
+        src={`${window.ssv.assetserver}/redditlogo.svg`}
         alt="Reddit"
       />
     </a>
diff --git a/src/core/ttag.js b/src/core/ttag.js
index e0d4373..55f55d7 100644
--- a/src/core/ttag.js
+++ b/src/core/ttag.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  * @flow
  */
 import { TTag } from 'ttag';
+import cookie from 'cookie';
+
 import { languageFromLocalisation } from '../utils/location';
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
@@ -29,9 +31,15 @@ export function getTTag(lang) {
   return ttags[lang] || ttags.default;
 }
 
+/*
+ * express middleware for getting language
+ * It checks the lang cookie, and if not present,
+ * the Accept-Lanuage header
+ */
 export function expressTTag(req, res, next) {
-  const language = req.headers['accept-language'];
-  req.lang = (language) ? languageFromLocalisation(language) : 'default';
+  const cookies = cookie.parse(req.headers.cookie || '');
+  const language = cookies.lang || req.headers['accept-language'];
+  req.lang = languageFromLocalisation(language);
   req.ttag = getTTag(req.lang);
   next();
 }
diff --git a/src/reducers/canvas.js b/src/reducers/canvas.js
index 7838c7c..457ec46 100644
--- a/src/reducers/canvas.js
+++ b/src/reducers/canvas.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export type CanvasState = {
  * check if we got coords from index.html
  */
 function getGivenCoords() {
-  // if (window.coordx && window.coordy) return [window.coordx, window.coordy];
+  // if (window.ssv.coordx && window.ssv.coordy) return [window.ssv.coordx, window.ssv.coordy];
   return [0, 0, 0];
 }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/reset_password.js b/src/routes/reset_password.js
index 9b96f18..4024a0c 100644
--- a/src/routes/reset_password.js
+++ b/src/routes/reset_password.js
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import type { Request, Response } from 'express';
 import redis from '../data/redis';
 import logger from '../core/logger';
 import getPasswordResetHtml from '../ssr-components/PasswordReset';
-import { expressTTag } from '../core/ttag';
 import { MINUTE } from '../core/constants';
 
 import mailProvider from '../core/mail';
@@ -42,12 +41,6 @@ router.use('/',
 router.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
 
 
-/*
- * use translation
- */
-router.use(expressTTag);
-
-
 /*
  * Check for POST parameters,
  * if invalid password is given, ignore it and go to next
diff --git a/src/ssr-components/Main.jsx b/src/ssr-components/Main.jsx
index b3c40eb..dfb88be 100644
--- a/src/ssr-components/Main.jsx
+++ b/src/ssr-components/Main.jsx
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/server';
 
-import { getTTag } from '../core/ttag';
+import { langCodeToCC } from '../utils/location';
+import ttags, { getTTag } from '../core/ttag';
 import Html from './Html';
 /* this one is set by webpack */
 // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-unresolved
@@ -18,11 +19,25 @@ import styleassets from './styleassets.json';
 
 import { ASSET_SERVER, BACKUP_URL } from '../core/config';
 
-// eslint-disable-next-line max-len
-let code = `window.assetserver="${ASSET_SERVER}";window.availableStyles=JSON.parse('${JSON.stringify(styleassets)}');`;
+/*
+ * generate language list
+ */
+const langs = Object.keys(ttags)
+  .map((l) => (l === 'default' ? 'en' : l))
+  .map((l) => [l, langCodeToCC(l)]);
+
+/*
+ * values that we pass to client scripts
+ */
+const ssv = {
+  assetserver: ASSET_SERVER,
+  availableStyles: styleassets,
+  langs,
+};
 if (BACKUP_URL) {
-  code += `window.backupurl="${BACKUP_URL}";`;
+  ssv.backupurl = BACKUP_URL;
 }
+
 const defaultScripts = assets.client.js.map(
   (s) => ASSET_SERVER + s,
 );
@@ -34,15 +49,19 @@ const css = [
 ];
 
