diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFService.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFService.java
index 725cd1ffe..617e725b5 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFService.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFService.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
@@ -42,26 +41,20 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
         this.langs = normalizeLangs(langs);
     }
     
-    private List<String> normalizeLangs(List<String> langs) {
-        List<String> normalizedLangs = new ArrayList<String>();
-        String currentBaseLang = null;
-        for (String lang : langs) {
-            String normalizedLang = StringUtils.lowerCase(lang);
-            String baseLang = normalizedLang.split("-")[0];
-            if (currentBaseLang == null) {
-                currentBaseLang = baseLang;
-            } else if (!currentBaseLang.equals(baseLang)) {
-                if (!normalizedLangs.contains(currentBaseLang)) {
-                    normalizedLangs.add(currentBaseLang);
-                }
-                currentBaseLang = baseLang;
-            }
-        }
-        if (currentBaseLang != null && !normalizedLangs.contains(currentBaseLang)) {
-            normalizedLangs.add(currentBaseLang);
-        }
-        return normalizedLangs;
-    }
+	private List<String> normalizeLangs(List<String> langs) {
+		log.debug("Preferred languages:" + langs);
+		
+		List<String> normalizedLangs = new ArrayList<String>(langs);
+		for (String lang : langs) {
+			String baseLang = lang.split("-")[0];
+			if (!normalizedLangs.contains(baseLang)) {
+				normalizedLangs.add(baseLang);
+			}
+		}
+		
+		log.debug("Normalized languages:" + normalizedLangs);
+		return normalizedLangs;
+	}
 
     @Override
     public boolean changeSetUpdate(ChangeSet changeSet) 
@@ -106,6 +99,7 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
     }
     
     private Model filterModel(Model m) {
+    	log.debug("filterModel");
         List<Statement> retractions = new ArrayList<Statement>();
         StmtIterator stmtIt = m.listStatements();
         while (stmtIt.hasNext()) {
@@ -117,6 +111,7 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
                     continue;
                 }
                 Collections.sort(candidatesForRemoval, new StatementSortByLang());
+                log.debug("sorted statements: " + showSortedStatements(candidatesForRemoval));
                 Iterator<Statement> candIt = candidatesForRemoval.iterator();
                 String langRegister = null;
                 boolean chuckRemaining = false;
@@ -142,9 +137,27 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
         return m;
     }
 
-    @Override
+	private String showSortedStatements(List<Statement> candidatesForRemoval) {
+		List<String> langStrings = new ArrayList<String>();
+		for (Statement stmt: candidatesForRemoval) {
+			if (stmt == null) {
+				langStrings.add("null stmt");
+			} else {
+				RDFNode node = stmt.getObject();
+				if (!node.isLiteral()) {
+					langStrings.add("not literal");
+				} else {
+					langStrings.add(node.asLiteral().getLanguage());
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return langStrings.toString();
+	}
+
+	@Override
     public InputStream sparqlSelectQuery(String query,
             ResultFormat resultFormat) throws RDFServiceException {        
+    	log.debug("sparqlSelectQuery: " + query.replaceAll("\\s+", " "));
         ResultSet resultSet = ResultSetFactory.fromJSON(
                 s.sparqlSelectQuery(query, RDFService.ResultFormat.JSON));
         List<QuerySolution> solnList = getSolutionList(resultSet);
@@ -178,6 +191,7 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
                     continue;
                 }
                 Collections.sort(candidatesForRemoval, new RowIndexedLiteralSortByLang());
+                log.debug("sorted RowIndexedLiterals: " + showSortedRILs(candidatesForRemoval));
                 Iterator<RowIndexedLiteral> candIt = candidatesForRemoval.iterator();
                 String langRegister = null;
                 boolean chuckRemaining = false;
@@ -223,7 +237,15 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
         return new ByteArrayInputStream(outputStream.toByteArray());       
     }
     
