diff --git a/pandora/annotation/utils.py b/pandora/annotation/utils.py
index cfecb0f51..5d48fc874 100644
--- a/pandora/annotation/utils.py
+++ b/pandora/annotation/utils.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import ox
 def cleanup_value(value, layer_type):
     #FIXME: what about other types? location etc
     if layer_type == 'text':
-        value = ox.sanitize_html(value)
+        value = ox.sanitize_html(value, global_attributes=['lang'])
     else:
         value = ox.escape_html(value)
     return value
diff --git a/pandora/text/models.py b/pandora/text/models.py
index 32ca7b260..de36af83c 100644
--- a/pandora/text/models.py
+++ b/pandora/text/models.py
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ class Text(models.Model):
                     name = data['name'] + ' [%d]' % num
                 self.name = name
             elif key == 'description':
-                self.description = ox.sanitize_html(data['description'])
+                self.description = ox.sanitize_html(data['description'], global_attributes=['lang'])
             elif key == 'text':
-                self.text = ox.sanitize_html(data['text'], global_attributes=['data-name'])
+                self.text = ox.sanitize_html(data['text'], global_attributes=['data-name', 'lang'])
             elif key == 'rightslevel':
                 self.rightslevel = int(data['rightslevel'])
 
diff --git a/static/js/textPanel.js b/static/js/textPanel.js
index e830a68d9..8d62c3049 100644
--- a/static/js/textPanel.js
+++ b/static/js/textPanel.js
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ pandora.ui.textHTML = function(text) {
                         }
                     );
                 },
-                globalAttributes: ['data-name'],
+                globalAttributes: ['data-name', 'lang'],
                 placeholder: text.editable ? Ox._('Doubleclick to edit text') : '',
                 tooltip: text.editable ? pandora.getEditTooltip('text') : '',
                 type: 'textarea',