diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/admin/plugins.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/admin/plugins.js
index 3d49a7e8a..ac6c6f701 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/admin/plugins.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/admin/plugins.js
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@ module.exports = {
             })
         } else {
             opts.lang = apiUtils.determineLangFromHeaders(req.acceptsLanguages());
-            if (/[^a-z\-\*]/i.test(opts.lang)) {
-                res.json({});
-                return;
+            if (/[^0-9a-z=\-\*]/i.test(opts.lang)) {
+                opts.lang = "en-US";
             }
             runtimeAPI.plugins.getPluginConfigs(opts).then(function(configs) {
                 res.send(configs);
@@ -32,9 +31,8 @@ module.exports = {
             lang: req.query.lng,
             req: apiUtils.getRequestLogObject(req)
         }
-        if (/[^a-z\-\*]/i.test(opts.lang)) {
-            res.json({});
-            return;
+        if (/[^0-9a-z=\-\*]/i.test(opts.lang)) {
+            opts.lang = "en-US";
         }
         runtimeAPI.plugins.getPluginCatalogs(opts).then(function(result) {
             res.json(result);
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/plugins.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/plugins.js
index 076638640..21703508c 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/plugins.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/api/plugins.js
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ var api = module.exports = {
     * @memberof @node-red/runtime_plugins
     */
     getPluginConfigs: async function(opts) {
-        if (/[^a-z\-]/i.test(opts.lang)) {
+        if (/[^0-9a-z=\-\*]/i.test(opts.lang)) {
             throw new Error("Invalid language: "+opts.lang)
             return;
         }