diff --git a/core/control/RootURLController.php b/core/control/RootURLController.php
index b141b98b7..c0ed8a277 100755
--- a/core/control/RootURLController.php
+++ b/core/control/RootURLController.php
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class RootURLController extends Controller {
 	/**
 	 * Return the URL segment for the current HTTP_HOST value
 	 * 
+	 * @param string $locale
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	static function get_homepage_urlsegment() {
@@ -65,8 +66,8 @@ class RootURLController extends Controller {
 			$homePageOBJ = null;
 		}
 		
-		if(singleton('SiteTree')->hasExtension('Translatable')) {
-			$urlSegment = Translatable::get_homepage_urlsegment_by_language(Translatable::current_locale());
+		if(singleton('SiteTree')->hasExtension('Translatable') && !$homePageOBJ) {
+			$urlSegment = Translatable::get_homepage_urlsegment_by_locale(Translatable::current_locale());
 		} elseif($homePageOBJ) {
 			$urlSegment = $homePageOBJ->URLSegment;
 		}
@@ -76,14 +77,34 @@ class RootURLController extends Controller {
 	
 	/**
 	 * Returns true if we're currently on the root page and should be redirecting to the root
-	 * Doesn't take into account actions, post vars, or get vars
+	 * Doesn't take into account actions, post vars, or get vars.
+	 *
+	 * @param SiteTree $currentPage
+	 * @return boolean
 	 */
 	static function should_be_on_root(SiteTree $currentPage) {
-		if(!self::$is_at_root) return self::get_homepage_urlsegment() == $currentPage->URLSegment;
-		else return false;
+		if(self::$is_at_root) return false;
+		
+		$matchesHomepageSegment = (self::get_homepage_urlsegment() == $currentPage->URLSegment);
+		// Don't redirect translated homepage segments,
+		// as the redirection target '/' will show the default locale
+		// instead of the translation.
+		$isTranslatedHomepage = (
+			singleton('SiteTree')->hasExtension('Translatable')
+			&& $currentPage->Locale 
+			&& $currentPage->Locale != Translatable::default_locale()
+		);
+		if($matchesHomepageSegment && !$isTranslatedHomepage) return true;
+		
+		return false;
 	}
 	
 	/**
+	 * Returns the (untranslated) hardcoded URL segment that will
+	 * show when the website is accessed without a URL segment (http://mysite.com/).
+	 * It is also the base for any redirections to '/' for the homepage,
+	 * see {@link should_be_on_root()}.
+	 * 
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	static function get_default_homepage_urlsegment() {
diff --git a/core/model/Translatable.php b/core/model/Translatable.php
index 61eea69fa..422ae4279 100755
--- a/core/model/Translatable.php
+++ b/core/model/Translatable.php
@@ -10,20 +10,23 @@
  * <h2>Configuration</h2>
  * 
  * Enabling Translatable in the $extension array of a DataObject
- * <code>
+ * <example>
  * class MyClass extends DataObject {
  *   static $extensions = array(
  *     "Translatable"
  *   );
  * }
- * </code>
+ * </example>
  * 
  * Enabling Translatable through {@link Object::add_extension()} in your _config.php:
  * <example>
+ * Translatable::set_default_locale('en_US');
  * Object::add_extension('MyClass', 'Translatable');
  * </example>
  * 
  * Make sure to rebuild the database through /dev/build after enabling translatable.
+ * Use the correct {@link set_default_locale()} before building the database
+ * for the first time, as this locale will be written on all new records.
  * 
  * <h2>Usage</h2>
  *
@@ -210,7 +213,9 @@ class Translatable extends DataObjectDecorator {
 	}
 	
