diff --git a/cmd/main.go b/cmd/main.go
index 4fd084f..e6f96ab 100644
--- a/cmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/main.go
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ import (
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/engine"
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/logging"
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/resource"
+	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/lang"
 	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/config"
 	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/initializers"
 	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/internal/handlers"
 	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/internal/storage"
+	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/internal/args"
 	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/remote"
 )
 
@@ -31,22 +33,38 @@ func main() {
 	config.LoadConfig()
 
 	var dbDir string
+	var gettextDir string
 	var size uint
 	var sessionId string
 	var database string
 	var engineDebug bool
+	var langs args.LangVar
 	flag.StringVar(&sessionId, "session-id", "075xx2123", "session id")
 	flag.StringVar(&database, "db", "gdbm", "database to be used")
 	flag.StringVar(&dbDir, "dbdir", ".state", "database dir to read from")
 	flag.BoolVar(&engineDebug, "d", false, "use engine debug output")
 	flag.UintVar(&size, "s", 160, "max size of output")
+	flag.StringVar(&gettextDir, "gettext", "", "use gettext translations from given directory")
+	flag.Var(&langs, "language", "add symbol resolution for language")
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	logg.Infof("start command", "dbdir", dbDir, "outputsize", size)
 
+	if len(langs.Langs()) == 0 {
+		langs.Set(config.DefaultLanguage)
+	}
+
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "SessionId", sessionId)
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "Database", database)
+
+	ln, err := lang.LanguageFromCode(config.DefaultLanguage)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "default language set error: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "Language", ln)
+
 	pfp := path.Join(scriptDir, "pp.csv")
 
 	cfg := engine.Config{
@@ -59,8 +77,11 @@ func main() {
 
 	resourceDir := scriptDir
 	menuStorageService := storage.NewMenuStorageService(dbDir, resourceDir)
+	if gettextDir != "" {
+		menuStorageService = menuStorageService.WithGettext(gettextDir, langs.Langs())
+	}
 
-	err := menuStorageService.EnsureDbDir()
+	err = menuStorageService.EnsureDbDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, err.Error())
 		os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 3a8e8ed..6575310 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ const (
 	AliasPrefix                = "api/v1/alias"
 )
 
+var (
+	defaultLanguage		   = "eng"
+)
+
 var (
 	custodialURLBase string
 	dataURLBase      string
@@ -34,6 +38,7 @@ var (
 	VoucherTransfersURL string
 	VoucherDataURL      string
 	CheckAliasURL       string
+	DefaultLanguage	    string
 )
 
 func setBase() error {
@@ -51,6 +56,8 @@ func setBase() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	
+	defaultLanguage = initializers.GetEnv("DEFAULT_LANGUAGE", defaultLanguage)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -69,6 +76,7 @@ func LoadConfig() error {
 	VoucherTransfersURL, _ = url.JoinPath(dataURLBase, voucherTransfersPathPrefix)
 	VoucherDataURL, _ = url.JoinPath(dataURLBase, voucherDataPathPrefix)
 	CheckAliasURL, _ = url.JoinPath(dataURLBase, AliasPrefix)
+	DefaultLanguage = defaultLanguage
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/args/lang.go b/internal/args/lang.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9afdc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/args/lang.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package args
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/lang"
+)
+
+type LangVar struct {
+	v []lang.Language
+}
+
+func(lv *LangVar) Set(s string) error {
+	v, err := lang.LanguageFromCode(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	lv.v = append(lv.v, v)
+	return err
+}
+
+func(lv *LangVar) String() string {
+	var s []string
+	for _, v := range(lv.v) {
+		s = append(s, v.Code)
+	}
+	return strings.Join(s, ",")
+}
+
+func(lv *LangVar) Langs() []lang.Language {
+	return lv.v
+}
+
+
diff --git a/internal/storage/storageservice.go b/internal/storage/storageservice.go
index ca28bbb..e420dee 100644
--- a/internal/storage/storageservice.go
+++ b/internal/storage/storageservice.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/db"
 	fsdb "git.defalsify.org/vise.git/db/fs"
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/db/postgres"
+	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/lang"
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/logging"
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/persist"
 	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/resource"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ type StorageService interface {
 type MenuStorageService struct {
 	dbDir         string
 	resourceDir   string
+	poResource    resource.Resource
 	resourceStore db.Db
 	stateStore    db.Db
 	userDataStore db.Db
@@ -57,6 +59,22 @@ func NewMenuStorageService(dbDir string, resourceDir string) *MenuStorageService
 	}
 }
 
+func (ms *MenuStorageService) WithGettext(path string, lns []lang.Language) *MenuStorageService {
+	ln := lang.Language{
+		Code: "xxx",
+		Name: "Translation key",
+	}
+	rs := resource.NewPoResource(ln, path)
+
+	for _, ln = range(lns) {
+		rs = rs.WithLanguage(ln)
+	}
+
+	ms.poResource = rs
+
+	return ms
+}
+
 func (ms *MenuStorageService) getOrCreateDb(ctx context.Context, existingDb db.Db, fileName string) (db.Db, error) {
 	database, ok := ctx.Value("Database").(string)
 	if !ok {
@@ -119,6 +137,10 @@ func (ms *MenuStorageService) GetResource(ctx context.Context) (resource.Resourc
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	rfs := resource.NewDbResource(ms.resourceStore)
+	if ms.poResource != nil {
+		rfs.WithMenuGetter(ms.poResource.GetMenu)
+		rfs.WithTemplateGetter(ms.poResource.GetTemplate)
+	}
 	return rfs, nil
 }