diff --git a/src/chat_control.py b/src/chat_control.py
index 02edbe422..db4cfb92c 100644
--- a/src/chat_control.py
+++ b/src/chat_control.py
@@ -188,8 +188,9 @@ class ChatControlBase(MessageControl):
 				# now set the one the user selected
 				lang = gajim.config.get('speller_language')
 				if lang:
+					self.msg_textview.lang = lang
 					spell.set_language(lang)
-			except gobject.GError, msg:
+			except (gobject.GError, RuntimeError), msg:
 				#FIXME: add a ui for this use spell.set_language()
 				dialogs.ErrorDialog(unicode(msg), _('If that is not your language '
 					'for which you want to highlight misspelled words, then please '
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ class ChatControlBase(MessageControl):
 		def _on_select_dictionary(widget, lang):
 			gajim.config.set('speller_language', lang)
 			spell = gtkspell.get_from_text_view(self.msg_textview)
+			self.msg_textview.lang = lang
 			spell.set_language(lang)
 			widget.set_active(True)
 
@@ -221,10 +223,9 @@ class ChatControlBase(MessageControl):
 			menu.prepend(item)
 			submenu = gtk.Menu()
 			item.set_submenu(submenu)
-			deflang = gajim.config.get('speller_language')
 			for lang in sorted(langs):
 				item = gtk.CheckMenuItem(lang)
-				if langs[lang] == deflang:
+				if langs[lang] == self.msg_textview.lang:
 					item.set_active(True)
 				submenu.append(item)
 				id = item.connect('activate', _on_select_dictionary, langs[lang])
diff --git a/src/message_textview.py b/src/message_textview.py
index 09de8b53c..cdf21ab54 100644
--- a/src/message_textview.py
+++ b/src/message_textview.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class MessageTextView(gtk.TextView):
 		self.set_pixels_above_lines(2)
 		self.set_pixels_below_lines(2)
 
+		self.lang = None # Lang used for spell checking
+
 	def destroy(self):
 		import gc
 		gobject.idle_add(lambda:gc.collect())