diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index d2fb273..ef32e2a 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ RUN \
     /tmp/projectsend.zip -d \
     /app/www/public && \
   mv /app/www/public/upload /defaults/ && \
+  echo "**** download default lang files ****" && \
+  mkdir -p /defaults/lang && \
+  curl -fso \
+    /defaults/lang/en.mo -L \
+    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/projectsend/projectsend/refs/heads/develop/templates/default/lang/en.mo" && \
+  curl -fso \
+    /defaults/lang/en.po -L \
+    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/projectsend/projectsend/refs/heads/develop/templates/default/lang/en.po" && \
   printf "Linuxserver.io version: ${VERSION}\nBuild-date: ${BUILD_DATE}" > /build_version && \
   echo "**** cleanup ****" && \
     rm -rf \
diff --git a/Dockerfile.aarch64 b/Dockerfile.aarch64
index ac6fe28..43d78d8 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.aarch64
+++ b/Dockerfile.aarch64
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ RUN \
     /tmp/projectsend.zip -d \
     /app/www/public && \
   mv /app/www/public/upload /defaults/ && \
+  echo "**** download default lang files ****" && \
+  mkdir -p /defaults/lang && \
+  curl -fso \
+    /defaults/lang/en.mo -L \
+    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/projectsend/projectsend/refs/heads/develop/templates/default/lang/en.mo" && \
+  curl -fso \
+    /defaults/lang/en.po -L \
+    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/projectsend/projectsend/refs/heads/develop/templates/default/lang/en.po" && \
   printf "Linuxserver.io version: ${VERSION}\nBuild-date: ${BUILD_DATE}" > /build_version && \
   echo "**** cleanup ****" && \
     rm -rf \
diff --git a/readme-vars.yml b/readme-vars.yml
index 615f290..0ec7325 100644
--- a/readme-vars.yml
+++ b/readme-vars.yml
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ init_diagram: |
   "projectsend:latest" <- Base Images
 # changelog
 changelogs:
+  - {date: "16.11.25:", desc: "Add missing language files to default install."}
   - {date: "14.10.25:", desc: "Rebase to 3.22."}
   - {date: "06.06.25:", desc: "Add crontab handler for scheduled tasks."}
   - {date: "21.12.24:", desc: "Rebase to Alpine 3.21, move php .ini file to /config/php."}
diff --git a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-projectsend-config/run b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-projectsend-config/run
index 6214f02..13495b8 100755
--- a/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-projectsend-config/run
+++ b/root/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/init-projectsend-config/run
@@ -56,18 +56,9 @@ fi
 
 #Handle translations
 mkdir -p /config/translations
-
 shopt -s globstar dotglob
 
 #check if there are newer translation files in the container and if so copy them to /config
-if [[ -d /config/translations/lang && ! -L /app/www/public/lang ]]; then
-    for file in /app/www/public/lang/*; do
-        if [ $(date -r "$file" +%s) -ge $(date -r "/config/translations/lang/$(echo $file | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF)}')" +%s) ]; then
-            cp "$file" /config/translations/lang/
-        fi
-    done
-fi
-# symlink translations
 if [[ -d /config/translations/lang && ! -L /app/www/public/lang ]]; then
     rm -rf /app/www/public/lang
 fi
@@ -77,6 +68,10 @@ fi
 if [[ -d /config/translations/lang && ! -L /app/www/public/lang ]]; then
     ln -s /config/translations/lang /app/www/public/lang
 fi
+if [[ ! -f /config/translations/lang/en.po ]] || [[ ! -f /config/translations/lang/en.mo ]]; then
+    mkdir -p /config/translations/lang
+    cp /defaults/lang/* /config/translations/lang/
+fi
 
 symlinks=(
     /app/www/public/templates/default/lang
@@ -85,26 +80,21 @@ symlinks=(
 )
 
 for i in "${symlinks[@]}"; do
-    path=$(echo "$i" | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF-1)"/"$NF}')
-    #check if there are newer translation files in the container and if so copy them to /config
-    if [[ -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "$i" ]]; then
-        for file in "$i"/*; do
-            if [ $(date -r "$file" +%s) -ge $(date -r "/config/translations/$(echo $i | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF-1)}')/$(echo $file | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF)}')" +%s) ]; then
-                cp "$file" "/config/translations/$(echo $i | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF-1)}')"
-            fi
-        done
-    fi
+    path=$(echo "${i}" | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF-1)}')
     # symlink translations
-    if [[ -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "$i" ]]; then
-        rm -rf "$i"
+    if [[ -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "${i}" ]]; then
+        rm -rf "${i}"
     fi
-    if [[ ! -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "$i" ]]; then
-        mv "$i" /config/translations/"$(echo $i | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF-1)}')"
+    if [[ ! -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "${i}" ]]; then
+        mv "$i" /config/translations/"$(echo "${i}" | awk -F '/' '{print $(NF-1)}')"
     fi
-    if [[ -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "$i" ]]; then
-        ln -s /config/translations/"$path" "$i"
+    if [[ -d /config/translations/"$path" && ! -L "${i}" ]]; then
+        ln -s /config/translations/"$path" "${i}"
+    fi
+    if [[ ! -f /config/translations/"$path"/en.po ]] || [[ ! -f /config/translations/"$path"/en.mo ]]; then
+        mkdir -p /config/translations/"$path"
+        cp /defaults/lang/* /config/translations/"$path"/
     fi
-
 done
 
 shopt -u globstar dotglob