diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringUtils.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringUtils.java
index 720bcc148..c7f5fcfe0 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringUtils.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/rdfservice/filter/LanguageFilteringUtils.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public class LanguageFilteringUtils {
 			Locale locale = (Locale) locales.nextElement();
 			langs.add(locale.toString().replace(UNDERSCORE, HYPHEN));
 		}
-		if (langs.isEmpty()) {
+		if (!langs.contains(DEFAULT_LANG_STRING)) {
 			langs.add(DEFAULT_LANG_STRING);
 		}