diff --git a/backend/src/config/config.ts b/backend/src/config.ts
similarity index 83%
rename from backend/src/config/config.ts
rename to backend/src/config.ts
index 84181070..2de2920b 100644
--- a/backend/src/config/config.ts
+++ b/backend/src/config.ts
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@
 // Dotenv.config();
 
 export const DWENGO_API_BASE = 'https://dwengo.org/backend/api';
+
+export const FALLBACK_LANG = "nl";
diff --git a/backend/src/controllers/learningObjects.ts b/backend/src/controllers/learningObjects.ts
index f7640891..91a1a3b1 100644
--- a/backend/src/controllers/learningObjects.ts
+++ b/backend/src/controllers/learningObjects.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Request, Response } from 'express';
 import { getLearningObjectsFromPath } from '../services/learningObjects.js';
+import {FALLBACK_LANG} from "../config";
 
 export async function getAllLearningObjects(
     req: Request,
@@ -7,7 +8,7 @@ export async function getAllLearningObjects(
 ): Promise<void> {
     try {
         const { hruid } = req.params;
-        const language = (req.query.language as string) || 'nl'; // Default to Dutch;
+        const language = (req.query.language as string) || FALLBACK_LANG;
 
         if (!language) {
             res.status(400).json({
diff --git a/backend/src/controllers/learningPaths.ts b/backend/src/controllers/learningPaths.ts
index 880858f3..cf084e2b 100644
--- a/backend/src/controllers/learningPaths.ts
+++ b/backend/src/controllers/learningPaths.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Request, Response } from 'express';
 import { themes } from '../data/themes.js';
-import { DWENGO_API_BASE } from '../config/config.js';
+import {DWENGO_API_BASE, FALLBACK_LANG} from '../config.js';
 import { fetchWithLogging } from "../util/apiHelper.js";
 import { fetchLearningPaths } from "../services/learningPaths.js";
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { fetchLearningPaths } from "../services/learningPaths.js";
 export async function getLearningPaths(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
     try {
         const hruids = req.query.hruids; // Can be string or array
-        const language = (req.query.language as string) || 'nl';
+        const language = (req.query.language as string) || FALLBACK_LANG;
 
         let hruidList: string[] = [];
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export async function getLearningPaths(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<voi
 export async function getLearningPathsByTheme(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
     try {
         const themeKey = req.params.theme;
-        const language = (req.query.language as string) || 'nl';
+        const language = (req.query.language as string) || FALLBACK_LANG;
 
         const theme = themes.find((t) => t.title === themeKey);
         if (!theme) {
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export async function getLearningPathsByTheme(req: Request, res: Response): Prom
 export async function searchLearningPaths(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
     try {
         const query = req.query.query as string;
-        const language = (req.query.language as string) || 'nl';
+        const language = (req.query.language as string) || FALLBACK_LANG;
 
         if (!query) {
             res.status(400).json({ error: 'Missing search query' });
diff --git a/backend/src/controllers/themes.ts b/backend/src/controllers/themes.ts
index d6c67107..f4e24369 100644
--- a/backend/src/controllers/themes.ts
+++ b/backend/src/controllers/themes.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import path from 'path';
 import yaml from 'js-yaml';
 import { Request, Response } from 'express';
 import { themes } from '../data/themes.js';
+import {FALLBACK_LANG} from "../config";
 
 interface Translations {
     curricula_page: {
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ function loadTranslations(language: string): Translations {
 }
 
 export function getThemes(req: Request, res: Response) {
-    const language = (req.query.language as string)?.toLowerCase() || 'nl';
+    const language = (req.query.language as string)?.toLowerCase() || FALLBACK_LANG;
     const translations = loadTranslations(language);
 
     const themeList = themes.map((theme) => {
diff --git a/backend/src/services/learningObjects.ts b/backend/src/services/learningObjects.ts
index 9e1bb3a7..e753ad26 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/learningObjects.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/learningObjects.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { DWENGO_API_BASE } from '../config/config.js';
+import { DWENGO_API_BASE } from '../config.js';
 import { fetchWithLogging } from "../util/apiHelper.js";
 import {FilteredLearningObject, LearningObjectMetadata, LearningObjectNode} from "../interfaces/learningPath.js";
 import {fetchLearningPaths} from "./learningPaths.js";
diff --git a/backend/src/services/learningPaths.ts b/backend/src/services/learningPaths.ts
index a5a84b1d..0bff4f92 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/learningPaths.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/learningPaths.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { fetchWithLogging } from "../util/apiHelper.js";
-import { DWENGO_API_BASE } from "../config/config.js";
+import { DWENGO_API_BASE } from "../config.js";
 import {LearningPath, LearningPathResponse} from "../interfaces/learningPath.js";
 
 export async function fetchLearningPaths(