diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index c2db29f22..109913560 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -213,6 +213,27 @@ param_t findparam(const char *s, const struct locale * lang)
     return result;
 }
 
+param_t findparam_block(const char *s, const struct locale *lang, bool any_locale)
+{
+    param_t p;
+    if (!s || s[0] == '@') {
+        return NOPARAM;
+    }
+    p = findparam(s, lang);
+    if (any_locale && p==NOPARAM) {
+        const struct locale *loc;
+        for (loc=locales;loc;loc=nextlocale(loc)) {
+            if (loc!=lang) {
+                p = findparam(s, loc);
+                if (p==P_FACTION || p==P_GAMENAME) {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return p;
+}
+
 param_t findparam_ex(const char *s, const struct locale * lang)
 {
     param_t result = findparam(s, lang);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.h b/src/kernel/config.h
index 43189400c..b51ba2725 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.h
+++ b/src/kernel/config.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ extern "C" {
     int findoption(const char *s, const struct locale *lang);
 
     param_t findparam(const char *s, const struct locale *lang);
+    param_t findparam_block(const char *s, const struct locale *lang, bool any_locale);
     param_t findparam_ex(const char *s, const struct locale * lang);
     bool isparam(const char *s, const struct locale * lang, param_t param);
     param_t getparam(const struct locale *lang);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.test.c b/src/kernel/config.test.c
index ca362d6a1..72b2387ac 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.test.c
@@ -251,9 +251,33 @@ static void test_config_inifile(CuTest *tc) {
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
+static void test_findparam(CuTest *tc) {
+    struct locale *en, *de;
+    test_setup();
+    en = get_or_create_locale("en");
+    locale_setstring(en, parameters[P_FACTION], "FACTION");
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOPARAM, findparam("FACTION", en));
+    init_parameters(en);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, P_FACTION, findparam("FACTION", en));
+    de = get_or_create_locale("de");
+    locale_setstring(de, parameters[P_FACTION], "PARTEI");
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOPARAM, findparam("PARTEI", de));
+    init_parameters(de);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, P_FACTION, findparam("PARTEI", de));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOPARAM, findparam("HODOR", de));
+
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOPARAM, findparam("PARTEI", en));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOPARAM, findparam_block("HODOR", de, false));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, P_FACTION, findparam_block("PARTEI", de, true));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, NOPARAM, findparam_block("PARTEI", en, false));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, P_FACTION, findparam_block("PARTEI", en, true));
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_config_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_findparam);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_config_inifile);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_config_cache);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_get_set_param);
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.c b/src/kernel/save.c
index be461e27c..ac236d5bf 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.c
@@ -252,26 +252,6 @@ static faction *factionorders(void)
     return f;
 }
 
-static param_t next_param(const char *s, const struct locale *lang) {
-    param_t p;
-    if (!s || s[0] == '@') {
-        return NOPARAM;
-    }
-    p = findparam(s, lang);
-    if (p==NOPARAM) {
-        const struct locale *loc;
-        for (loc=locales;loc;loc=nextlocale(loc)) {
-            if (loc!=lang) {
-                p = findparam(s, lang);
-                if (p==P_FACTION || p==P_GAMENAME) {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    return p;
-}
-
 int readorders(const char *filename)
 {
     FILE *F = NULL;
@@ -299,7 +279,7 @@ int readorders(const char *filename)
         const char *s;
         init_tokens_str(b);
         s = gettoken(token, sizeof(token));
-        p = next_param(s, lang);
+        p = findparam_block(s, lang, true);
         switch (p) {
         case P_GAMENAME:
         case P_FACTION:
diff --git a/src/util/language.c b/src/util/language.c
index efd5cd5f7..300e69103 100644
--- a/src/util/language.c
+++ b/src/util/language.c
@@ -295,10 +295,11 @@ void init_translations(const struct locale *lang, int ut, const char * (*string_
         // TODO: swap the name of s and key
         const char * s = string_cb(i);
         if (s) {
-            struct critbit_tree ** cb = (struct critbit_tree **)tokens;
             const char * key = locale_string(lang, s, false);
-            if (!key) key = s;
-            add_translation(cb, key, i);
+            if (key) {
+                struct critbit_tree ** cb = (struct critbit_tree **)tokens;
+                add_translation(cb, key, i);
+            }
         }
     }
 }