diff --git a/apps/admin-ui/src/components/SiteConfigTab.tsx b/apps/admin-ui/src/components/SiteConfigTab.tsx
index f3553c1..56d7598 100644
--- a/apps/admin-ui/src/components/SiteConfigTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/admin-ui/src/components/SiteConfigTab.tsx
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ export default function SiteConfigTab({ siteId, config }: Props) {
   const [consentExpiry, setConsentExpiry] = useState(config?.consent_expiry_days ?? 365);
   const [privacyUrl, setPrivacyUrl] = useState(config?.privacy_policy_url ?? '');
   const [termsUrl, setTermsUrl] = useState(config?.terms_url ?? '');
+  const [defaultLanguage, setDefaultLanguage] = useState(config?.default_language ?? '');
 
   // GPP state
   const [gppEnabled, setGppEnabled] = useState(config?.gpp_enabled ?? true);
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ export default function SiteConfigTab({ siteId, config }: Props) {
       consent_expiry_days: consentExpiry,
       privacy_policy_url: privacyUrl || null,
       terms_url: termsUrl || null,
+      default_language: defaultLanguage || null,
       gpp_enabled: gppEnabled,
       gpp_supported_apis: gppEnabled ? gppSupportedApis : null,
       gpc_enabled: gpcEnabled,
@@ -287,6 +289,38 @@ export default function SiteConfigTab({ siteId, config }: Props) {
               <code className="rounded bg-surface px-1">{'[Privacy Policy]({{privacy_policy}})'}</code>
             </p>
           </div>
+
+          <div>
+            <div className="flex items-center">
+              <FormField label="Default banner language">
+                <Select
+                  value={defaultLanguage}
+                  onChange={(e) => setDefaultLanguage(e.target.value)}
+                >
+                  <option value="">Auto-detect (browser language)</option>
+                  <option value="en">English</option>
+                  <option value="th">Thai</option>
+                  <option value="fr">French</option>
+                  <option value="de">German</option>
+                  <option value="es">Spanish</option>
+                  <option value="it">Italian</option>
+                  <option value="nl">Dutch</option>
+                  <option value="pt">Portuguese</option>
+                  <option value="pl">Polish</option>
+                  <option value="ja">Japanese</option>
+                  <option value="ko">Korean</option>
+                  <option value="zh">Chinese</option>
+                  <option value="ar">Arabic</option>
+                </Select>
+              </FormField>
+              <SourceBadge source={getSource('default_language')} field="default language" />
+              <ResetButton field="default_language" inheritance={inheritance} onReset={() => { setDefaultLanguage(''); markReset('default_language'); }} />
+            </div>
+            <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-text-secondary">
+              Overrides browser language detection. Set to &ldquo;Auto-detect&rdquo; to let the
+              banner use the visitor&rsquo;s browser or device language.
+            </p>
+          </div>
         </div>
       </Card>
 
diff --git a/apps/admin-ui/src/types/api.ts b/apps/admin-ui/src/types/api.ts
index 27c731f..cbe23bb 100644
--- a/apps/admin-ui/src/types/api.ts
+++ b/apps/admin-ui/src/types/api.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export interface SiteConfig {
   banner_config: BannerConfig | null;
   privacy_policy_url: string | null;
   terms_url: string | null;
+  default_language: string | null;
   consent_expiry_days: number;
   scan_enabled: boolean;
   scan_frequency_hours: number;
diff --git a/apps/api/alembic/versions/0004_default_language.py b/apps/api/alembic/versions/0004_default_language.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f22f2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/alembic/versions/0004_default_language.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""default_language on site configs
+
+Revision ID: 0004
+Revises: 0003
+Create Date: 2026-06-15
+
+Allows site owners to set a default language for the banner,
+overriding the browser's auto-detection. The banner script uses
+this when loading translations.
+
+The column is nullable — NULL means "auto-detect from browser".
+"""
+
+from collections.abc import Sequence
+
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+from alembic import op
+
+revision: str = "0004"
+down_revision: str | Sequence[str] | None = "0003"
+branch_labels: str | Sequence[str] | None = None
+depends_on: str | Sequence[str] | None = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    op.add_column(
+        "site_configs",
+        sa.Column("default_language", sa.String(10), nullable=True),
+    )
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    op.drop_column("site_configs", "default_language")
diff --git a/apps/api/src/models/site_config.py b/apps/api/src/models/site_config.py
index 3e1261b..b8b8ca3 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/models/site_config.py
+++ b/apps/api/src/models/site_config.py
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ class SiteConfig(UUIDPrimaryKeyMixin, TimestampMixin, Base):
     privacy_policy_url: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
     terms_url: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
 
