diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 6e5f80e1e..26a14fd45 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   layout :layout_by_resource
 
   helper :admin, :orbit_form
-  before_filter :set_locale, :set_site, :prepare_for_mobile
+  before_filter :set_site, :set_locale, :prepare_for_mobile
 
   helper_attr :site_valid_locales
 
@@ -154,18 +154,18 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   def set_locale
     # update session if passed
     session[:locale] = params[:locale] if params[:locale]
-
-    # set locale based on session or default
-    begin
-      # check if locale is valid for non site pages
-      if LIST[:forbidden_item_names].include?(env['PATH_INFO'].split('/')[1].to_s) && !VALID_LOCALES.include?(session[:locale])
-        I18n.locale = I18n.default_locale
-      else
-        I18n.locale = session[:locale]
-      end
-    rescue
-      I18n.locale = I18n.default_locale
-    end    
+    browser_locale = condition = nil
+    # check if locale is valid for non site pages
+    if LIST[:forbidden_item_names].include?(env['PATH_INFO'].split('/')[1].to_s)
+      condition = VALID_LOCALES.include?(session[:locale])
+    elsif session[:locale]
+      condition = @site_in_use_locales.include?(session[:locale])
+    else
+      browser_locale = request.env['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'].scan(/^[a-z]{2}/).first rescue nil
+      condition = @site_in_use_locales.include?(browser_locale)
+    end 
+    session[:locale] = condition ? (browser_locale || session[:locale]) : I18n.default_locale.to_s
+    I18n.locale = session[:locale].to_sym
   end
     
   # Set the site variables