diff --git a/libraries/joomla/language/language.php b/libraries/joomla/language/language.php
index 968bb15c56728..e83bde35ab2c5 100644
--- a/libraries/joomla/language/language.php
+++ b/libraries/joomla/language/language.php
@@ -723,6 +723,12 @@ public static function exists($lang, $basePath = JPATH_BASE)
 	 */
 	public function load($extension = 'joomla', $basePath = JPATH_BASE, $lang = null, $reload = false, $default = true)
 	{
+		// If language is null set as the current language.
+		if (!$lang)
+		{
+			$lang = $this->lang;
+		}
+
 		// Load the default language first if we're not debugging and a non-default language is requested to be loaded
 		// with $default set to true
 		if (!$this->debug && ($lang != $this->default) && $default)
@@ -730,11 +736,6 @@ public function load($extension = 'joomla', $basePath = JPATH_BASE, $lang = null
 			$this->load($extension, $basePath, $this->default, false, true);
 		}
 
-		if (!$lang)
-		{
-			$lang = $this->lang;
-		}
-
 		$path = self::getLanguagePath($basePath, $lang);
 
 		$internal = $extension == 'joomla' || $extension == '';