diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/metadata-status.js b/frontend/src/hooks/metadata-status.js
index b60e63cab3..1aad544533 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/metadata-status.js
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/metadata-status.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const MetadataStatusProvider = ({ repoID, currentRepoInfo, hideMetadataVi
   const [isLoading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [enableMetadata, setEnableMetadata] = useState(false);
   const [enableTags, setEnableTags] = useState(false);
-  const [tagsLang, setTagsLang] = useState(null);
+  const [tagsLang, setTagsLang] = useState('en');
   const [isBeingBuilt, setIsBeingBuilt] = useState(false);
 
   const cancelMetadataURL = useCallback(() => {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export const MetadataStatusProvider = ({ repoID, currentRepoInfo, hideMetadataVi
         cancelMetadataURL();
       }
       setEnableTags(enableTags);
-      setTagsLang(tagsLang);
+      setTagsLang(tagsLang || 'en');
       setEnableMetadata(enableMetadata);
       setLoading(false);
     }).catch(error => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/metadata/components/dialog/metadata-tags-status-dialog/index.js b/frontend/src/metadata/components/dialog/metadata-tags-status-dialog/index.js
index fedeb71c92..61e27546ef 100644
--- a/frontend/src/metadata/components/dialog/metadata-tags-status-dialog/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/metadata/components/dialog/metadata-tags-status-dialog/index.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const langOptions = [
 
 const MetadataTagsStatusDialog = ({ value: oldValue, lang: oldLang, repoID, toggleDialog: toggle, submit }) => {
   const [value, setValue] = useState(oldValue);
-  const [lang, setLang] = useState({ value: oldLang || 'en', label: langOptions.find(item => item.value === oldLang).label });
+  const [lang, setLang] = useState(oldLang);
   const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false);
   const [showTurnOffConfirmDialog, setShowTurnOffConfirmDialog] = useState(false);
 
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ const MetadataTagsStatusDialog = ({ value: oldValue, lang: oldLang, repoID, togg
       return;
     }
     setSubmitting(true);
-    tagsAPI.openTags(repoID, lang.value).then(res => {
-      submit(true, lang.value);
+    tagsAPI.openTags(repoID, lang).then(res => {
+      submit(true, lang);
       toggle();
     }).catch(error => {
       const errorMsg = Utils.getErrorMsg(error);
@@ -71,9 +71,11 @@ const MetadataTagsStatusDialog = ({ value: oldValue, lang: oldLang, repoID, togg
     setValue(nextValue);
   }, [value]);
 
-  const onSelectChange = (option) => {
-    setLang(option);
-  };
+  const onSelectChange = useCallback((option) => {
+    const newValue = option.value;
+    if (newValue === lang) return;
+    setLang(newValue);
+  }, [lang]);
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ const MetadataTagsStatusDialog = ({ value: oldValue, lang: oldLang, repoID, togg
                 <span>{gettext('Tags language:')}</span>
                 <SeahubSelect
                   className='tags-language-selector'
-                  value={lang || { value: 'en', label: 'English' }}
+                  value={langOptions.find(o => o.value === lang) || langOptions[1]}
                   options={langOptions}
                   onChange={onSelectChange}
                 />