diff --git a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
index 378989e0..2d002385 100644
--- a/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
+++ b/src/bitmessageqt/__init__.py
@@ -3405,8 +3405,20 @@ def run():
     app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
     translator = QtCore.QTranslator()
 
+    lang_countrycode = str(locale.getdefaultlocale()[0])
+    translation = "translations/bitmessage_" + lang_countrycode
+    
+    if not os.path.isfile(translation + ".pro"):
+        # Don't have fully localized translation, try language only
+        lang = lang_countrycode[0:2] 
+        translation = "translations/bitmessage_" + lang
+
+    if not os.path.isfile(translation + ".pro"):
+        # Don't have language either, default to 'Merica USA! USA!
+        translation = "translations/bitmessage_en_US"
+        
     try:
-        translator.load("translations/bitmessage_" + str(locale.getdefaultlocale()[0]))
+        translator.load(translation)
         #translator.load("translations/bitmessage_fr_BE") # test French
     except:
         # The above is not compatible with all versions of OSX.
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_de_DE.pro b/src/translations/bitmessage_de.pro
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_de_DE.pro
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_de.pro
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_de_DE.qm b/src/translations/bitmessage_de.qm
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_de_DE.qm
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_de.qm
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_de_DE.ts b/src/translations/bitmessage_de.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_de_DE.ts
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_de.ts
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_fr_BE.pro b/src/translations/bitmessage_fr.pro
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_fr_BE.pro
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_fr.pro
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_fr_BE.qm b/src/translations/bitmessage_fr.qm
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_fr_BE.qm
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_fr.qm
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_fr_BE.ts b/src/translations/bitmessage_fr.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_fr_BE.ts
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_fr.ts
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_ru_RU.pro b/src/translations/bitmessage_ru.pro
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_ru_RU.pro
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_ru.pro
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_ru_RU.qm b/src/translations/bitmessage_ru.qm
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_ru_RU.qm
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_ru.qm
diff --git a/src/translations/bitmessage_ru_RU.ts b/src/translations/bitmessage_ru.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from src/translations/bitmessage_ru_RU.ts
rename to src/translations/bitmessage_ru.ts