diff --git a/frontend/src/App.vue b/frontend/src/App.vue
index 087fdcbc..dca31685 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/App.vue
@@ -5,15 +5,25 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { onMounted } from "vue";
+import { onMounted, watch } from "vue";
+import { useI18n } from "vue-i18n";
+import { setHtmlLocale } from "./i18n";
+
+const { locale } = useI18n();
 
 onMounted(() => {
-  // we can safely assume non-nullity here
-  const loading = document.getElementById("loading")!;
-  loading.classList.add("done");
+  setHtmlLocale(locale.value);
+  // this might be null during HMR
+  const loading = document.getElementById("loading");
+  loading?.classList.add("done");
 
   setTimeout(function () {
-    loading.parentNode!.removeChild(loading);
+    loading?.parentNode?.removeChild(loading);
   }, 200);
 });
+
+// handles ltr/rtl changes
+watch(locale, (newValue) => {
+  newValue && setHtmlLocale(newValue);
+});
 </script>
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/_shell.css b/frontend/src/css/_shell.css
index 5a12bede..77786795 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/_shell.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/_shell.css
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@
   transition: 0.2s ease transform;
 }
 
-body.rtl .shell {
-  direction: ltr;
-}
-
 .shell__result {
   display: flex;
   padding: 0.5em;
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/base.css b/frontend/src/css/base.css
index bada9ae5..318590de 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/base.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/base.css
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ body {
   color: #333333;
 }
 
-body.rtl {
-  direction: rtl;
-}
-
 * {
   box-sizing: border-box;
 }
@@ -62,8 +58,8 @@ nav {
   left: 0;
 }
 
-body.rtl nav {
-  left: unset;
+html[dir="rtl"] nav {
+  left: initial;
   right: 0;
 }
 
@@ -78,8 +74,7 @@ nav .action {
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
 
-body.rtl .action {
-  direction: rtl;
+html[dir="rtl"] nav .action {
   text-align: right;
 }
 
@@ -115,7 +110,7 @@ main {
   border-radius: 0.125em;
 }
 
-body.rtl .breadcrumbs a {
+html[dir="rtl"] .breadcrumbs a {
   transform: translateX(-16em);
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/dashboard.css b/frontend/src/css/dashboard.css
index 73cac7aa..846d9dff 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/dashboard.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/dashboard.css
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   flex-wrap: wrap;
 }
 
-body.rtl .dashboard .row {
+html[dir="rtl"] .dashboard .row {
   margin-right: 16em;
 }
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ p code {
   border-bottom: 2px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
 }
 
-body.rtl #nav .wrapper {
+html[dir="rtl"] .dashboard #nav .wrapper {
   margin-right: 16em;
 }
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ table tr > *:first-child {
   padding-left: 1em;
 }
 
-body.rtl table tr > * {
+html[dir="rtl"] table tr > * {
   padding-left: unset;
   padding-right: 1em;
   text-align: right;
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ table tr > *:last-child {
   margin-right: auto;
 }
 
-body.rtl .card .card-title > *:first-child {
+html[dir="rtl"] .card .card-title > *:first-child {
   margin-right: 0;
   text-align: right;
 }
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ body.rtl .card .card-title > *:first-child {
 }
 
 /*** RTL - Fix disk usage information (in english) ***/
-body.rtl .credits {
+html[dir="rtl"] .credits {
   text-align: right;
   direction: ltr;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/header.css b/frontend/src/css/header.css
index 6fbd5a19..69d81637 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/header.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/header.css
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ header .menu-button {
   z-index: 1;
 }
 
-body.rtl #search #result {
+html[dir="rtl"] #search #result {
   direction: ltr;
 }
 
@@ -145,13 +145,13 @@ body.rtl #search #result {
   margin-top: 0;
 }
 
-body.rtl #search #result {
+html[dir="rtl"] #search #result {
   direction: rtl;
   text-align: right;
 }
 
 /*** RTL - Keep search result LTR because it has paths (in english) ***/
-body.rtl #search #result ul > * {
+html[dir="rtl"] #search #result ul > * {
   direction: ltr;
   text-align: left;
 }
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ body.rtl #search #result ul > * {
   padding: 0.5em;
 }
 
