diff --git a/src/Font.cpp b/src/Font.cpp
index 6b072d8b67..1a4e77464d 100644
--- a/src/Font.cpp
+++ b/src/Font.cpp
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ void Font::validate(LaTeXFeatures & features) const
 	// FIXME: Do something for background and soul package?
 
 	if (((features.usePolyglossia() && lang_->polyglossia() != doc_language->polyglossia())
-	     || (features.useBabel(true) && lang_->babel() != doc_language->babel()))
+	     || (features.useBabel() && lang_->babel() != doc_language->babel()))
 	    && lang_ != ignore_language
 	    && lang_ != latex_language)
 	{
diff --git a/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp b/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp
index 37c2e78900..9a73c8e21e 100644
--- a/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp
+++ b/src/LaTeXFeatures.cpp
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ LaTeXFeatures::LaTeXFeatures(Buffer const & b, BufferParams const & p,
 {}
 
 
-LaTeXFeatures::LangPackage LaTeXFeatures::langPackage(bool englishbabel) const
+LaTeXFeatures::LangPackage LaTeXFeatures::langPackage() const
 {
 	string const local_lp = bufferParams().lang_package;
 
@@ -347,9 +347,6 @@ LaTeXFeatures::LangPackage LaTeXFeatures::langPackage(bool englishbabel) const
 	 * If babel is selected (either directly or via the "auto"
 	 * mechanism), we really do only require it if we have
 	 * a language that needs it.
-	 * English alone normally does not require babel (since it is
-	 * the default language of LaTeX). However, in some cases we
-	 * need to surpass this exception (see Font::validate).
 	 */
 	bool const polyglossia_required =
 		isRequired("polyglossia")
@@ -357,8 +354,7 @@ LaTeXFeatures::LangPackage LaTeXFeatures::langPackage(bool englishbabel) const
 		&& !isProvided("babel")
 		&& this->hasOnlyPolyglossiaLanguages();
 	bool const babel_required = 
-		((englishbabel || bufferParams().language->lang() != "english")
-		 && !bufferParams().language->babel().empty())
+		!bufferParams().language->babel().empty()
 		|| !this->getBabelLanguages().empty();
 
 	if (local_lp == "auto") {
diff --git a/src/LaTeXFeatures.h b/src/LaTeXFeatures.h
index 46608fd73d..71004be4ca 100644
--- a/src/LaTeXFeatures.h
+++ b/src/LaTeXFeatures.h
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ public:
 	/** Which language package do we require? \p englishbabel determines
 	 *  if we require babel even if English is the only language.
 	 */
-	LangPackage langPackage(bool englishbabel = false) const;
+	LangPackage langPackage() const;
 	/// Convenience function to test if we use babel
-	bool useBabel(bool englishbabel = false) const { return langPackage(englishbabel) == LANG_PACK_BABEL; }
+	bool useBabel() const { return langPackage() == LANG_PACK_BABEL; }
 	/// Convenience function to test if we use polyglossia
 	bool usePolyglossia() const { return langPackage() == LANG_PACK_POLYGLOSSIA; }
 	/// are we in a float?