diff --git a/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Language.php b/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Language.php
index 544e20d4afccbf2177eba3e9b7dfef5029228373..7d22791916a15eade2a2a6f70402d86c69422477 100644
--- a/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Language.php
+++ b/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Language.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class Language
     /**
      * HTTP GET language parameter name.
      */
-    public $languageParameterName = 'language';
+    private $languageParameterName = 'language';
 
 
     /**
@@ -113,6 +113,17 @@ class Language
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * Get the language parameter name.
+     *
+     * @return string The language parameter name.
+     */
+    public function getLanguageParameterName()
+    {
+        return $this->languageParameterName;
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * This method returns the preferred language for the user based on the Accept-Language HTTP header.
      *
diff --git a/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Translate.php b/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Translate.php
index 01de9e0bdd7dbccc70d8853bf8c952172f185a2e..ebbac327575e74acf27c6274234ebf8ce02bf190 100644
--- a/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Translate.php
+++ b/lib/SimpleSAML/Locale/Translate.php
@@ -68,6 +68,17 @@ class Translate
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * Return the internal language object used by this translator.
+     *
+     * @return \SimpleSAML\Locale\Language
+     */
+    public function getLanguage()
+    {
+        return $this->language;
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * This method retrieves a dictionary with the name given.
      *
diff --git a/templates/includes/header.php b/templates/includes/header.php
index 3982c8bf519af985b782bdf593f479e07be19057..f0c4e4df3ea3567cc0f47bb2796c022711af74c9 100644
--- a/templates/includes/header.php
+++ b/templates/includes/header.php
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ if($onLoad !== '') {
 				if ($current) {
 					$textarray[] = $langnames[$lang];
 				} else {
-					$textarray[] = '<a href="' . htmlspecialchars(\SimpleSAML\Utils\HTTP::addURLParameters(\SimpleSAML\Utils\HTTP::getSelfURL(), array($this->getTranslator()->language->languageParameterName => $lang))) . '">' .
+					$textarray[] = '<a href="' . htmlspecialchars(\SimpleSAML\Utils\HTTP::addURLParameters(\SimpleSAML\Utils\HTTP::getSelfURL(), array($this->getTranslator()->getLanguage()->getLanguageParameterName() => $lang))) . '">' .
 						$langnames[$lang] . '</a>';
 				}
 			}