diff --git a/source/glest_game/global/lang.cpp b/source/glest_game/global/lang.cpp
index 9bd6506c..fec8b42b 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/global/lang.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/global/lang.cpp
@@ -46,8 +46,11 @@ Lang &Lang::getInstance() {
 	return lang;
 }
 
-void Lang::loadStrings(const string &uselanguage, bool loadFonts,
+void Lang::loadStrings(string uselanguage, bool loadFonts,
 		bool fallbackToDefault) {
+	if(uselanguage.length() == 2) {
+		uselanguage = getLanguageFile(uselanguage);
+	}
 	bool languageChanged = (uselanguage != this->language);
 	this->language= uselanguage;
 	loadStrings(uselanguage, strings, true, fallbackToDefault);
@@ -163,7 +166,7 @@ void Lang::loadStrings(const string &uselanguage, bool loadFonts,
     }
 }
 
-void Lang::loadStrings(const string &uselanguage, Properties &properties, bool fileMustExist,
+void Lang::loadStrings(string uselanguage, Properties &properties, bool fileMustExist,
 		bool fallbackToDefault) {
 	properties.clear();
 	string data_path = getGameReadWritePath(GameConstants::path_data_CacheLookupKey);
@@ -187,7 +190,7 @@ bool Lang::isUTF8Language() const {
 	return is_utf8_language;
 }
 
-void Lang::loadScenarioStrings(const string &scenarioDir, const string &scenarioName){
+void Lang::loadScenarioStrings(string scenarioDir, string scenarioName){
 	if(SystemFlags::getSystemSettingType(SystemFlags::debugSystem).enabled) SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugSystem,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] scenarioDir = [%s] scenarioName = [%s]\n",__FILE__,__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,scenarioDir.c_str(),scenarioName.c_str());
 
 	string currentPath = scenarioDir;
@@ -302,4 +305,51 @@ string Lang::getScenarioString(const string &s) {
 	}
 }
 
+bool Lang::fileMatchesISO630Code(string uselanguage, string testLanguageFile) {
+	bool result = false;
+	Properties stringsTest;
+	stringsTest.load(testLanguageFile);
+
+	try {
+		string iso639 = stringsTest.getString("ISO639-1");
+		if(iso639 == uselanguage) {
+			result = true;
+		}
+	}
+	catch(exception &ex) {
+	}
+
+	return result;
+}
+
+string Lang::getLanguageFile(string uselanguage) {
+	bool foundMatch = false;
+	string result = uselanguage;
+
+    string data_path = getGameReadWritePath(GameConstants::path_data_CacheLookupKey);
+
+    vector<string> langResults;
+    string userDataPath = getGameCustomCoreDataPath(data_path, "");
+	findAll(userDataPath + "data/lang/*.lng", langResults, true, false);
+	for(unsigned int i = 0; i < langResults.size() && foundMatch == false ; ++i) {
+		string testLanguageFile = userDataPath + "data/lang/" + langResults[i] + ".lng";
+		foundMatch = fileMatchesISO630Code(uselanguage, testLanguageFile);
+		if(foundMatch == true) {
+			result = langResults[i];
+		}
+	}
+	if(foundMatch == false) {
+		langResults.clear();
+		findAll(data_path + "data/lang/*.lng", langResults, true);
+		for(unsigned int i = 0; i < langResults.size() && foundMatch == false ; ++i) {
+			string testLanguageFile = data_path + "data/lang/" + langResults[i] + ".lng";
+			foundMatch = fileMatchesISO630Code(uselanguage, testLanguageFile);
+			if(foundMatch == true) {
+				result = langResults[i];
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return result;
+}
+
 }}//end namespace
diff --git a/source/glest_game/global/lang.h b/source/glest_game/global/lang.h
index 03e91d7b..b46d780e 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/global/lang.h
+++ b/source/glest_game/global/lang.h
@@ -37,13 +37,15 @@ private:
 
 private:
 	Lang();
-	void loadStrings(const string &language, Properties &properties, bool fileMustExist,bool fallbackToDefault=false);
+	void loadStrings(string language, Properties &properties, bool fileMustExist,bool fallbackToDefault=false);
+	string getLanguageFile(string uselanguage);
+	bool fileMatchesISO630Code(string uselanguage, string testLanguageFile);
 
 public:
 	static Lang &getInstance();    
 
-	void loadStrings(const string &uselanguage, bool loadFonts=true, bool fallbackToDefault=false);
-	void loadScenarioStrings(const string &scenarioDir, const string &scenarioName);
+	void loadStrings(string uselanguage, bool loadFonts=true, bool fallbackToDefault=false);
+	void loadScenarioStrings(string scenarioDir, string scenarioName);
 
 	string get(const string &s,string uselanguage="", bool fallbackToDefault=false);
 	bool hasString(const string &s, string uselanguage="", bool fallbackToDefault=false);
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/include/platform/sdl/platform_main.h b/source/shared_lib/include/platform/sdl/platform_main.h
index 01f2b78f..e837c414 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/include/platform/sdl/platform_main.h
+++ b/source/shared_lib/include/platform/sdl/platform_main.h
@@ -182,8 +182,9 @@ void printParameterHelp(const char *argv0, bool foundInvalidArgs) {
 	printf("\n                     \t\texample: %s %s=techs/megapack/factions/tech/units/castle/models/castle.g3d=png=keepsmallest",argv0,GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_CONVERT_MODELS]);
 
 	printf("\n%s=x\t\tforce the language to be the language specified by x.",GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_USE_LANGUAGE]);
-	printf("\n                     \t\tWhere x is a supported language (such as english).");
+	printf("\n                     \t\tWhere x is a supported language filename or ISO639-1 code.");
 	printf("\n                     \t\texample: %s %s=english",argv0,GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_USE_LANGUAGE]);
+	printf("\n                     \t\texample: %s %s=en",argv0,GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_USE_LANGUAGE]);
 
 
 	printf("\n%s=x\t\tshow the calculated CRC for the map named x.",GAME_ARGS[GAME_ARG_SHOW_MAP_CRC]);