diff --git a/i18n/i18n.php b/i18n/i18n.php
index 3ede6ee56..e0b121eda 100644
--- a/i18n/i18n.php
+++ b/i18n/i18n.php
@@ -2208,6 +2208,24 @@ class i18n extends Object implements TemplateGlobalProvider {
 		return (array)Config::inst()->get('i18n', 'all_locales');
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Matches a given locale with the closest translation available in the system
+	 * 
+	 * @param string $locale locale code
+	 * @return string Locale of closest available translation, if available
+	 */
+	public static function get_closest_translation($locale) {
+		
+		// Check if exact match
+		$pool = self::get_existing_translations();
+		if(isset($pool[$locale])) return $locale;
+		
+		// Fallback to best locale for common language
+		$lang = self::get_lang_from_locale($locale);
+		$candidate = self::get_locale_from_lang($lang);
+		if(isset($pool[$candidate])) return $candidate;
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Searches the root-directory for module-directories
 	 * (identified by having a _config.php on their first directory-level).
diff --git a/security/Member.php b/security/Member.php
index 966af2b7e..0f5b0f0d5 100644
--- a/security/Member.php
+++ b/security/Member.php
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class Member extends DataObject implements TemplateGlobalProvider {
 	 */
 	public function populateDefaults() {
 		parent::populateDefaults();
-		$this->Locale = i18n::get_locale();
+		$this->Locale = i18n::get_closest_translation(i18n::get_locale());
 	}
 	
 	public function requireDefaultRecords() {
diff --git a/tests/i18n/i18nTest.php b/tests/i18n/i18nTest.php
index fd98cbf82..1d2cc131c 100644
--- a/tests/i18n/i18nTest.php
+++ b/tests/i18n/i18nTest.php
@@ -102,6 +102,32 @@ class i18nTest extends SapphireTest {
 		$this->assertTrue(isset($translations['de_DE']), 'Checking for de_DE translation');
 	}
 	
+	public function testGetClosestTranslation() {
+		
+		// Validate necessary assumptions for this test
+		$translations = i18n::get_existing_translations();
+		$this->assertTrue(isset($translations['en_US']));
+		$this->assertTrue(isset($translations['en_GB']));
+		$this->assertTrue(isset($translations['es_ES']));
+		$this->assertTrue(isset($translations['es_AR']));
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($translations['en_ZZ']));
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($translations['es_ZZ']));
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($translations['zz_ZZ']));
+		
+		// Test indeterminate locales
+		$this->assertEmpty(i18n::get_closest_translation('zz_ZZ'));
+		
+		// Test english fallback
+		$this->assertEquals('en_US', i18n::get_closest_translation('en_US'));
+		$this->assertEquals('en_GB', i18n::get_closest_translation('en_GB'));
+		$this->assertEquals('en_US', i18n::get_closest_translation('en_ZZ'));
+		
+		// Test spanish fallbacks
+		$this->assertEquals('es_AR', i18n::get_closest_translation('es_AR'));
+		$this->assertEquals('es_ES', i18n::get_closest_translation('es_ES'));
+		$this->assertEquals('es_ES', i18n::get_closest_translation('es_XX'));
+	}
+	
 	public function testDataObjectFieldLabels() {
 		$oldLocale = i18n::get_locale();
 		i18n::set_locale('de_DE');