diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py b/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
index 9e27d10e1..f58cba2b5 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/grampslocale.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class GrampsLocale(object):
 
         if mac():
             from . import maclocale
-            (self.lang, self.language) = maclocale.mac_setup_localization(self, lang, language)
+            maclocale.mac_setup_localization(self, lang, language)
         else:
             self.__init_from_environment(lang, language)
 
diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py b/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
index 74872ac95..efc883351 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/maclocale.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale, lang, language):
         if len(loc) > 2:
             loc = loc[:2]
     # First see if it matches lang
-        if (lang.startswith(loc)
+        if (lang and lang.startswith(loc)
             and os.path.exists(os.path.join(locale_dir, lang[:5]))):
             return lang[:5]
         else:
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale, lang, language):
 
                 elif len(collation) > 0:
                     lang = mac_resolve_locale(collation)
+    glocale.lang = lang
 
     if not language or len(language) == 0:
         if "LANGUAGE" in os.environ:
@@ -275,4 +276,4 @@ def mac_setup_localization(glocale, lang, language):
                   and not collation.startswith("en")):
                 language = [collation]
 
-    return (lang, language)
+    glocale.language = language