diff --git a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/settings/LanguageTab.tsx b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/settings/LanguageTab.tsx
index 394de4096ab..0ef3311b186 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/settings/LanguageTab.tsx
+++ b/packages/kilo-vscode/webview-ui/src/components/settings/LanguageTab.tsx
@@ -2,23 +2,25 @@ import { Component } from "solid-js"
 import { Select } from "@kilocode/kilo-ui/select"
 import { useLanguage, LOCALES, LOCALE_LABELS, type Locale } from "../../context/language"
 
-const options = ["", ...LOCALES] as const
-type Option = "" | Locale
+const AUTO = "auto"
+const options = [AUTO, ...LOCALES] as const
+type Option = typeof AUTO | Locale
 
 const LanguageTab: Component = () => {
   const language = useLanguage()
+  const current = () => language.userOverride() || AUTO
 
   return (
     <div style={{ padding: "16px" }}>
       <p style={{ "font-size": "13px", "margin-bottom": "12px" }}>{language.t("settings.language.description")}</p>
       <Select
         options={[...options]}
-        current={language.userOverride()}
-        label={(opt: Option) => (opt === "" ? language.t("settings.language.auto") : LOCALE_LABELS[opt])}
+        current={current()}
+        label={(opt: Option) => (opt === AUTO ? language.t("settings.language.auto") : LOCALE_LABELS[opt])}
         value={(opt: Option) => opt}
         onSelect={(opt) => {
           if (opt !== undefined) {
-            language.setLocale(opt as Locale | "")
+            language.setLocale(opt === AUTO ? "" : (opt as Locale))
           }
         }}
         variant="secondary"