-    private class RowIndexedLiteral {
+	private String showSortedRILs(List<RowIndexedLiteral> candidatesForRemoval) {
+		List<String> langstrings = new ArrayList<String>();
+		for (RowIndexedLiteral ril: candidatesForRemoval) {
+			langstrings.add(ril.getLiteral().getLanguage());
+		}
+		return langstrings.toString();
+	}
+
+	private class RowIndexedLiteral {
         
         private Literal literal;
         private int index;
@@ -324,37 +346,44 @@ public class LanguageFilteringRDFService implements RDFService {
     }
        
     private class LangSort {
+    	// any inexact match is worse than any exact match
+    	private int inexactMatchPenalty = langs.size();
+    	// no language is worse than any inexact match (unless it is one of the preferred languages)
+    	private int noLanguage = 2 * inexactMatchPenalty; 
+    	// no match is worse than no language.
+    	private int noMatch = noLanguage+1; 
         
         protected int compareLangs(String t1lang, String t2lang) {
-            t1lang = StringUtils.lowerCase(t1lang);
-            t2lang = StringUtils.lowerCase(t2lang);
-            if ( t1lang == null && t2lang == null) {
-                return 0;
-            } else if (t1lang == null) { 
-                return 1;
-            } else if (t2lang == null) {
-                return -1;
-            } else {        
-                int t1langPref = langs.indexOf(t1lang);
-                int t2langPref = langs.indexOf(t2lang);
-                if (t1langPref == -1 && t2langPref == -1) {
-                    if ("".equals(t1lang) && "".equals(t2lang)) {
-                        return 0;
-                    } else if ("".equals(t1lang) && !("".equals(t2lang))) {
-                        return -1;
-                    } else {
-                        return 1;
-                    }
-                } else if (t1langPref > -1 && t2langPref == -1) {
-                    return -1;
-                } else if (t1langPref == -1 && t2langPref > -1) {
-                    return 1;
-                } else {
-                    return t1langPref - t2langPref;
-                }
-            }
+        	return languageIndex(t1lang) - languageIndex(t2lang);
         }
         
+		/**
+		 * Return index of exact match, or index of partial match, a
+		 * language-free, or no match.
+		 */
+		private int languageIndex(String lang) {
+			if (lang == null) {
+				lang = "";
+			}
+
+			int index = langs.indexOf(lang);
+			if (index >= 0) {
+				return index;
+			}
+
+			if (lang.length() > 2) {
+				index = langs.indexOf(lang.substring(0, 2));
+				if (index >= 0) {
+					return index + inexactMatchPenalty;
+				}
+			}
+			
+			if (lang.isEmpty()) {
+				return noLanguage;
+			}
+
+			return noMatch;
+		}
     }
     
