diff --git a/src/spek-preferences.vala b/src/spek-preferences.vala
index 82db3c4..80a38e5 100644
--- a/src/spek-preferences.vala
+++ b/src/spek-preferences.vala
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace Spek {
 					_instance = new Preferences ();
 				}
 				if (_instance.languages[0,1] == null) {
-					languages[0,1] = _("(system default)");
+					_instance.languages[0,1] = _("(system default)");
 				}
 				return _instance;
 			}