diff --git a/src/AudacityApp.cpp b/src/AudacityApp.cpp
index 8e25bd7f0..7d09ab369 100644
--- a/src/AudacityApp.cpp
+++ b/src/AudacityApp.cpp
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ void PopulatePreferences()
       auto &ini = *pIni;
 
       wxString lang;
-      if (ini.Read(wxT("/FromInno/Language"), &lang))
+      if (ini.Read(wxT("/FromInno/Language"), &lang) && !lang.empty())
       {
          // Only change "langCode" if the language was actually specified in the ini file.
          langCode = lang;
@@ -217,7 +217,12 @@ void PopulatePreferences()
       }
    }
 
-   langCode = GUIPrefs::InitLang( langCode );
+   // Use the system default language if one wasn't specified or if the user selected System.
+   if (langCode.empty())
+      langCode =
+         Languages::GetSystemLanguageCode(FileNames::AudacityPathList());
+
+   langCode = GUIPrefs::SetLang( langCode );
 
    // User requested that the preferences be completely reset
    if (resetPrefs)
diff --git a/src/CrashReport.cpp b/src/CrashReport.cpp
index 1a8f60e76..18f79e16f 100644
--- a/src/CrashReport.cpp
+++ b/src/CrashReport.cpp
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ void Generate(wxDebugReport::Context ctx)
          if (ctx == wxDebugReport::Context_Current)
          {
             auto saveLang = GUIPrefs::GetLangShort();
-            GUIPrefs::InitLang( wxT("en") );
-            auto cleanup = finally( [&]{ GUIPrefs::InitLang( saveLang ); } );
+            GUIPrefs::SetLang( wxT("en") );
+            auto cleanup = finally( [&]{ GUIPrefs::SetLang( saveLang ); } );
       
             auto gAudioIO = AudioIOBase::Get();
             rpt.AddText(wxT("audiodev.txt"), gAudioIO->GetDeviceInfo(), wxT("Audio Device Info"));
diff --git a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
index dfefef716..58dad2286 100644
--- a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ effects from this one class.
 #include "../EffectManager.h"
 #include "../../FileNames.h"
 #include "../../LabelTrack.h"
+#include "../../Languages.h"
 #include "../../NoteTrack.h"
 #include "../../TimeTrack.h"
 #include "../../prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h"
@@ -700,7 +701,9 @@ bool NyquistEffect::Process()
 
       mProps += wxString::Format(wxT("(putprop '*AUDACITY* (list %d %d %d) 'VERSION)\n"), AUDACITY_VERSION, AUDACITY_RELEASE, AUDACITY_REVISION);
       wxString lang = gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Locale/Language"), wxT(""));
-      lang = (lang.empty())? GUIPrefs::SetLang(lang) : lang;
+      lang = (lang.empty())
+         ? Languages::GetSystemLanguageCode(FileNames::AudacityPathList())
+         : lang;
       mProps += wxString::Format(wxT("(putprop '*AUDACITY* \"%s\" 'LANGUAGE)\n"), lang);
 
       mProps += wxString::Format(wxT("(setf *DECIMAL-SEPARATOR* #\\%c)\n"), wxNumberFormatter::GetDecimalSeparator());
diff --git a/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.cpp b/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.cpp
index 9ed6c1ecf..e2790dc7c 100644
--- a/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.cpp
+++ b/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.cpp
@@ -254,22 +254,6 @@ bool GUIPrefs::Commit()
    return true;
 }
 
-wxString GUIPrefs::InitLang( wxString langCode )
-{
-   if ( langCode.empty() )
-      langCode = gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Locale/Language"), wxEmptyString);
-
-   // Use the system default language if one wasn't specified or if the user selected System.
-   if (langCode.empty())
-   {
-      langCode =
-         Languages::GetSystemLanguageCode(FileNames::AudacityPathList());
-   }
-
-   // Initialize the language
-   return SetLang(langCode);
-}
-
 static std::unique_ptr<wxLocale> sLocale;
 static wxString sLocaleName;
 
diff --git a/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.h b/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.h
index d4fa23b8f..b440b2d4d 100644
--- a/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.h
+++ b/src/prefs/GUIPrefs.h
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@ class AUDACITY_DLL_API GUIPrefs final : public PrefsPanel
       int *pDefaultRangeIndex = nullptr
    );
 
-   // If no input language given, defaults first to choice in preferences, then
-   // to system language.
-   // Returns the language actually used which is not lang if lang cannot be found.
-   static wxString InitLang( wxString lang = {} );
-
    // If no input language given, defaults to system language.
    // Returns the language actually used which is not lang if lang cannot be found.
    static wxString SetLang( const wxString & lang );