diff --git a/docs/Config.md b/docs/Config.md
index 724f35334eb..920d83ebf27 100644
--- a/docs/Config.md
+++ b/docs/Config.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ gui:
   sidePanelWidth: 0.3333 # number from 0 to 1
   expandFocusedSidePanel: false
   mainPanelSplitMode: 'flexible' # one of 'horizontal' | 'flexible' | 'vertical'
+  language: 'auto' # one of 'auto' | 'en' | 'zh' | 'pl' | 'nl'
   theme:
     lightTheme: false # For terminals with a light background
     activeBorderColor:
diff --git a/pkg/app/app.go b/pkg/app/app.go
index 52a1687969e..e1d30d841ee 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app.go
@@ -102,7 +102,10 @@ func NewApp(config config.AppConfigurer, filterPath string) (*App, error) {
 	}
 	var err error
 	app.Log = newLogger(config)
-	app.Tr = i18n.NewTranslationSet(app.Log)
+	app.Tr, err = i18n.NewTranslationSetFromConfig(app.Log, config.GetUserConfig().Gui.Language)
+	if err != nil {
+		return app, err
+	}
 
 	// if we are being called in 'demon' mode, we can just return here
 	app.ClientContext = os.Getenv("LAZYGIT_CLIENT_COMMAND")
diff --git a/pkg/commands/dummies.go b/pkg/commands/dummies.go
index 6feb908e397..b1b6e944127 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/dummies.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/dummies.go
@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@ func NewDummyGitCommand() *GitCommand {
 
 // NewDummyGitCommandWithOSCommand creates a new dummy GitCommand for testing
 func NewDummyGitCommandWithOSCommand(osCommand *oscommands.OSCommand) *GitCommand {
+	newAppConfig := config.NewDummyAppConfig()
 	return &GitCommand{
 		Log:               utils.NewDummyLog(),
 		OSCommand:         osCommand,
-		Tr:                i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog()),
-		Config:            config.NewDummyAppConfig(),
+		Tr:                i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog(), newAppConfig.GetUserConfig().Gui.Language),
+		Config:            newAppConfig,
 		getGitConfigValue: func(string) (string, error) { return "", nil },
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
index e31fe8910ee..6891fdc53aa 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_test.go
@@ -209,7 +209,8 @@ func TestNewGitCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, s := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(s.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
 			s.setup()
-			s.test(NewGitCommand(utils.NewDummyLog(), oscommands.NewDummyOSCommand(), i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog()), config.NewDummyAppConfig()))
+			newAppConfig := config.NewDummyAppConfig()
+			s.test(NewGitCommand(utils.NewDummyLog(), oscommands.NewDummyOSCommand(), i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog(), newAppConfig.GetUserConfig().Gui.Language), newAppConfig))
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/loading_commits_test.go b/pkg/commands/loading_commits_test.go
index a637f5bd5ec..bd35556d4fc 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/loading_commits_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/loading_commits_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func NewDummyCommitListBuilder() *CommitListBuilder {
 		Log:        utils.NewDummyLog(),
 		GitCommand: NewDummyGitCommandWithOSCommand(osCommand),
 		OSCommand:  osCommand,
-		Tr:         i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog()),
+		Tr:         i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog(), "auto"),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index 9d61cb68f00..7b5145a47ae 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type GuiConfig struct {
 	SidePanelWidth           float64            `yaml:"sidePanelWidth"`
 	ExpandFocusedSidePanel   bool               `yaml:"expandFocusedSidePanel"`
 	MainPanelSplitMode       string             `yaml:"mainPanelSplitMode"`
+	Language                 string             `yaml:"language"`
 	Theme                    ThemeConfig        `yaml:"theme"`
 	CommitLength             CommitLengthConfig `yaml:"commitLength"`
 	SkipNoStagedFilesWarning bool               `yaml:"skipNoStagedFilesWarning"`
@@ -310,6 +311,7 @@ func GetDefaultConfig() *UserConfig {
 			SidePanelWidth:         0.3333,
 			ExpandFocusedSidePanel: false,
 			MainPanelSplitMode:     "flexible",
+			Language:               "auto",
 			Theme: ThemeConfig{
 				LightTheme:           false,
 				ActiveBorderColor:    []string{"green", "bold"},
diff --git a/pkg/gui/dummies.go b/pkg/gui/dummies.go
index d8a7cba2908..0e37bbbc80f 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/dummies.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/dummies.go
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@ import (
 
 // NewDummyGui creates a new dummy GUI for testing
 func NewDummyUpdater() *updates.Updater {
-	DummyUpdater, _ := updates.NewUpdater(utils.NewDummyLog(), config.NewDummyAppConfig(), oscommands.NewDummyOSCommand(), i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog()))
+	newAppConfig := config.NewDummyAppConfig()
+	DummyUpdater, _ := updates.NewUpdater(utils.NewDummyLog(), newAppConfig, oscommands.NewDummyOSCommand(), i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog(), newAppConfig.GetUserConfig().Gui.Language))
 	return DummyUpdater
 }
 
 func NewDummyGui() *Gui {
-	DummyGui, _ := NewGui(utils.NewDummyLog(), commands.NewDummyGitCommand(), oscommands.NewDummyOSCommand(), i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog()), config.NewDummyAppConfig(), NewDummyUpdater(), "", false)
+	newAppConfig := config.NewDummyAppConfig()
+	DummyGui, _ := NewGui(utils.NewDummyLog(), commands.NewDummyGitCommand(), oscommands.NewDummyOSCommand(), i18n.NewTranslationSet(utils.NewDummyLog(), newAppConfig.GetUserConfig().Gui.Language), newAppConfig, NewDummyUpdater(), "", false)
 	return DummyGui
 }
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/i18n.go b/pkg/i18n/i18n.go
index dece062f44d..8f6452c542b 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/i18n.go
+++ b/pkg/i18n/i18n.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/cloudfoundry/jibber_jabber"
+	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
 	"github.com/imdario/mergo"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -14,20 +15,31 @@ type Localizer struct {
 	S   TranslationSet
 }
 
-// NewTranslationSet creates a new Localizer
-func NewTranslationSet(log *logrus.Entry) *TranslationSet {
-	userLang := detectLanguage(jibber_jabber.DetectLanguage)
+func NewTranslationSetFromConfig(log *logrus.Entry, configLanguage string) (*TranslationSet, error) {
+	if configLanguage == "auto" {
+		language := detectLanguage(jibber_jabber.DetectLanguage)
+		return NewTranslationSet(log, language), nil
+	}
 
-	log.Info("language: " + userLang)
+	for key := range GetTranslationSets() {
+		if key == configLanguage {
+			return NewTranslationSet(log, configLanguage), nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return NewTranslationSet(log, "en"), errors.New("Language not found: " + configLanguage)
+}
+
+func NewTranslationSet(log *logrus.Entry, language string) *TranslationSet {
+	log.Info("language: " + language)
 
 	baseSet := englishTranslationSet()
 
 	for languageCode, translationSet := range GetTranslationSets() {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(userLang, languageCode) {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(language, languageCode) {
 			_ = mergo.Merge(&baseSet, translationSet, mergo.WithOverride)
 		}
 	}
-
 	return &baseSet
 }