diff --git a/daras_ai_v2/asr.py b/daras_ai_v2/asr.py
index 18690384f..78df47297 100644
--- a/daras_ai_v2/asr.py
+++ b/daras_ai_v2/asr.py
@@ -419,7 +419,12 @@ def asr_language_selector(
         options.insert(0, None)
 
     # handle non-canonical language codes
-    st.session_state[key] = get_language_match(st.session_state.get(key), options)
+    old_lang = st.session_state.get(key)
+    if old_lang:
+        try:
+            st.session_state[key] = normalised_lang_in_collection(old_lang, options)
+        except UserError:
+            st.session_state[key] = None
 
     return st.selectbox(
         label=label,
@@ -429,30 +434,6 @@ def asr_language_selector(
     )
 
 
-def get_language_match(lang: str | None, languages: list[str]) -> str | None:
-    import langcodes
-
-    if not lang:
-        return None
-
-    if lang in languages:
-        return lang
-
-    try:
-        lan = langcodes.Language.get(lang).language
-    except langcodes.LanguageTagError:
-        return None
-
-    for language in languages:
-        try:
-            if language and langcodes.Language.get(language).language == lan:
-                return language
-        except langcodes.LanguageTagError:
-            pass
-
-    return None
-
-
 def lang_format_func(l):
     import langcodes
 
@@ -597,14 +578,27 @@ def run_google_translate(
 def normalised_lang_in_collection(target: str, collection: typing.Iterable[str]) -> str:
     import langcodes
 
-    for candidate in collection:
-        if langcodes.get(candidate).language == langcodes.get(target).language:
-            return candidate
-
-    raise UserError(
+    ERROR = UserError(
         f"Unsupported language: {target!r} | must be one of {set(collection)}"
     )
 
+    if target in collection:
+        return target
+
+    try:
+        target_lan = langcodes.Language.get(target).language
+    except langcodes.LanguageTagError:
+        raise ERROR
+
+    for candidate in collection:
+        try:
+            if candidate and langcodes.Language.get(candidate).language == target_lan:
+                return candidate
+        except langcodes.LanguageTagError:
+            pass
+
+    raise ERROR
+
 
 def _translate_text(
     text: str,
diff --git a/daras_ai_v2/bot_integration_widgets.py b/daras_ai_v2/bot_integration_widgets.py
index 712eaf3f6..ac1826494 100644
--- a/daras_ai_v2/bot_integration_widgets.py
+++ b/daras_ai_v2/bot_integration_widgets.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.utils.text import slugify
 from furl import furl
-import langcodes
 
 import gooey_ui as st
 from app_users.models import AppUser
diff --git a/routers/twilio_api.py b/routers/twilio_api.py
index d80df7a75..d8ce8d2a4 100644
--- a/routers/twilio_api.py
+++ b/routers/twilio_api.py
@@ -59,22 +59,30 @@ def get_twilio_tts_voice(bi: BotIntegration) -> str:
 
 
 def get_twilio_asr_language(bi: BotIntegration) -> str:
-    from daras_ai_v2.asr import get_language_match
+    from daras_ai_v2.asr import normalised_lang_in_collection
 
     run = bi.get_active_saved_run()
     state: dict = run.state
 
-    asr_language = get_language_match(
-        state.get("asr_language"), TWILIO_ASR_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES
-    )
+    asr_language = state.get("asr_language")
     if asr_language:
-        return asr_language
+        try:
+            asr_language = normalised_lang_in_collection(
+                asr_language, TWILIO_ASR_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES
+            )
+            return asr_language
+        except:
+            pass
 
-    user_language = get_language_match(
-        state.get("user_language"), TWILIO_ASR_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES
-    )
+    user_language = state.get("user_language")
     if user_language:
-        return user_language
+        try:
+            user_language = normalised_lang_in_collection(
+                user_language, TWILIO_ASR_SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES
+            )
+            return user_language
+        except:
+            pass
 
     return DEFAULT_ASR_LANGUAGE