diff --git a/common/app/routes/challenges/redux/fetch-challenges-saga.js b/common/app/routes/challenges/redux/fetch-challenges-saga.js
index a1351067ac..992b20ed70 100644
--- a/common/app/routes/challenges/redux/fetch-challenges-saga.js
+++ b/common/app/routes/challenges/redux/fetch-challenges-saga.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export default function fetchChallengesSaga(action$, getState, { services }) {
     ))
     .flatMap(({ type, payload: { dashedName, block } = {} }) => {
       const state = getState();
-      const lang = state.app.languageTag;
+      const lang = state.app.lang;
       if (type === replaceChallenge) {
         const { challenge: newChallenge } = challengeSelector({
           ...state,
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export default function fetchChallengesSaga(action$, getState, { services }) {
         options.params.block = block;
       }
       return services.readService$(options)
+        .retry(3)
         .flatMap(({ entities, result, redirect } = {}) => {
           if (type === fetchChallenge) {
             return Observable.of(
diff --git a/server/boot/react.js b/server/boot/react.js
index 1872c07a31..3a431184ba 100644
--- a/server/boot/react.js
+++ b/server/boot/react.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export default function reactSubRouter(app) {
     createApp({
       serviceOptions,
       location: req.originalUrl,
-      initialState: { app: { languageTag: lang } }
+      initialState: { app: { lang } }
     })
       // if react-router does not find a route send down the chain
       .filter(({ redirect, props }) => {