diff --git a/lib/languages b/lib/languages
index 7f5d4655c0..58c85ccfb4 100644
--- a/lib/languages
+++ b/lib/languages
@@ -251,24 +251,26 @@ Language arabic_arabi
 	DateFormats      "d MMMM، yyyy|dd/MM/yyyy|d/M/yyyy"
 	RTL              true
 	PostBabelPreamble
-	  % arabic + hyperref redefines \noboundary as local textcommand
-	  \let\orig@noboundary\noboundary
-	  \DeclareTextCommandDefault{\noboundary}{\orig@noboundary}
-	  % work around too simple test for article-like classes in arabicore.sty
-	  \ifdefined\chapter\else
-	    \def\thesection{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@section}%
-	      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@section}%
-	      \protect\fi}
-	    \def\thesubsection{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@subsection.\number\c@section}%
-	      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@section.\number\c@subsection}%
-	      \protect\fi}%
-	    \def\thetable{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@table}%
-	      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@table}%
-	      \protect\fi}%
-	    \def\thefigure{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@figure}%
-	      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@figure}%
-	      \protect\fi}%
-	  \fi
+	  \@ifundefined{if@rl}{}{
+		  % arabic + hyperref redefines \noboundary as local textcommand
+		  \let\orig@noboundary\noboundary
+		  \DeclareTextCommandDefault{\noboundary}{\orig@noboundary}
+		  % work around too simple test for article-like classes in arabicore.sty
+		  \@ifundefined{chapter}{
+		    \def\thesection{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@section}%
+		      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@section}%
+		      \protect\fi}
+		    \def\thesubsection{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@subsection.\number\c@section}%
+		      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@section.\number\c@subsection}%
+		      \protect\fi}
+		    \def\thetable{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@table}%
+		      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@table}%
+		      \protect\fi}
+		    \def\thefigure{\protect\if@rl\protect\I{\number\c@figure}%
+		      \protect\else\protect\textLR{\number\c@figure}%
+		      \protect\fi}
+		  }{}
+	  }
 	EndPostBabelPreamble
 	LangCode         ar_SA
 End