     private class RowIndexedLiteralSortByLang extends LangSort implements Comparator<RowIndexedLiteral> {
diff --git a/webapp/test/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFServiceTest.java b/webapp/test/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFServiceTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5535c22ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/test/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringRDFServiceTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,314 @@
+/* $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ */
+
+package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.rdfservice.filter;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.apache.log4j.Level;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import stubs.com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.LiteralStub;
+
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.Literal;
+
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.testing.AbstractTestClass;
+
+/**
+ * This is the matching order we expect to see: 
+ * <pre>
+ * exact match to preferred, by order.
+ * partial match to preferred, by order.
+ * vanilla or null (no language)
+ * no match
+ * </pre>
+ */
+public class LanguageFilteringRDFServiceTest extends AbstractTestClass {
+	private static final Log log = LogFactory
+			.getLog(LanguageFilteringRDFServiceTest.class);
+
+	private static final String COLLATOR_CLASSNAME = "edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.rdfservice.filter.LanguageFilteringRDFService$RowIndexedLiteralSortByLang";
+	private static final String RIL_CLASSNAME = "edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.rdfservice.filter.LanguageFilteringRDFService$RowIndexedLiteral";
+
+	private LanguageFilteringRDFService filteringRDFService;
+	private List<Object> listOfRowIndexedLiterals;
+	private int literalIndex;
+
+	private List<String> preferredLanguages;
+	private List<String> availableLanguages;
+	private List<String> expectedSortOrders;
+
+	@Before
+	public void setup() {
+		setLoggerLevel(this.getClass(), Level.DEBUG);
+		setLoggerLevel(LanguageFilteringRDFService.class, Level.DEBUG);
+	}
+
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// The tests
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	@Test
+	public void singleMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("en-US");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US");
+		testArbitraryOrder();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void singleNoMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("en-US");
+		availableLanguages = list("es-MX");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("es-MX");
+		testArbitraryOrder();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void doubleMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void noMatches() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("es-MX");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "fr-FR");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US", "fr-FR");
+		testArbitraryOrder();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void partialMatches() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("en", "es");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void matchIsBetterThanNoMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "fr-FR");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US", "fr-FR");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void matchIsBetterThanPartialMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("es-ES", "en-US");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US", "es-MX");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void exactMatchIsBetterThanPartialMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("es");
+		availableLanguages = list("es","es-MX");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("es", "es-MX");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void matchIsBetterThanVanilla() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("en-US");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("en-US", "");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void partialMatchIsBetterThanVanilla() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("es-MX");
+		availableLanguages = list("es-ES", "");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("es-ES", "");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void vanillaIsBetterThanNoMatch() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("es-MX");
+		availableLanguages = list("en-US", "");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("", "en-US");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void omnibus() {
+		preferredLanguages = list("es-MX", "es", "en-UK", "es-PE", "fr");
+		availableLanguages = list("es-MX", "es", "fr", "es-ES", "fr-FR", "", "de-DE");
+		expectedSortOrders = list("es-MX", "es", "fr", "es-ES", "fr-FR", "", "de-DE");
+		testBothWays();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * TODO test plan
+	 * 
+	 * <pre>
+	 * single match
+	 * single not match
+	 * double match both ways
+	 * double, one match, both ways
+	 * double, no match
+	 * double, match only languages, both ways
+	 * double, one match full, one match language, both ways
+	 * double, one vanilla, one match, both ways
+	 * double, one vanilla, one no match, both ways
+	 * </pre>
+	 */
+
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Helper methods
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	private void testBothWays() {
+		createLanguageFilter();
+
+		buildListOfLiterals();
+		sortListOfLiterals();
+		assertLanguageOrder("sort literals");
+
+		buildReversedListOfLiterals();
+		sortListOfLiterals();
+		assertLanguageOrder("sort reversed literals");
+	}
+
+	private void testArbitraryOrder() {
+		createLanguageFilter();
+
+		buildListOfLiterals();
+		sortListOfLiterals();
+		assertLanguages("sort literals");
+
+		buildReversedListOfLiterals();
+		sortListOfLiterals();
+		assertLanguages("sort reversed literals");
+
+	}
+
+	private List<String> list(String... strings) {
+		return new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(strings));
+	}
+
+	private void createLanguageFilter() {
+		filteringRDFService = new LanguageFilteringRDFService(null,
+				preferredLanguages);
+	}
+
+	private void buildListOfLiterals() {
+		List<Object> list = new ArrayList<Object>();
+		for (String language : availableLanguages) {
+			list.add(buildRowIndexedLiteral(language));
+		}
+		listOfRowIndexedLiterals = list;
+	}
+
+	private void buildReversedListOfLiterals() {
+		List<Object> list = new ArrayList<Object>();
+		for (String language : availableLanguages) {
+			list.add(0, buildRowIndexedLiteral(language));
+		}
+		listOfRowIndexedLiterals = list;
+	}
+
+	private void sortListOfLiterals() {
+		log.debug("before sorting: "
+				+ languagesFromLiterals(listOfRowIndexedLiterals));
+		Comparator<Object> comparator = buildRowIndexedLiteralSortByLang();
+		Collections.sort(listOfRowIndexedLiterals, comparator);
+	}
+
+	private void assertLanguageOrder(String message) {
+		List<String> expectedLanguages = expectedSortOrders;
+		log.debug("expected order: " + expectedLanguages);
+
+		List<String> actualLanguages = languagesFromLiterals(listOfRowIndexedLiterals);
+		log.debug("actual order:   " + actualLanguages);
+
+		assertEquals(message, expectedLanguages, actualLanguages);
