diff --git a/_compile.php b/_compile.php
index 7746590d..4193a35f 100644
--- a/_compile.php
+++ b/_compile.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function put_file($match) {
 	$return = file_get_contents($match[4]);
 	if ($match[4] == "./lang.inc.php") {
 		if (!$_SESSION["lang"]) {
-			$return = str_replace("\tif (\$number === false && \$translation) {\n\t\treturn \$translation; // used in _compile.php\n\t}\n", "", $return);
+			$return = str_replace("\tif (\$number === false) { // used in _compile.php\n\t\treturn (\$translation ? \$translation : \$idf);\n\t}\n", "", $return);
 		} elseif (preg_match("~case '$_SESSION[lang]': (.*) break;~", $return, $match2) || preg_match("~default: (.*)~", $return, $match2)) {
 			return "$match[1]\nfunction lang(\$ar, \$number) {\n\t$match2[1]\n\treturn \$ar[\$pos];\n}\n$match[5]";
 		}
diff --git a/lang.inc.php b/lang.inc.php
index 8177528f..11b027d0 100644
--- a/lang.inc.php
+++ b/lang.inc.php
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ function lang($idf = null, $number = null) {
 		return array_keys($translations);
 	}
 	$translation = $translations[$LANG][$idf];
-	if ($number === false && $translation) {
-		return $translation; // used in _compile.php
+	if ($number === false) { // used in _compile.php
+		return ($translation ? $translation : $idf);
 	}
 	$args = func_get_args();
 	if (is_array($translation) && $translation) {