diff --git a/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/languages/LanguageDataSource.kt b/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/languages/LanguageDataSource.kt
index 8bd6732577..20a0e03c3b 100644
--- a/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/languages/LanguageDataSource.kt
+++ b/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/languages/LanguageDataSource.kt
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@
  */
 package org.wycliffeassociates.otter.common.domain.languages
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonFactory
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.kotlin.jacksonObjectMapper
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.kotlin.readValue
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.kotlin.registerKotlinModule
 import io.reactivex.Observable
 import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.common.data.primitives.Language
 import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.common.persistence.ILanguageDataSource
@@ -26,10 +30,28 @@ import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.common.persistence.LanguagesApi
 import retrofit2.Retrofit
 import retrofit2.adapter.rxjava2.RxJava2CallAdapterFactory
 import retrofit2.converter.jackson.JacksonConverterFactory
+import java.io.File
 import javax.inject.Inject
 
 class LanguageDataSource @Inject constructor() : ILanguageDataSource {
     override fun fetchLanguageNames(url: String): Observable<List<Language>> {
+        return if (File(url).exists()) {
+            fetchLocalFile(url)
+        } else {
+            fetchEndpoint(url)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun fetchLocalFile(path: String): Observable<List<Language>> {
+        return Observable
+            .fromCallable {
+                ObjectMapper(JsonFactory())
+                    .registerKotlinModule()
+                    .readValue<List<Language>>(File(path))
+            }
+    }
+
+    private fun fetchEndpoint(url: String): Observable<List<Language>> {
         // Using localhost as a base url is a workaround, because retrofit always requires base url to be set,
         // even for full dynamic urls like in this case.
         // When retrofit sees that base url and target url are different (scheme, domain),
diff --git a/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt b/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt
index 86ae63a0dc..943c427158 100644
--- a/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt
+++ b/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.device.audio.AudioDeviceProvider
 import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.workbookapp.di.IDependencyGraphProvider
 import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.workbookapp.ui.components.drawer.ThemeColorEvent
 import tornadofx.*
+import java.io.File
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 import javax.inject.Inject
 
@@ -51,12 +52,18 @@ class SettingsViewModel : ViewModel() {
 
     private val logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SettingsViewModel::class.java)
 
-    @Inject lateinit var audioDeviceProvider: AudioDeviceProvider
-    @Inject lateinit var appPrefRepository: IAppPreferencesRepository
-    @Inject lateinit var pluginRepository: IAudioPluginRepository
-    @Inject lateinit var localeLanguage: LocaleLanguage
-    @Inject lateinit var theme: AppTheme
-    @Inject lateinit var importLanguages: ImportLanguages
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var audioDeviceProvider: AudioDeviceProvider
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var appPrefRepository: IAppPreferencesRepository
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var pluginRepository: IAudioPluginRepository
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var localeLanguage: LocaleLanguage
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var theme: AppTheme
+    @Inject
+    lateinit var importLanguages: ImportLanguages
 
     private val audioPluginViewModel: AudioPluginViewModel by inject()
     private val workbookDataStore: WorkbookDataStore by inject()
@@ -314,13 +321,23 @@ class SettingsViewModel : ViewModel() {
     fun updateLanguageNamesUrl() {
         val matchRegex = "^https?://.*".toRegex()
         val replaceRegex = "^h?t?t?p?s?:?/+(.*)".toRegex()
-        if (!matchRegex.matches(languageNamesUrlProperty.value)) {
-            val cleaned = languageNamesUrlProperty.value.replace(replaceRegex, "$1")
-            languageNamesUrlProperty.set("https://$cleaned")
+        val url = languageNamesUrlProperty.value
+
+        val formattedUrl = when {
+            File(url).exists() -> {
+                File(url).invariantSeparatorsPath
+            }
+            !matchRegex.matches(url) -> {
+                val cleaned = url.replace(replaceRegex, "$1")
+                "https://$cleaned"
+            }
+            else -> url
         }
 
+        languageNamesUrlProperty.set(formattedUrl)
+
         appPrefRepository
-            .setLanguageNamesUrl(languageNamesUrlProperty.value)
+            .setLanguageNamesUrl(formattedUrl)
             .subscribe()
     }