diff --git a/html/inc/language_names.inc b/html/inc/language_names.inc
index 6db9b1f6a9..bf607b6343 100644
--- a/html/inc/language_names.inc
+++ b/html/inc/language_names.inc
@@ -55,42 +55,39 @@ $language_names = array(
     array("zh_TW", "繁體中文", "Chinese (Taiwan)"),
 );
 
-function language_select() {
+function language_select($cur_lang_name) {
     global $language_names;
+    echo "cur lang: $cur_lang_name";
     $supported_languages = get_supported_languages();
     $supported_languages[] = "en";
-    $bd = tra("Browser default");
+    $sel = $cur_lang_name?"":"selected";
     echo "
-        <option value=auto selected=\"selected\">-- language --
-        <option value=auto>$bd
+        <option $sel value=auto> Browser default
     ";
-    if ($bd != "Browser default") echo " (Browser default)";
     foreach ($language_names as $lang) {
         if (!in_array($lang[0], $supported_languages)) continue;
+        $sel = ($cur_lang_name == $lang[0])?"selected":"";
         if ($lang[0] == "en") {
-            echo "<option value=".$lang[0].">".$lang[1];
+            echo "<option $sel value=".$lang[0].">".$lang[1];
         } else {
-            echo "<option value=".$lang[0].">".$lang[1]." (".$lang[2].")";
+            echo "<option $sel value=".$lang[0].">".$lang[1]." (".$lang[2].")";
         }
     }
 }
 
 // show a menu of supported languages
 //
-function language_form() {
-    echo "
-        <table><tr><td>
-        <form name=language method=get action=set_language.php>
-        <select class=\"selectbox form-control\" name=lang onchange=\"javascript: submit()\">
-    ";
-    language_select();
-    echo "</select>
+function language_form($cur_lang_name=null) {
+    echo '
+        <div class="col-sm-3">
+        <form name="language" method="get" action="set_language.php">
+        <select class="selectbox form-control" name="lang" onchange="javascript: submit()">
+    ';
+    language_select($cur_lang_name);
+    echo '</select>
         </form>
-        <script type=\"text/javascript\">
-        document.language.lang.selectedIndex=0;
-        </script>
-        </td></tr></table>
-    ";
+        </div>
+    ';
 }
 
 ?>
diff --git a/html/user/language_select.php b/html/user/language_select.php
index ef96d78aeb..10e9797f36 100644
--- a/html/user/language_select.php
+++ b/html/user/language_select.php
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 
 require_once("../inc/util.inc");
 require_once("../inc/translation.inc");
+require_once("../inc/language_names.inc");
 
-check_get_args(array("set_lang"));
 
 $languages = get_supported_languages();
 if (!is_array($languages)) {
@@ -63,10 +63,11 @@ function language_name($code) {
 }
 
 if (count($languages_in_use)) {
-    $cur_lang_name = language_name($languages_in_use[0]);
+    $lang_code = $languages_in_use[0];
 } else {
-    $cur_lang_name = language_name('en');
+    $lang_code = 'en';
 }
+$cur_lang_name = language_name($lang_code);
 
 echo "<p>",
     tra(
@@ -86,31 +87,15 @@ echo "<p>",
     "</ul>",
     "<p>",
     tra(
-        "Or you can select a language by clicking on one of the links.  This will send your browser a cookie; make sure your browser accepts cookies from our domain."
+        "Or you can select a language from the following menu:"
     ),
     "</p>"
 ;
 
-start_table();
-row1(tra("Language name (click to select)"));
-row1("<a href=language_select.php?set_lang=auto>"
-    .tra("Use browser language setting")
-    ."</a>",
-    1, "row1"
-);
-sort($languages);
-$i = 0;
-foreach ($languages as $language) {
-    $name = language_name($language);
-    row1(
-        "<a href=\"language_select.php?set_lang=$language\">$name</a>",
-        1, "row$i"
-    );
-    $i = 1-$i;
-}
-end_table();
-echo "<p>",
-    tra("Translations are done by volunteers.  If your native language is not here, %1you can provide a translation%2.",
+language_form($lang_code);
+
+echo "<br clear=all><p> </p>",
+    tra("Translations are done by volunteers.  If your native language is missing or incomplete, %1you can help translate%2.",
     '<a href="http://boinc.berkeley.edu/trac/wiki/TranslateIntro">', '</a>'),
     "</p>"
 ;
diff --git a/html/user/set_language.php b/html/user/set_language.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24e94d2d97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/html/user/set_language.php
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of BOINC.
+// http://boinc.berkeley.edu
+// Copyright (C) 2016 University of California
+//
+// BOINC is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+// under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// as published by the Free Software Foundation,
+// either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// BOINC is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+// See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with BOINC.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+require_once("../inc/util.inc");
+require_once("../inc/translation.inc");
+
+$languages = get_supported_languages();
+$lang = sanitize_tags(get_str("lang", true));
+
+if (!in_array($lang, $languages) && $lang!="auto" && $lang!="en") {
+    echo "Language $lang is not supported";
+} else {
+    send_cookie('lang', $lang, true);
+    header('Location: index.php');
+}
+?>