diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/app/IDEApplication.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/app/IDEApplication.kt
index 1b85da60c..ae0c3bd90 100755
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/app/IDEApplication.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/app/IDEApplication.kt
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ import com.itsaky.androidide.tasks.executeAsync
 import com.itsaky.androidide.treesitter.TreeSitter
 import com.itsaky.androidide.ui.themes.IDETheme
 import com.itsaky.androidide.ui.themes.IThemeManager
-import com.itsaky.androidide.ui.themes.ThemeManager
 import com.itsaky.androidide.utils.ILogger
 import com.itsaky.androidide.utils.RecyclableObjectPool
 import com.itsaky.androidide.utils.VMUtils
@@ -70,7 +69,6 @@ import org.greenrobot.eventbus.Subscribe
 import org.greenrobot.eventbus.ThreadMode
 import java.lang.Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler
 import java.time.Duration
-import java.util.Locale
 import kotlin.system.exitProcess
 
 class IDEApplication : TermuxApplication() {
diff --git a/preferences/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/preferences/internal/generalPreferences.kt b/preferences/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/preferences/internal/generalPreferences.kt
index 6e0723768..3662839e6 100644
--- a/preferences/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/preferences/internal/generalPreferences.kt
+++ b/preferences/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/preferences/internal/generalPreferences.kt
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package com.itsaky.androidide.preferences.internal
 
 import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatDelegate
+import com.itsaky.androidide.resources.localization.LocaleProvider
 
 const val IS_FIRST_PROJECT_BUILD = "project_isFirstBuild"
 const val UI_MODE = "idepref_general_uiMode"
@@ -43,7 +44,16 @@ var selectedTheme: String?
   }
 
 var selectedLocale: String?
-  get() = prefManager.getString(SELECTED_LOCALE, null)
+  get() = prefManager.getString(SELECTED_LOCALE, null).let { locale ->
+
+    // if the locale is set to a locale key that is not supported,
+    // fall back to 'System default'
+    if (LocaleProvider.getLocale(locale) == null) {
+      null
+    } else {
+      locale
+    }
+  }
   set(value) {
     prefManager.putString(SELECTED_LOCALE, value)
   }
diff --git a/resources/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/resources/localization/LocaleProvider.java b/resources/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/resources/localization/LocaleProvider.java
index 1141acdbb..3f49346b8 100644
--- a/resources/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/resources/localization/LocaleProvider.java
+++ b/resources/src/main/java/com/itsaky/androidide/resources/localization/LocaleProvider.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class LocaleProvider {
     putLocale(locales, keys, "fr", "FR"); // French
     putLocale(locales, keys, "hi", "IN"); // Hindi
     putLocale(locales, keys, "in", "ID"); // Indonesian
-    putLocale(locales, keys, "pt", "PT"); // Portuguese
+    putLocale(locales, keys, "pt", "BR"); // Portuguese, Brazilian
     putLocale(locales, keys, "ro", "RO"); // Romanian
     putLocale(locales, keys, "ru", "RU"); // Russian
     putLocale(locales, keys, "tr", "TR"); // Turkish
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class LocaleProvider {
   }
 
   @Nullable
-  public static Locale getLocale(String key) {
+  public static Locale getLocale(@Nullable String key) {
     if (key == null || StringsKt.isBlank(key)) {
       return null;
     }