diff --git a/pkg/commands/artifact/run.go b/pkg/commands/artifact/run.go
index 90a4d9656..bcaf1e043 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/artifact/run.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/artifact/run.go
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hhatto/gocloc"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 
-	"golang.org/x/exp/maps"
-
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/commands/artifact/scanid"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/commands/process/filelist"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/commands/process/filelist/files"
@@ -33,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/util/ignore"
 	ignoretypes "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/util/ignore/types"
 	outputhandler "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/util/output"
+	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/util/set"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/version_check"
 
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/types"
@@ -258,10 +257,10 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, opts flagtypes.Options, engine engine.Engine) (err
 		log.Debug().Msgf("Error in line of code output %s", err)
 		return err
 	}
-	languageList := FormatFoundLanguages(inputgocloc.Languages)
+	foundLanguageIDs := GetFoundLanguageIDs(engine, inputgocloc.Languages)
 
 	// set used language list for external rules to empty if we dont use them
-	metaLanguageList := languageList
+	metaLanguageList := foundLanguageIDs
 	if opts.RuleOptions.DisableDefaultRules {
 		metaLanguageList = make([]string, 0)
 	}
@@ -290,7 +289,7 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, opts flagtypes.Options, engine engine.Engine) (err
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize engine: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	scanSettings, err := settingsloader.FromOptions(opts, versionMeta, engine)
+	scanSettings, err := settingsloader.FromOptions(opts, versionMeta, engine, foundLanguageIDs)
 	scanSettings.Target = opts.Target
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -476,18 +475,18 @@ func getPlaceholderOutput(reportData *outputtypes.ReportData, report types.Repor
 	return stats.GetPlaceholderOutput(reportData, inputgocloc, config)
 }
 
-func FormatFoundLanguages(languages map[string]*gocloc.Language) (foundLanguages []string) {
-	var foundLanguagesMap = make(map[string]bool, len(languages))
+func GetFoundLanguageIDs(engine engine.Engine, goclocLanguages map[string]*gocloc.Language) []string {
+	foundLanguages := set.New[string]()
 
-	for _, language := range languages {
-		if language.Name == "TypeScript" {
-			foundLanguagesMap["javascript"] = true
-		} else {
-			foundLanguagesMap[strings.ToLower(language.Name)] = true
+	for _, goclocLanguage := range goclocLanguages {
+		for _, language := range engine.GetLanguages() {
+			if slices.Contains(language.GoclocLanguages(), goclocLanguage.Name) {
+				foundLanguages.Add(language.ID())
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	keys := maps.Keys(foundLanguagesMap)
+	keys := foundLanguages.Items()
 	sort.Strings(keys)
 
 	return keys
diff --git a/pkg/commands/artifact/run_test.go b/pkg/commands/artifact/run_test.go
index 4e9f343de..aec699b24 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/artifact/run_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/artifact/run_test.go
@@ -3,11 +3,16 @@ package artifact
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	engineimpl "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/engine/implementation"
+	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/languages"
+
 	"github.com/hhatto/gocloc"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-func TestFormatLanguagesWithJavascriptAndTypescript(t *testing.T) {
+func TestGetFoundLanguageIDsWithJavascriptAndTypescript(t *testing.T) {
+	engine := engineimpl.New(languages.Default())
+
 	dummyGoclocLanguage := gocloc.Language{}
 	dummyGoclocResult := gocloc.Result{
 		Total: &dummyGoclocLanguage,
@@ -29,11 +34,13 @@ func TestFormatLanguagesWithJavascriptAndTypescript(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(
 		t,
 		[]string{"javascript", "ruby"},
-		FormatFoundLanguages(dummyGoclocResult.Languages),
+		GetFoundLanguageIDs(engine, dummyGoclocResult.Languages),
 	)
 }
 
-func TestFormatLanguagesWithoutJavascript(t *testing.T) {
+func TestGetFoundLanguageIDsWithoutJavascript(t *testing.T) {
+	engine := engineimpl.New(languages.Default())
+
 	dummyGoclocLanguage := gocloc.Language{}
 	dummyGoclocResult := gocloc.Result{
 		Total: &dummyGoclocLanguage,
@@ -52,11 +59,13 @@ func TestFormatLanguagesWithoutJavascript(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(
 		t,
 		[]string{"javascript", "ruby"},
-		FormatFoundLanguages(dummyGoclocResult.Languages),
+		GetFoundLanguageIDs(engine, dummyGoclocResult.Languages),
 	)
 }
 
-func TestFormatLanguagesWithJavascriptFirst(t *testing.T) {
+func TestGetFoundLanguageIDsWithJavascriptFirst(t *testing.T) {
+	engine := engineimpl.New(languages.Default())
+
 	dummyGoclocLanguage := gocloc.Language{}
 	dummyGoclocResult := gocloc.Result{
 		Total: &dummyGoclocLanguage,
@@ -78,6 +87,6 @@ func TestFormatLanguagesWithJavascriptFirst(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(
 		t,
 		[]string{"javascript", "ruby"},
-		FormatFoundLanguages(dummyGoclocResult.Languages),
+		GetFoundLanguageIDs(engine, dummyGoclocResult.Languages),
 	)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/process/settings/loader/loader.go b/pkg/commands/process/settings/loader/loader.go
index f7a27ba0e..6d23a316f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/process/settings/loader/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/process/settings/loader/loader.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ func FromOptions(
 	opts flagtypes.Options,
 	versionMeta *version_check.VersionMeta,
 	engine engine.Engine,
+	foundLanguageIDs []string,
 ) (settings.Config, error) {
 	policies, err := policies.Load()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ func FromOptions(
 		versionMeta,
 		engine,
 		opts.ScanOptions.Force,
+		foundLanguageIDs,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return settings.Config{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/loader.go b/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/loader.go
index 8aeb31192..26b1f1a15 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/loader.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -159,7 +160,13 @@ func readRuleDefinitionZip(ruleDefinitions map[string]settings.RuleDefinition, f
 	return nil
 }
 
