diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeActivity.kt
index 9584e6574..8ae61e7a8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeActivity.kt
@@ -413,6 +413,13 @@ class ComposeActivity :
         )
         binding.composeEditField.setTokenizer(ComposeTokenizer())
 
+        val mentionColour = binding.composeEditField.linkTextColors.defaultColor
+        highlightSpans(binding.composeEditField.text, mentionColour)
+        binding.composeEditField.doAfterTextChanged { editable ->
+            highlightSpans(editable!!, mentionColour)
+            viewModel.onContentChanged(editable)
+        }
+
         binding.composeEditField.setText(startingText)
 
         when (composeOptions?.initialCursorPosition ?: InitialCursorPosition.END) {
@@ -422,13 +429,6 @@ class ComposeActivity :
             )
         }
 
-        val mentionColour = binding.composeEditField.linkTextColors.defaultColor
-        highlightSpans(binding.composeEditField.text, mentionColour)
-        binding.composeEditField.doAfterTextChanged { editable ->
-            highlightSpans(editable!!, mentionColour)
-            viewModel.onContentChanged(editable)
-        }
-
         // work around Android platform bug -> https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/67102093
         if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT == Build.VERSION_CODES.O ||
             Build.VERSION.SDK_INT == Build.VERSION_CODES.O_MR1
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ class ComposeActivity :
     private fun setupLanguageSpinner(initialLanguages: List<String>) {
         binding.composePostLanguageButton.onItemSelectedListener = object : AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener {
             override fun onItemSelected(parent: AdapterView<*>, view: View?, position: Int, id: Long) {
-                viewModel.postLanguage = (parent.adapter.getItem(position) as Locale).modernLanguageCode
+                viewModel.onLanguageChanged((parent.adapter.getItem(position) as Locale).modernLanguageCode)
             }
 
             override fun onNothingSelected(parent: AdapterView<*>) {
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ class ComposeActivity :
 
     @VisibleForTesting
     val selectedLanguage: String?
-        get() = viewModel.postLanguage
+        get() = viewModel.language
 
     private fun updateVisibleCharactersLeft(textLength: Int) {
         val remainingLength = maximumTootCharacters - textLength
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt
index 15636a713..e602a14d4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/pachli/components/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
     /** The initial content warning for this status, before any edits */
     private var initialContentWarning: String = ""
 
-    internal var postLanguage: String? = null
+    /** The initial language for this status, before any changes */
+    private var initialLanguage: String? = null
+
+    /** The current language for this status. */
+    internal var language: String? = null
 
     /** If editing a draft then the ID of the draft, otherwise 0 */
     private var draftId: Int = 0
@@ -279,6 +283,12 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
         _statusVisibility.value = newVisibility
     }
 
+    /** Call this to change the status' language */
+    fun onLanguageChanged(newLanguage: String) {
+        language = newLanguage
+        updateCloseConfirmation()
+    }
+
     @VisibleForTesting
     fun updateStatusLength() {
         _statusLength.value = statusLength(content, effectiveContentWarning, instanceInfo.value.charactersReservedPerUrl)
@@ -317,8 +327,9 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
         val contentWarningChanged = effectiveContentWarning != initialContentWarning
         val mediaChanged = media.value.isNotEmpty()
         val pollChanged = poll.value != null
+        val languageChanged = initialLanguage != language
 
-        return modifiedInitialState || contentChanged || contentWarningChanged || mediaChanged || pollChanged || scheduledTimeChanged
+        return modifiedInitialState || contentChanged || contentWarningChanged || mediaChanged || pollChanged || languageChanged || scheduledTimeChanged
     }
 
     private fun isEmpty(content: CharSequence, contentWarning: CharSequence): Boolean {
@@ -375,7 +386,7 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
             failedToSend = false,
             failedToSendAlert = false,
             scheduledAt = scheduledAt.value,
-            language = postLanguage,
+            language = language,
             statusId = originalStatusId,
         )
     }
@@ -418,7 +429,7 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
             draftId = draftId,
             idempotencyKey = randomAlphanumericString(16),
             retries = 0,
-            language = postLanguage,
+            language = language,
             statusId = originalStatusId,
         )
 
@@ -538,7 +549,8 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
         scheduledTootId = composeOptions?.scheduledTootId
         originalStatusId = composeOptions?.statusId
         initialContent = composeOptions?.content ?: ""
-        postLanguage = composeOptions?.language
+        initialLanguage = composeOptions?.language
+        language = initialLanguage
 
         val tootVisibility = composeOptions?.visibility ?: Status.Visibility.UNKNOWN
         if (tootVisibility != Status.Visibility.UNKNOWN) {