 	/**
-	 * Set default language.
+	 * Set default language. Please set this value *before* creating
+	 * any database records (like pages), as this locale will be attached
+	 * to all new records.
 	 * 
 	 * @param $locale String
 	 */
@@ -663,9 +668,9 @@ class Translatable extends DataObjectDecorator {
 	 */
 	function alternateGetByUrl($urlSegment, $extraFilter, $cache = null, $orderby = null) {
 		$SQL_URLSegment = Convert::raw2sql($urlSegment);
-		Translatable::disable();
-		$record = DataObject::get_one('SiteTree', "\"URLSegment\" = '{$SQL_URLSegment}'");
-		Translatable::enable();
+		self::$enable_lang_filter = false;
+		$record = DataObject::get_one('SiteTree', "\"URLSegment\" = '{$SQL_URLSegment}'", false);
+		self::$enable_lang_filter = true;
 		
 		return $record;
 	}
@@ -1023,14 +1028,14 @@ class Translatable extends DataObjectDecorator {
 	 * @param string $locale
 	 * @return string|boolean URLSegment (e.g. "home")
 	 */
-	static function get_homepage_urlsegment_by_language($locale) {
+	static function get_homepage_urlsegment_by_locale($locale) {
 		$origHomepageObj = Translatable::get_one_by_locale(
 			'SiteTree',
 			Translatable::default_locale(),
 			sprintf('"URLSegment" = \'%s\'', RootUrlController::get_default_homepage_urlsegment())
 		);
 		if($origHomepageObj) {
-			$translatedHomepageObj = $origHomepageObj->getTranslation(Translatable::current_locale());
+			$translatedHomepageObj = $origHomepageObj->getTranslation($locale);
 			if($translatedHomepageObj) {
 				return $translatedHomepageObj->URLSegment;
 			}
@@ -1039,6 +1044,13 @@ class Translatable extends DataObjectDecorator {
 		return null;
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * @deprecated 2.4 Use get_homepage_urlsegment_by_locale()
+	 */
+	static function get_homepage_urlsegment_by_language($locale) {
+		return self::get_homepage_urlsegment_by_locale($locale);
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * @deprecated 2.4 Use is_default_locale()
 	 */
diff --git a/tests/control/RootURLControllerTest.php b/tests/control/RootURLControllerTest.php
index 31a273b83..1b1885cdf 100644
--- a/tests/control/RootURLControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/control/RootURLControllerTest.php
@@ -37,7 +37,11 @@ class RootURLControllerTest extends SapphireTest {
 		
 		foreach($tests as $domain => $urlSegment) {
 			$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] = $domain;
-			$this->assertEquals($urlSegment, RootURLController::get_homepage_urlsegment(), "Testing $domain matches $urlSegment");
+			$this->assertEquals(
+				$urlSegment, 
+				RootURLController::get_homepage_urlsegment(Translatable::default_locale()), 
+				"Testing $domain matches $urlSegment"
+			);
 		}
 		
 		$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] = $originalHost;
diff --git a/tests/model/TranslatableTest.php b/tests/model/TranslatableTest.php
index fcad087b6..894db1c17 100644
--- a/tests/model/TranslatableTest.php
+++ b/tests/model/TranslatableTest.php
@@ -622,8 +622,6 @@ class TranslatableTest extends FunctionalTest {
 	}
 
 	function testRootUrlDefaultsToTranslatedUrlSegment() {
-		$_originalHost = $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'];
-		
 		$origPage = $this->objFromFixture('Page', 'homepage_en');
 		$origPage->publish('Stage', 'Live');
 		$translationDe = $origPage->createTranslation('de_DE');
@@ -631,9 +629,8 @@ class TranslatableTest extends FunctionalTest {
 		$translationDe->write();
 		$translationDe->publish('Stage', 'Live');
 		
-		// test with translatable enabled
-		$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] = '/?locale=de';
-		Translatable::set_reading_locale('de_DE');
+		// test with translatable
+		Translatable::set_reading_locale('de_DE');		
 		$this->assertEquals(
 			RootURLController::get_homepage_urlsegment(), 
 			'heim', 
@@ -653,7 +650,6 @@ class TranslatableTest extends FunctionalTest {
 		
 		// setting back to default
 		Translatable::set_reading_locale('en_US');
-		$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] = $_originalHost;
 	}
 	
 	function testSiteTreeChangePageTypeInMaster() {