+    # Banner default language override. When set, the banner uses this locale
+    # instead of auto-detecting from the browser (navigator.language / data-locale).
+    # Null = auto-detect (existing behaviour).
+    default_language: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(String(10), nullable=True)
+
     # Cookie categories shown in the banner. When NULL, inherit from the
     # cascade (site-group → org → system default of all five). An explicit
     # list overrides. ``necessary`` is always implicit and will be forced
diff --git a/apps/api/src/schemas/site.py b/apps/api/src/schemas/site.py
index 398600f..1b0b292 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/schemas/site.py
+++ b/apps/api/src/schemas/site.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class SiteConfigCreate(BaseModel):
     banner_config: dict | None = None
     privacy_policy_url: str | None = None
     terms_url: str | None = None
+    default_language: str | None = Field(default=None, max_length=10)
     scan_schedule_cron: str | None = None
     scan_max_pages: int = Field(default=50, ge=1, le=1000)
     consent_expiry_days: int = Field(default=365, ge=1, le=730)
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ class SiteConfigUpdate(BaseModel):
     banner_config: dict | None = None
     privacy_policy_url: str | None = None
     terms_url: str | None = None
+    default_language: str | None = Field(default=None, max_length=10)
     scan_schedule_cron: str | None = None
     scan_max_pages: int | None = Field(default=None, ge=1, le=1000)
     consent_expiry_days: int | None = Field(default=None, ge=1, le=730)
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ class SiteConfigResponse(BaseModel):
     banner_config: dict | None = None
     privacy_policy_url: str | None = None
     terms_url: str | None = None
+    default_language: str | None = None
     scan_schedule_cron: str | None = None
     scan_max_pages: int = 50
     consent_expiry_days: int = 365
diff --git a/apps/api/src/services/config_resolver.py b/apps/api/src/services/config_resolver.py
index add8180..e5bd38b 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/services/config_resolver.py
+++ b/apps/api/src/services/config_resolver.py
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ def build_public_config(
         "gcm_default": resolved.get("gcm_default"),
         "shopify_privacy_enabled": resolved["shopify_privacy_enabled"],
         "banner_config": resolved.get("banner_config"),
+        "default_language": resolved.get("default_language"),
         "privacy_policy_url": resolved.get("privacy_policy_url"),
         "terms_url": resolved.get("terms_url"),
         "consent_expiry_days": resolved["consent_expiry_days"],
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ CONFIG_FIELDS = (
     "gcm_default",
     "shopify_privacy_enabled",
     "banner_config",
+    "default_language",
     "privacy_policy_url",
     "terms_url",
     "consent_expiry_days",
diff --git a/apps/banner/src/banner.ts b/apps/banner/src/banner.ts
index 159fad0..7779c1a 100644
--- a/apps/banner/src/banner.ts
+++ b/apps/banner/src/banner.ts
@@ -220,7 +220,8 @@ async function init(): Promise<void> {
   }
 
   // Load translations
-  const locale = detectLocale();
+  // Use site-configured default_language if set, otherwise auto-detect
+  const locale = config.default_language ?? detectLocale();
   const t = await loadTranslations(cdnBase, locale);
 
   // Capture a closure that re-opens the banner with current consent
diff --git a/apps/banner/src/types.ts b/apps/banner/src/types.ts
index 2534558..c517947 100644
--- a/apps/banner/src/types.ts
+++ b/apps/banner/src/types.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export interface SiteConfig {
   gcm_default: Record<string, 'granted' | 'denied'> | null;
   shopify_privacy_enabled: boolean;
   banner_config: BannerConfig | null;
+  default_language: string | null;
   privacy_policy_url: string | null;
   terms_url: string | null;
   consent_expiry_days: number;