+	}
+
+	private void assertLanguages(String message) {
+		Set<String> expectedLanguages = new HashSet<String>(expectedSortOrders);
+		log.debug("expected languages: " + expectedLanguages);
+
+		Set<String> actualLanguages = new HashSet<String>(
+				languagesFromLiterals(listOfRowIndexedLiterals));
+		log.debug("actual languages:   " + actualLanguages);
+
+		assertEquals(message, expectedLanguages, actualLanguages);
+	}
+
+	private List<String> languagesFromLiterals(List<Object> literals) {
+		List<String> actualLanguages = new ArrayList<String>();
+		for (Object ril : literals) {
+			actualLanguages.add(getLanguageFromRowIndexedLiteral(ril));
+		}
+		return actualLanguages;
+	}
+
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Reflection methods to get around "private" declarations.
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	private Object buildRowIndexedLiteral(String language) {
+		try {
+			Class<?> clazz = Class.forName(RIL_CLASSNAME);
+			Class<?>[] argTypes = { LanguageFilteringRDFService.class,
+					Literal.class, Integer.TYPE };
+			Constructor<?> constructor = clazz.getDeclaredConstructor(argTypes);
+			constructor.setAccessible(true);
+
+			Literal l = new LiteralStub(language);
+			int i = literalIndex++;
+			return constructor.newInstance(filteringRDFService, l, i);
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(
+					"Could not create a row-indexed literal", e);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private Comparator<Object> buildRowIndexedLiteralSortByLang() {
+		try {
+			Class<?> clazz = Class.forName(COLLATOR_CLASSNAME);
+			Class<?>[] argTypes = { LanguageFilteringRDFService.class };
+			Constructor<?> constructor = clazz.getDeclaredConstructor(argTypes);
+			constructor.setAccessible(true);
+
+			return (Comparator<Object>) constructor
+					.newInstance(filteringRDFService);
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException("Could not create a collator", e);
+		}
+	}
+
+	private String getLanguageFromRowIndexedLiteral(Object ril) {
+		try {
+			Method m = ril.getClass().getDeclaredMethod("getLiteral");
+			m.setAccessible(true);
+			Literal l = (Literal) m.invoke(ril);
+			return l.getLanguage();
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			throw new RuntimeException(
+					"Could not get the Literal from a RowIndexedLiteral", e);
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/webapp/test/stubs/com/hp/hpl/jena/rdf/model/LiteralStub.java b/webapp/test/stubs/com/hp/hpl/jena/rdf/model/LiteralStub.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5bcbd71c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/test/stubs/com/hp/hpl/jena/rdf/model/LiteralStub.java
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+package stubs.com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model;
+
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.datatypes.RDFDatatype;
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.graph.Node;
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.Literal;
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.Model;
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.RDFNode;
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.RDFVisitor;
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.Resource;
+
+/**
+ * Only implemented what I needed so far. The rest is left as an exercise for
+ * the student.
+ */
+public class LiteralStub implements Literal {
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Stub infrastructure
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	final String language;
+
+	public LiteralStub(String language) {
+		this.language = language;
+	}
+
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Stub methods
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isLiteral() {
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isAnon() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isResource() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isURIResource() {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Literal asLiteral() {
+		return this;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Resource asResource() {
+		throw new ClassCastException();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String getLanguage() {
+		return language;
+	}
+
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+	// Un-implemented methods
+	// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	@Override
+	public <T extends RDFNode> T as(Class<T> view) {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.as() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public <T extends RDFNode> boolean canAs(Class<T> arg0) {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.canAs() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Model getModel() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getModel() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Object visitWith(RDFVisitor arg0) {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.visitWith() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Node asNode() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.asNode() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean getBoolean() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getBoolean() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public byte getByte() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getByte() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public char getChar() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getChar() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public RDFDatatype getDatatype() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getDatatype() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String getDatatypeURI() {
+		throw new RuntimeException(
+				"LiteralStub.getDatatypeURI() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public double getDouble() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getDouble() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public float getFloat() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getFloat() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int getInt() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getInt() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String getLexicalForm() {
+		throw new RuntimeException(
+				"LiteralStub.getLexicalForm() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public long getLong() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getLong() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public short getShort() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getShort() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String getString() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getString() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Object getValue() {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.getValue() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Literal inModel(Model arg0) {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.inModel() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean isWellFormedXML() {
+		throw new RuntimeException(
+				"LiteralStub.isWellFormedXML() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean sameValueAs(Literal arg0) {
+		throw new RuntimeException("LiteralStub.sameValueAs() not implemented.");
+	}
+
+}