-func loadCustomDefinitions(engine engine.Engine, definitions map[string]settings.RuleDefinition, isBuiltIn bool, dir fs.FS) error {
+func loadCustomDefinitions(
+	engine engine.Engine,
+	definitions map[string]settings.RuleDefinition,
+	isBuiltIn bool,
+	dir fs.FS,
+	languageIDs []string,
+) error {
 	loadedDefinitions := make(map[string]settings.RuleDefinition)
 	if err := fs.WalkDir(dir, ".", func(path string, dirEntry fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -186,7 +193,7 @@ func loadCustomDefinitions(engine engine.Engine, definitions map[string]settings
 		err = yaml.Unmarshal(entry, &ruleDefinition)
 		if err != nil {
 			output.StdErrLog(validateCustomRuleSchema(entry, filename))
-			return fmt.Errorf("rule file was invalid")
+			return fmt.Errorf("rule file was invalid: %w", err)
 		}
 
 		if ruleDefinition.Metadata == nil {
@@ -202,8 +209,7 @@ func loadCustomDefinitions(engine engine.Engine, definitions map[string]settings
 
 		supported := isBuiltIn
 		for _, languageID := range ruleDefinition.Languages {
-			language := engine.GetLanguageById(languageID)
-			if language != nil {
+			if slices.Contains(languageIDs, languageID) {
 				supported = true
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/rules.go b/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/rules.go
index 48b5e6b41..914ca4343 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/rules.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/process/settings/rules/rules.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ func Load(
 	versionMeta *version_check.VersionMeta,
 	engine engine.Engine,
 	force bool,
+	foundLanguageIDs []string,
 ) (
 	result LoadRulesResult,
 	err error,
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ func Load(
 		return result, fmt.Errorf("error loading remote rules: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := loadCustomDefinitions(engine, builtInDefinitions, true, builtInRulesFS); err != nil {
+	if err := loadCustomDefinitions(engine, builtInDefinitions, true, builtInRulesFS, nil); err != nil {
 		return result, fmt.Errorf("error loading built-in rules: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ func Load(
 			dir = filepath.Join(dirname, dir[2:])
 		}
 		log.Debug().Msgf("loading external rules from: %s", dir)
-		if err := loadCustomDefinitions(engine, definitions, false, os.DirFS(dir)); err != nil {
+		if err := loadCustomDefinitions(engine, definitions, false, os.DirFS(dir), foundLanguageIDs); err != nil {
 			return result, fmt.Errorf("external rules %w", err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/languages/testhelper/testhelper.go b/pkg/languages/testhelper/testhelper.go
index ee67e6eda..5c3a30472 100644
--- a/pkg/languages/testhelper/testhelper.go
+++ b/pkg/languages/testhelper/testhelper.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/scanner/language"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/types"
 	util "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/util/output"
+	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/util/set"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/version_check"
 )
 
@@ -197,12 +198,18 @@ func buildConfig(t *testing.T, engine engine.Engine, ruleBytes []byte) settings.
 		},
 	}
 
-	config, err := settingsloader.FromOptions(configFlags, meta, engine)
+	rules := getRulesFromYaml(t, ruleBytes)
+	languageIDs := set.New[string]()
+	for _, rule := range rules {
+		languageIDs.AddAll(rule.Languages)
+	}
+
+	config, err := settingsloader.FromOptions(configFlags, meta, engine, languageIDs.Items())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to generate default scan settings: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	config.Rules = getRulesFromYaml(t, ruleBytes)
+	config.Rules = rules
 
 	return config
 }
diff --git a/pkg/report/output/privacy/privacy_test.go b/pkg/report/output/privacy/privacy_test.go
index 88f515512..ab3245623 100644
--- a/pkg/report/output/privacy/privacy_test.go
+++ b/pkg/report/output/privacy/privacy_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	engineimpl "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/engine/implementation"
 	flagtypes "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/flag/types"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/languages"
+	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/languages/ruby"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/report/output/dataflow/types"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/report/output/privacy"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/report/output/testhelper"
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ func generateConfig(engine engine.Engine, reportOptions flagtypes.ReportOptions)
 		},
 	}
 
-	return settingsloader.FromOptions(opts, meta, engine)
+	return settingsloader.FromOptions(opts, meta, engine, []string{ruby.Get().ID()})
 }
 
 func dummyDataflow() *outputtypes.DataFlow {
diff --git a/pkg/report/output/security/security_test.go b/pkg/report/output/security/security_test.go
index 1125e6fb7..967fd0d4e 100644
--- a/pkg/report/output/security/security_test.go
+++ b/pkg/report/output/security/security_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	flagtypes "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/flag/types"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/git"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/languages"
+	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/languages/ruby"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/report/basebranchfindings"
 	"github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/report/schema"
 	globaltypes "github.com/bearer/bearer/pkg/types"
@@ -334,7 +335,7 @@ func generateConfig(engine engine.Engine, reportOptions flagtypes.ReportOptions)
 		},
 	}
 
-	return settingsloader.FromOptions(opts, meta, engine)
+	return settingsloader.FromOptions(opts, meta, engine, []string{ruby.Get().ID()})
 }
 
 func dummyDataflowData() *outputtypes.ReportData {