diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dbbc2abf86..3df0e02f13 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ research and scholarship portal, [VIVO](https://lyrasis.org/vivo/).
 
 For more information, contact the [VIVO community](https://lyrasis.org/vivo/resources/contact/).
 
+
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionController.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionController.java
index de9d52c883..aa013c965d 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionController.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionController.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.utils.LocaleUtility;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.LocaleUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ private void processSelectedLocale(HttpServletRequest req,
 		Locale locale = null;
 
 		try {
-			locale = LocaleUtils.toLocale(selectedLocale.trim());
+			locale = LocaleUtility.languageStringToLocale(selectedLocale);
 			log.debug("Locale selection is " + locale);
 		} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
 			log.error("Failed to convert the selection to a Locale", e);
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionDataGetter.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionDataGetter.java
index d0bff6349f..17fa89fed2 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionDataGetter.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionDataGetter.java
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ private List<Map<String, Object>> buildLocalesList(List<Locale> selectables) {
 	private Map<String, Object> buildLocaleMap(Locale locale,
 			Locale currentLocale) throws FileNotFoundException {
 		Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>();
-		map.put("code", locale.toString());
+        
+		map.put("code", locale.toLanguageTag().replace('-','_'));
 		map.put("label", locale.getDisplayLanguage(locale));
 		map.put("country", locale.getDisplayCountry(locale));
 		map.put("selected", currentLocale.equals(locale));
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionSetup.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionSetup.java
index 596880edd5..98ff8b02f9 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionSetup.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/i18n/selection/LocaleSelectionSetup.java
@@ -10,12 +10,16 @@
 import javax.servlet.ServletContextEvent;
 import javax.servlet.ServletContextListener;
 
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.utils.LocaleUtility;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.LocaleUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.config.ConfigurationProperties;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.i18n.I18n;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.startup.StartupStatus;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+
 
 /**
  * Check the ConfigurationProperties for a forced locale, or for a
@@ -24,6 +28,10 @@
  * Create the appropriate Locale objects and store them in the ServletContext.
  */
 public class LocaleSelectionSetup implements ServletContextListener {
+
+	private static final Log log = LogFactory
+			.getLog(LocaleSelectionSetup.class);
+
 	/**
 	 * If this is set, the locale is forced. No selection will be offered to the
 	 * user, and browser locales will be ignored.
@@ -143,12 +151,13 @@ private Locale buildLocale(String localeString)
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid locale format");
 		}
 
-		Locale locale = LocaleUtils.toLocale(localeString);
+		Locale locale = LocaleUtility.languageStringToLocale(localeString);
 
 		if (!"es_GO".equals(localeString) && // No complaint about bogus locale
 				!LocaleUtils.isAvailableLocale(locale)) {
 			ssWarning("'" + locale + "' is not a recognized locale.");
 		}
+
 		return locale;
 	}
 
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/LocaleUtility.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/LocaleUtility.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..efbe512888
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/LocaleUtility.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.utils;
+
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.LocaleUtils;
+
+import java.util.Locale;
+
+public final class LocaleUtility {
+
+    private LocaleUtility(){}
+
+    public static Locale languageStringToLocale(String localeString){
+        String[] parsedLoc = localeString.trim().split("_", -1);
+        //regex pattern for locale tag with script specified
+        Locale locale = localeString.matches("^[a-z]{1,3}_[A-Z][a-z]{3}_[A-Z]{2}") ?
+            new Locale.Builder().setLanguage(parsedLoc[0]).setRegion(parsedLoc[2]).setScript(parsedLoc[1]).build() :
+            LocaleUtils.toLocale(localeString);
+        return locale;
+    }
+}