diff --git a/public/src/app.js b/public/src/app.js
index f175c9f21f..6c5103165c 100644
--- a/public/src/app.js
+++ b/public/src/app.js
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ app.cacheBuster = null;
 				Notifications.prepareDOM();
 				Chat.prepareDOM();
 				app.reskin(data.config.bootswatchSkin);
-				callback();
+				translator.switchTimeagoLanguage(callback);
 			});
 		});
 	};
diff --git a/public/src/modules/translator.js b/public/src/modules/translator.js
index 2064709edc..8bce483e44 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/translator.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/translator.js
@@ -596,6 +596,15 @@
 				toggle();
 			}
 		},
+
+		switchTimeagoLanguage: function switchTimeagoLanguage(callback) {
+			// Delete the cached shorthand strings if present
+			delete adaptor.timeagoShort;
+
+			var languageCode = utils.userLangToTimeagoCode(config.userLang);
+			jQuery.getScript(config.relative_path + '/assets/vendor/jquery/timeago/locales/jquery.timeago.' + languageCode + '.js').done(callback);
+		},
+
 		prepareDOM: function prepareDOM() {
 			// Add directional code if necessary
 			adaptor.translate('[[language:dir]]', function (value) {
diff --git a/src/controllers/authentication.js b/src/controllers/authentication.js
index 0e2e699a3f..3b05ac578c 100644
--- a/src/controllers/authentication.js
+++ b/src/controllers/authentication.js
@@ -284,6 +284,8 @@ function continueLogin(req, res, next) {
 				});
 			});
 		} else {
+			delete req.query.lang;
+
 			async.parallel({
 				doLogin: async.apply(authenticationController.doLogin, req, userData.uid),
 				header: async.apply(middleware.generateHeader, req, res, {}),
diff --git a/src/middleware/headers.js b/src/middleware/headers.js
index 3eafc203d9..ef9935ec37 100644
--- a/src/middleware/headers.js
+++ b/src/middleware/headers.js
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 
 var os = require('os');
 var winston = require('winston');
+var _ = require('lodash');
 
 var meta = require('../meta');
+var languages = require('../languages');
 
 module.exports = function (middleware) {
 	middleware.addHeaders = function (req, res, next) {
@@ -60,4 +62,30 @@ module.exports = function (middleware) {
 
 		next();
 	};
+
+	let langs = [];
+	middleware.autoLocale = function (req, res, next) {
+		if (parseInt(req.uid, 10) > 0 || !meta.config.autoDetectLang) {
+			return next();
+		}
+
+		var lang = req.acceptsLanguages(langs);
+		if (!lang) {
+			return next();
+		}
+		req.query.lang = lang;
+		next();
+	};
+
+	languages.listCodes(function (err, codes) {
+		if (err) {
+			winston.error('[middleware/autoLocale] Could not retrieve languages codes list!');
+			codes = [];
+		}
+
+		winston.verbose('[middleware/autoLocale] Retrieves languages list for middleware');
+		var defaultLang = meta.config.defaultLang || 'en-GB';
+
+		langs = _.uniq([defaultLang, ...codes]);
+	});
 };
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index 71c4d01664..76e96a3ffb 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ var db = require('./database');
 var file = require('./file');
 var emailer = require('./emailer');
 var meta = require('./meta');
-var languages = require('./languages');
 var logger = require('./logger');
 var plugins = require('./plugins');
 var flags = require('./flags');
@@ -194,12 +193,13 @@ function setupExpressApp(app, callback) {
 	app.use(middleware.addHeaders);
 	app.use(middleware.processRender);
 	auth.initialize(app, middleware);
+	app.use(middleware.autoLocale);	// must be added after auth middlewares are added
 
 	var toobusy = require('toobusy-js');
 	toobusy.maxLag(meta.config.eventLoopLagThreshold);
 	toobusy.interval(meta.config.eventLoopInterval);
 
-	setupAutoLocale(app, callback);
+	callback();
 }
 
 function setupFavicon(app) {
@@ -233,35 +233,6 @@ function setupCookie() {
 	return cookie;
 }
 
-function setupAutoLocale(app, callback) {
-	languages.listCodes(function (err, codes) {
-		if (err) {
-			return callback(err);
-		}
-
-		var defaultLang = meta.config.defaultLang || 'en-GB';
-
-		var langs = [defaultLang].concat(codes).filter(function (el, i, arr) {
-			return arr.indexOf(el) === i;
-		});
-
-		app.use(function (req, res, next) {
-			if (parseInt(req.uid, 10) > 0 || !meta.config.autoDetectLang) {
-				return next();
-			}
-
-			var lang = req.acceptsLanguages(langs);
-			if (!lang) {
-				return next();
-			}
-			req.query.lang = lang;
-			next();
-		});
-
-		callback();
-	});
-}
-
 function listen(callback) {
 	callback = callback || function () { };
 	var port = nconf.get('port');
diff --git a/test/locale-detect.js b/test/locale-detect.js
index 1bace9fd75..5f865bbd7d 100644
--- a/test/locale-detect.js
+++ b/test/locale-detect.js
@@ -9,17 +9,20 @@ var meta = require('../src/meta');
 
 describe('Language detection', function () {
 	it('should detect the language for a guest', function (done) {
-		meta.config.autoDetectLang = 1;
-		request(nconf.get('url') + '/api/config', {
-			headers: {
-				'Accept-Language': 'de-DE,de;q=0.5',
-			},
-		}, function (err, res, body) {
+		meta.configs.set('autoDetectLang', 1, function (err) {
 			assert.ifError(err);
-			assert.ok(body);
+			request(nconf.get('url') + '/api/config', {
+				headers: {
+					'Accept-Language': 'de-DE,de;q=0.5',
+				},
+				json: true,
+			}, function (err, res, body) {
+				assert.ifError(err);
+				assert.ok(body);
 
-			assert.strictEqual(JSON.parse(body).userLang, 'de');
-			done();
+				assert.strictEqual(body.userLang, 'de');
+				done();
+			});
 		});
 	});
 
@@ -30,11 +33,12 @@ describe('Language detection', function () {
 				headers: {
 					'Accept-Language': 'de-DE,de;q=0.5',
 				},
+				json: true,
 			}, function (err, res, body) {
 				assert.ifError(err);
 				assert.ok(body);
 
-				assert.strictEqual(JSON.parse(body).userLang, 'en-GB');
+				assert.strictEqual(body.userLang, 'en-GB');
 				done();
 			});
 		});