diff --git a/Sources/Actions/Admin/Languages.php b/Sources/Actions/Admin/Languages.php
index f482db58fa..e0636dba07 100644
--- a/Sources/Actions/Admin/Languages.php
+++ b/Sources/Actions/Admin/Languages.php
@@ -671,6 +671,11 @@ public function editEntries()
 
 		Utils::$context['lang_id'] = &$lang_id;
 
+		// Neither the forum's own default nor en_US can go. en_US is what
+		// Lang::load() falls back to for any string the chosen language is
+		// missing, so a forum without it has no backstop at all.
+		Utils::$context['can_delete_language'] = $lang_id !== 'en_US' && $lang_id !== Config::$language;
+
 		// Get all the theme data.
 		$themes = [
 			1 => [
@@ -792,7 +797,7 @@ function ($val1, $val2) {
 		}
 
 		// We no longer wish to speak this language.
-		if (!empty($_POST['delete_main']) && $lang_id != 'english') {
+		if (!empty($_POST['delete_main']) && Utils::$context['can_delete_language']) {
 			User::$me->checkSession();
 			SecurityToken::validate('admin-mlang');
 
diff --git a/Themes/default/ManageLanguages.template.php b/Themes/default/ManageLanguages.template.php
index 363b3c35c8..ee98000573 100644
--- a/Themes/default/ManageLanguages.template.php
+++ b/Themes/default/ManageLanguages.template.php
@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@ function template_modify_language_entries()
 				<input type="submit" name="save_main" value="', Lang::getTxt('save', file: 'General'), '"', !empty(Utils::$context['lang_file_not_writable_message']) ? ' disabled' : '', ' class="button">
 				<input type="reset" id="reset_main" value="', Lang::getTxt('reset', file: 'General'), '" class="button">';
 
-	// Allow deleting entries. English can't be deleted though.
-	if (Utils::$context['lang_id'] != 'english') {
+	// Allow deleting entries. The default language and en_US can't go.
+	if (Utils::$context['can_delete_language']) {
 		echo '
 				<input type="submit" name="delete_main" value="', Lang::getTxt('delete', file: 'General'), '"', !empty(Utils::$context['lang_file_not_writable_message']) ? ' disabled' : '', ' onclick="return confirm(\'', Lang::getTxt('languages_delete_confirm', file: 'ManageSettings'), '\');" class="button">';
 	}