 /*
- * generates string with html of main page
- * including setting global variables for countryCoords
- * and assetserver
+ * Generates string with html of main page
  * @param countryCoords Cell with coordinates of client country
  * @param lang language code
  * @return html of mainpage
  */
 function generateMainPage(countryCoords: Cell, lang: string): string {
   const [x, y] = countryCoords;
+  const ssvR = {
+    ...ssv,
+    coordx: x,
+    coordy: y,
+    lang: lang === 'default' ? 'en' : lang,
+  };
   const scripts = (assets[`client-${lang}`])
     ? assets[`client-${lang}`].js.map((s) => ASSET_SERVER + s)
     : defaultScripts;
@@ -55,7 +74,8 @@ function generateMainPage(countryCoords: Cell, lang: string): string {
       description={t`Place color pixels on an map styled canvas with other players online`}
       scripts={scripts}
       css={css}
-      code={`${code}window.coordx=${x};window.coordy=${y};`}
+      // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+      code={`window.ssv=JSON.parse('${JSON.stringify(ssvR)}');`}
       useCaptcha
     />,
   );
diff --git a/src/ui/ChunkLoader2D.js b/src/ui/ChunkLoader2D.js
index 9964a90..05251a9 100644
--- a/src/ui/ChunkLoader2D.js
+++ b/src/ui/ChunkLoader2D.js
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class ChunkLoader {
   ) {
     const { canvasId, canvasMaxTiledZoom } = this;
     const center = [canvasMaxTiledZoom, cx, cy];
-    let url = `${window.backupurl}/${historicalDate}/`;
+    let url = `${window.ssv.backupurl}/${historicalDate}/`;
     if (historicalTime) {
       // incremential tiles
       url += `${canvasId}/${historicalTime}/${cx}/${cy}.png`;
diff --git a/src/ui/setStyle.js b/src/ui/setStyle.js
index 5ebbbe5..f243c9c 100644
--- a/src/ui/setStyle.js
+++ b/src/ui/setStyle.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 export default function setStyle(style) {
-  const cssUri = window.availableStyles[style];
+  const cssUri = window.ssv.availableStyles[style];
   const domStyle = document.getElementById('globcss');
   const curUri = domStyle.getAttribute('href');
   if (curUri !== cssUri) {
diff --git a/src/utils/location.js b/src/utils/location.js
index c66725a..88bd8cb 100644
--- a/src/utils/location.js
+++ b/src/utils/location.js
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ export function ccToCoords(cc: string) {
  * @return language code
  */
 export function languageFromLocalisation(localisation) {
+  if (!localisation) {
+    return 'default';
+  }
   let lang = localisation;
   let i = lang.indexOf('-');
   if (i !== -1) {
@@ -42,7 +45,27 @@ export function languageFromLocalisation(localisation) {
   if (lang === 'en') {
     lang = 'default';
   }
-  return lang;
+  return lang.toLowerCase();
+}
+
+/*
+ * get country code to language code for displaying flags
+ * to languages
+ * @param lang 2-char lang code
+ * @return 2-char country code
+ */
+const lang2CC = {
+  en: 'gb',
+  de: 'de',
+  dz: 'bt',
+  hy: 'am',
+  uk: 'ua',
+  ru: 'ru',
+  fr: 'fr',
+  es: 'es',
+};
+export function langCodeToCC(lang: string) {
+  return lang2CC[lang] || lang;
 }
 
 export default ccToCoords;
diff --git a/src/web.js b/src/web.js
index 8d927ef..60f96fc 100644
--- a/src/web.js
+++ b/src/web.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import logger from './core/logger';
 import rankings from './core/ranking';
 import models from './data/models';
 import chatProvider from './core/ChatProvider';
+import { expressTTag } from './core/ttag';
 
 import SocketServer from './socket/SocketServer';
 import APISocketServer from './socket/APISocketServer';
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ import generateMainPage from './ssr-components/Main';
 import { SECOND, MONTH } from './core/constants';
 import { PORT, DISCORD_INVITE, GUILDED_INVITE } from './core/config';
 
-import { ccToCoords, languageFromLocalisation } from './utils/location';
+import { ccToCoords } from './utils/location';
 import { startAllCanvasLoops } from './core/tileserver';
 
 startAllCanvasLoops();
@@ -125,12 +126,16 @@ app.use('/guilded', (req, res) => {
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 app.get('/chunks/:c([0-9]+)/:x([0-9]+)/:y([0-9]+)(/)?:z([0-9]+)?.bmp', chunks);
 
-
 //
 // Admintools
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 app.use('/admintools', admintools);
 
+/*
+ * decide which language to use
+ */
+app.use(expressTTag);
+
 
 //
 // Password Reset Link
@@ -157,10 +162,7 @@ app.get('/globe', async (req, res) => {
     return;
   }
 
-  const language = req.headers['accept-language'];
-  const lang = (language) ? languageFromLocalisation(language) : 'en';
-
-  res.status(200).send(generateGlobePage(lang));
+  res.status(200).send(generateGlobePage(req.lang));
 });
 
 
@@ -186,12 +188,10 @@ app.get('/', async (req, res) => {
 
   // get start coordinates based on cloudflare header country
   const country = req.headers['cf-ipcountry'];
-  const language = req.headers['accept-language'];
 
-  const lang = (language) ? languageFromLocalisation(language) : 'en';
   const countryCoords = (country) ? ccToCoords(country) : [0, 0];
 
-  res.status(200).send(generateMainPage(countryCoords, lang));
+  res.status(200).send(generateMainPage(countryCoords, req.lang));
 });