diff --git a/src/vector/index.js b/src/vector/index.js
index ad1592e83e..f1ddfd66d2 100644
--- a/src/vector/index.js
+++ b/src/vector/index.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ var UpdateChecker = require("./updater");
 var q = require('q');
 var request = require('browser-request');
 import * as UserSettingsStore from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/UserSettingsStore';
-import languageHandler from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/languageHandler';
+import * as languageHandler from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/languageHandler';
 
 import url from 'url';
 
@@ -268,17 +268,6 @@ async function loadApp() {
         configError = e;
     }
 
-    if (!configJson.languages) {
-        let languages;
-        try {
-            languages = await languageHandler.getAllLanguageKeysFromJson();
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.log("couldn't load languages from languages.json: error = "+e);
-            languages = ['en'];
-        }
-        configJson.languages = languages;
-    }
-
     if (window.localStorage && window.localStorage.getItem('mx_accepts_unsupported_browser')) {
         console.log('User has previously accepted risks in using an unsupported browser');
         validBrowser = true;