diff --git a/src/Client.hh b/src/Client.hh
index 58e3de1e..1f6181f4 100644
--- a/src/Client.hh
+++ b/src/Client.hh
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct Client : public std::enable_shared_from_this<Client> {
     IS_BB_PATCH                         = 0x0000000000000080,
     NO_D6_AFTER_LOBBY                   = 0x0000000000000100,
     NO_D6                               = 0x0000000000000200,
+    FORCE_ENGLISH_LANGUAGE_BB           = 0x0000000000000400,
 
     // Flags describing the behavior for send_function_call
     NO_SEND_FUNCTION_CALL               = 0x0000000000001000,
diff --git a/src/ReceiveCommands.cc b/src/ReceiveCommands.cc
index 4f1f4152..1b193b88 100644
--- a/src/ReceiveCommands.cc
+++ b/src/ReceiveCommands.cc
@@ -875,9 +875,7 @@ static void on_93_BB(shared_ptr<Client> c, uint16_t, uint32_t, string& data) {
   }
 
   c->config.set_flags_for_version(c->version(), -1);
-  // Note: We ignore cmd.language in this case because there are many patched
-  // clients out there that use the Japanese codebase but English data files
-  // (and hence are inaccurately reported as Japanese here).
+  c->channel.language = cmd.language;
 
   try {
     auto l = s->license_index->verify_bb(cmd.username.decode(), cmd.password.decode());
@@ -920,8 +918,22 @@ static void on_93_BB(shared_ptr<Client> c, uint16_t, uint32_t, string& data) {
       c->config.parse_from(cmd.var.new_clients.client_config);
     }
   } catch (const invalid_argument&) {
-  }
+    string version_string = is_old_format
+        ? cmd.var.old_client_config.as_string()
+        : cmd.var.new_clients.client_config.as_string();
+    print_data(stderr, version_string);
+    strip_trailing_zeroes(version_string);
 
+    // Note: Tethealla PSOBB is actually Japanese PSOBB, but with most of the
+    // files replaced with English text/graphics/etc. For this reason, it still
+    // reports its language as Japanese, so we have to account for that
+    // manually here.
+    if (starts_with(version_string, "TethVer")) {
+      c->log.info("Client is TethVer subtype; forcing English language");
+      c->config.set_flag(Client::Flag::FORCE_ENGLISH_LANGUAGE_BB);
+    }
+  }
+  c->channel.language = c->config.check_flag(Client::Flag::FORCE_ENGLISH_LANGUAGE_BB) ? 1 : cmd.language;
   c->bb_connection_phase = cmd.connection_phase;
   c->game_data.bb_player_index = cmd.character_slot;
 
diff --git a/src/SendCommands.cc b/src/SendCommands.cc
index 3d604696..e3a9e45b 100644
--- a/src/SendCommands.cc
+++ b/src/SendCommands.cc
@@ -630,6 +630,9 @@ void send_approve_player_choice_bb(shared_ptr<Client> c) {
 void send_complete_player_bb(shared_ptr<Client> c) {
   auto account = c->game_data.account();
   auto player = c->game_data.player(true, false);
+  if (c->config.check_flag(Client::Flag::FORCE_ENGLISH_LANGUAGE_BB)) {
+    player->inventory.language = 1;
+  }
 
   SC_SyncCharacterSaveFile_BB_00E7 cmd;
   cmd.inventory = player->inventory;
diff --git a/src/Text.hh b/src/Text.hh
index 86b46c25..436a488f 100644
--- a/src/Text.hh
+++ b/src/Text.hh
@@ -145,6 +145,10 @@ struct parray {
     return *reinterpret_cast<const parray<ItemT, SubCount>*>(&this->items[offset]);
   }
 
+  std::string as_string() const {
+    return std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(this->data()), sizeof(ItemT) * Count);
+  }
+
   void assign_range(const ItemT* new_items, size_t count = Count, size_t start_offset = 0) {
     for (size_t x = start_offset; (x < Count) && (x < start_offset + count); x++) {
       this->items[x] = new_items[x];