diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/usb.c b/src/drivers/bus/usb.c
index bd2a446b..d8db3849 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/usb.c
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/usb.c
@@ -843,12 +843,40 @@ int usb_control ( struct usb_device *usb, unsigned int request,
 	return rc;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get default language ID
+ *
+ * @v usb		USB device
+ * @ret language	Language ID
+ */
+static unsigned int usb_get_default_language ( struct usb_device *usb ) {
+	struct {
+		struct usb_descriptor_header header;
+		uint16_t language[1];
+	} __attribute__ (( packed )) desc;
+	unsigned int language;
+	int rc;
+
+	/* Get descriptor */
+	if ( ( rc = usb_get_descriptor ( usb, 0, USB_STRING_DESCRIPTOR, 0, 0,
+					 &desc.header, sizeof ( desc ) ) ) !=0){
+		DBGC ( usb, "USB %s has no default language: %s\n",
+		       usb->name, strerror ( rc ) );
+		return USB_LANG_ENGLISH;
+	}
+
+	/* Use first language ID */
+	language = le16_to_cpu ( desc.language[0] );
+	DBGC2 ( usb, "USB %s default language %#04x\n", usb->name, language );
+	return language;
+}
+
 /**
  * Get USB string descriptor
  *
  * @v usb		USB device
  * @v index		String index
- * @v language		Language ID
+ * @v language		Language ID, or 0 to use default
  * @v buf		Data buffer
  * @v len		Length of buffer
  * @ret len		String length (excluding NUL), or negative error
@@ -864,6 +892,13 @@ int usb_get_string_descriptor ( struct usb_device *usb, unsigned int index,
 	unsigned int i;
 	int rc;
 
+	/* Use default language ID, if applicable */
+	if ( ( language == 0 ) && ( index != 0 ) ) {
+		if ( ! usb->language )
+			usb->language = usb_get_default_language ( usb );
+		language = usb->language;
+	}
+
 	/* Allocate buffer for string */
 	desc = malloc ( sizeof ( *desc ) );
 	if ( ! desc ) {
diff --git a/src/include/ipxe/usb.h b/src/include/ipxe/usb.h
index e7909d30..68289d26 100644
--- a/src/include/ipxe/usb.h
+++ b/src/include/ipxe/usb.h
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@ struct usb_string_descriptor {
 /** A USB string descriptor */
 #define USB_STRING_DESCRIPTOR 3
 
+/** Language ID for English */
+#define USB_LANG_ENGLISH 0x0409
+
 /** A USB interface descriptor */
 struct usb_interface_descriptor {
 	/** Descriptor header */
@@ -728,6 +731,9 @@ struct usb_device {
 	struct usb_endpoint control;
 	/** Completed control transfers */
 	struct list_head complete;
+
+	/** Default language ID (if known) */
+	unsigned int language;
 };
 
 /** USB device host controller operations */