diff --git a/vue3/src/apps/tandoor/main.ts b/vue3/src/apps/tandoor/main.ts
index 22fca1af0..c8b06e61b 100644
--- a/vue3/src/apps/tandoor/main.ts
+++ b/vue3/src/apps/tandoor/main.ts
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ import RecipeEditPage from "@/pages/RecipeEditPage.vue";
 import MealPlanPage from "@/pages/MealPlanPage.vue";
 import SearchPage from "@/pages/SearchPage.vue";
 import TestPage from "@/pages/TestPage.vue";
-import {createI18n} from "vue-i18n";
-import {getLocale, loadLocaleMessages, setI18nLanguage, setupI18n, SUPPORT_LOCALES} from "@/i18n";
+import {createI18n, I18n} from "vue-i18n";
+import {getLocale, loadLocaleMessages, SUPPORT_LOCALES} from "@/i18n";
 
 const routes = [
     {path: '/', component: StartPage, name: 'view_home'},
@@ -44,15 +44,16 @@ if (locale == null || !SUPPORT_LOCALES.includes(locale)) {
 }
 const localeMessages = await import((`../../locales/${locale}.json`))
 console.log(localeMessages, de)
-const i18n = setupI18n({
+const i18n = createI18n({
     legacy: false,
-    locale: locale,
+    locale: 'en',
     fallbackLocale: 'en',
     messages: {
-       en, de
+        en
     }
-})
+}) as I18n
 
+loadLocaleMessages(i18n, locale).then(r => {})
 
 const app = createApp(App)
 
diff --git a/vue3/src/i18n.ts b/vue3/src/i18n.ts
index 458e047cd..6edcf47ac 100644
--- a/vue3/src/i18n.ts
+++ b/vue3/src/i18n.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import {nextTick, isRef} from 'vue'
-import {createI18n} from 'vue-i18n'
 
 import type {
     I18n,
-    I18nOptions,
     Locale,
     VueI18n,
     Composer,
@@ -16,9 +14,15 @@ import type {
  * https://github.com/intlify/vue-i18n/blob/master/examples/lazy-loading/vite/src/i18n.ts
  */
 
-// TODO not sure why/if this is needed, comment out for now and see if anything breaks
+/**
+ * constant list of supported locales for app to check if requested locale is supported
+ */
 export const SUPPORT_LOCALES = getSupportedLocales()
 
+/**
+ * loop trough translation files to determine for which locales a translation is available
+ * @return string[] of supported locales
+ */
 function getSupportedLocales() {
     let supportedLocales: string[] = []
     let localeFiles = import.meta.glob('@/locales/*.json');
@@ -28,26 +32,19 @@ function getSupportedLocales() {
     return supportedLocales
 }
 
-function isComposer(
-    instance: VueI18n | Composer,
-    mode: I18nMode
-): instance is Composer {
+/**
+ * determines something about the way Vue i18n is installed/setup?
+ * @param instance
+ * @param mode
+ */
+function isComposer( instance: VueI18n | Composer, mode: I18nMode ): instance is Composer {
     return mode === 'composition' && isRef(instance.locale)
 }
 
-export function setupI18n2() {
-    let locale = document.querySelector('html')!.getAttribute('lang')
-    if (locale == null || !SUPPORT_LOCALES.includes(locale)) {
-        locale = 'en'
-    }
-
-    const i18n = createI18n({locale: locale})
-
-
-
-    return i18n
-}
-
+/**
+ * get the currently active locale of Vue i18n
+ * @param i18n instance of Vue i18n
+ */
 export function getLocale(i18n: I18n): string {
     if (isComposer(i18n.global, i18n.mode)) {
         return i18n.global.locale.value
@@ -56,6 +53,11 @@ export function getLocale(i18n: I18n): string {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * set the active locale (determining which messages to show) for Vue i18n
+ * @param i18n instance of Vue i18n
+ * @param locale string locale code to set (should be in SUPPORT_LOCALES)
+ */
 export function setLocale(i18n: I18n, locale: Locale): void {
     if (isComposer(i18n.global, i18n.mode)) {
         i18n.global.locale.value = locale
@@ -64,37 +66,26 @@ export function setLocale(i18n: I18n, locale: Locale): void {
     }
 }
 
-export function setupI18n(options: I18nOptions = {locale: 'en'}): I18n {
-    const i18n = createI18n(options)
-    setI18nLanguage(i18n, options.locale!)
-    return i18n
-}
-
-export function setI18nLanguage(i18n: I18n, locale: Locale): void {
-    setLocale(i18n, locale)
-    /**
-     * NOTE:
-     * If you need to specify the language setting for headers, such as the `fetch` API, set it here.
-     * The following is an example for axios.
-     *
-     * axios.defaults.headers.common['Accept-Language'] = locale
-     */
-
-    // should be done by django
-    // document.querySelector('html')!.setAttribute('lang', locale)
-}
-
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
 const getResourceMessages = (r: any) => r.default || r
 
+/**
+ * load specified locale messages from server and set the locale as active
+ * @param i18n instance of Vue i18n
+ * @param locale string locale code to set (should be in SUPPORT_LOCALES)
+ */
 export async function loadLocaleMessages(i18n: I18n, locale: Locale) {
     // load locale messages
     const messages = await import(`./locales/${locale}.json`).then(
         getResourceMessages
     )
 
-    // set locale and locale message
+    // set messages for locale
     i18n.global.setLocaleMessage(locale, messages)
+    // switch to given locale
+    setLocale(i18n, locale)
+
+    console.log('loaded user locale')
 
     return nextTick()
 }
\ No newline at end of file