diff --git a/lib/pages/chat/chat.dart b/lib/pages/chat/chat.dart
index 10395de9ed..8b8969181a 100644
--- a/lib/pages/chat/chat.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/chat/chat.dart
@@ -678,15 +678,15 @@ class ChatController extends State<ChatPageWithRoom>
           eventId: msgEventId,
         );
 
-        if (msgEventId != null) {
+        if (msgEventId != null && originalSent != null && tokensSent != null) {
           pangeaController.putAnalytics.setState(
             AnalyticsStream(
               eventId: msgEventId,
               roomId: room.id,
               constructs: [
-                ...originalSent!.vocabAndMorphUses(
+                ...originalSent.vocabAndMorphUses(
                   choreo: choreo,
-                  tokens: tokensSent!.tokens,
+                  tokens: tokensSent.tokens,
                   metadata: metadata,
                 ),
               ],
diff --git a/lib/pangea/choreographer/controllers/choreographer.dart b/lib/pangea/choreographer/controllers/choreographer.dart
index 3e13549f6c..151c0eb82b 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/choreographer/controllers/choreographer.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/choreographer/controllers/choreographer.dart
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class Choreographer {
   }
 
   void send(BuildContext context) {
+    debugPrint("can send message: $canSendMessage");
     if (!canSendMessage) {
       if (igc.igcTextData != null) {
         igc.showFirstMatch(context);
@@ -145,8 +146,9 @@ class Choreographer {
     // 2)  that this call is being made after we've determined if we have an applicable choreo in order to
     // say whether correction was run on the message. we may eventually want
     // to edit the useType after
-    if (igc.igcTextData?.tokens == null ||
-        igc.igcTextData?.detectedLanguage == null) {
+    if ((l2Lang != null && l1Lang != null) &&
+        (igc.igcTextData?.tokens == null ||
+            igc.igcTextData?.detectedLanguage == null)) {
       await igc.getIGCTextData(onlyTokensAndLanguageDetection: true);
     }
 
@@ -255,6 +257,8 @@ class Choreographer {
           pangeaController.subscriptionController.subscriptionStatus;
 
       if (canSendStatus != SubscriptionStatus.subscribed ||
+          l2Lang == null ||
+          l1Lang == null ||
           (!igcEnabled && !itEnabled) ||
           (!isAutoIGCEnabled && !manual && choreoMode != ChoreoMode.it)) {
         return;
@@ -597,7 +601,7 @@ class Choreographer {
 
   bool get canSendMessage {
     // if there's an error, let them send. we don't want to block them from sending in this case
-    if (errorService.isError) return true;
+    if (errorService.isError || l2Lang == null || l1Lang == null) return true;
 
     // if they're in IT mode, don't let them send
     if (itEnabled && isRunningIT) return false;
diff --git a/lib/pangea/controllers/language_controller.dart b/lib/pangea/controllers/language_controller.dart
index ccd33761fa..2a34b1fb4b 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/controllers/language_controller.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/controllers/language_controller.dart
@@ -40,11 +40,19 @@ class LanguageController {
   }
 
   LanguageModel? get userL1 {
-    return _userL1Code != null ? PangeaLanguage.byLangCode(_userL1Code!) : null;
+    if (_userL1Code == null) return null;
+    final langModel = PangeaLanguage.byLangCode(_userL1Code!);
+    return langModel.langCode == LanguageKeys.unknownLanguage
+        ? null
+        : langModel;
   }
 
   LanguageModel? get userL2 {
-    return _userL2Code != null ? PangeaLanguage.byLangCode(_userL2Code!) : null;
+    if (_userL2Code == null) return null;
+    final langModel = PangeaLanguage.byLangCode(_userL2Code!);
+    return langModel.langCode == LanguageKeys.unknownLanguage
+        ? null
+        : langModel;
   }
 
   String? activeL1Code() {