-body.rtl #search .boxes h3 {
+html[dir="rtl"] #search .boxes h3 {
   text-align: right;
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/listing.css b/frontend/src/css/listing.css
index 9c38d9d2..b1c65f16 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/listing.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/listing.css
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   --item-selected: white;
 }
 
-body.rtl #listing {
+html[dir="rtl"] #listing {
   margin-right: 16em;
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/mobile.css b/frontend/src/css/mobile.css
index aa948a0e..77dd7ece 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/mobile.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/mobile.css
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
     z-index: 99999;
   }
 
-  body.rtl #dropdown {
+  html[dir="rtl"] #dropdown {
     right: unset;
     left: 1em;
     transform-origin: top left;
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
     left: -17em;
   }
 
-  body.rtl nav {
+  html[dir="rtl"] nav {
     left: unset;
     right: -17em;
   }
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
     left: 0;
   }
 
-  body.rtl nav.active {
+  html[dir="rtl"] nav.active {
     left: unset;
     right: 0;
   }
@@ -133,19 +133,19 @@
     margin-bottom: 5em;
   }
 
-  body.rtl #listing {
+  html[dir="rtl"] #listing {
     margin-right: unset;
   }
 
-  body.rtl .breadcrumbs {
+  html[dir="rtl"] .breadcrumbs {
     transform: translateX(16em);
   }
 
-  body.rtl #nav .wrapper {
+  html[dir="rtl"] #nav .wrapper {
     margin-right: unset;
   }
 
-  body.rtl .dashboard .row {
+  html[dir="rtl"] .dashboard .row {
     margin-right: unset;
   }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/css/styles.css b/frontend/src/css/styles.css
index 9308889c..e2fe1c2a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/css/styles.css
+++ b/frontend/src/css/styles.css
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ main .spinner .bounce2 {
 }
 
 /*** RTL - flip and position arrow of path ***/
-body.rtl .breadcrumbs .chevron {
+html[dir="rtl"] .breadcrumbs .chevron {
   transform: scaleX(-1) translateX(16em);
 }
 
@@ -420,17 +420,17 @@ body.rtl .breadcrumbs .chevron {
  *         RTL overrides       *
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
-body.rtl .card-content textarea {
+html[dir="rtl"] .card-content textarea {
   direction: ltr;
   text-align: left;
 }
 
-body.rtl .card-content .small + input {
+html[dir="rtl"] .card-content .small + input {
   direction: ltr;
   text-align: left;
 }
 
-body.rtl .card.floating .card-content .file-list {
+html[dir="rtl"] .card.floating .card-content .file-list {
   direction: ltr;
   text-align: left;
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/index.ts b/frontend/src/i18n/index.ts
index 4cd72d40..68221d97 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import dayjs from "dayjs";
 import { createI18n } from "vue-i18n";
 
 import("dayjs/locale/ar");
@@ -135,4 +136,23 @@ export const i18n = createI18n({
   legacy: true,
 });
 
+export const isRtl = (locale?: string) => {
+  return rtlLanguages.includes(locale || i18n.global.locale);
+};
+
+export function setLocale(locale: string) {
+  dayjs.locale(locale);
+  // according to doc u only need .value if legacy: false but they lied
+  // https://vue-i18n.intlify.dev/guide/essentials/scope.html#local-scope-1
+  //@ts-ignore
+  i18n.global.locale.value = locale;
+}
+
+export function setHtmlLocale(locale: string) {
+  const html = document.documentElement;
+  html.lang = locale;
+  if (isRtl(locale)) html.dir = "rtl";
+  else html.dir = "ltr";
+}
+
 export default i18n;
diff --git a/frontend/src/main.ts b/frontend/src/main.ts
index b508d97e..92545065 100644
--- a/frontend/src/main.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/main.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
 } from "vue-toastification/dist/types/types";
 import createPinia from "@/stores";
 import router from "@/router";
-import i18n, { rtlLanguages } from "@/i18n";
+import i18n, { isRtl } from "@/i18n";
 import App from "@/App.vue";
 import CustomToast from "@/components/CustomToast.vue";
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ app.provide("$showSuccess", (message: string) => {
         message: message,
       },
     },
-    { ...toastConfig, rtl: rtlLanguages.includes(i18n.global.locale) }
+    { ...toastConfig, rtl: isRtl() }
   );
 });
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ app.provide("$showError", (error: Error | string, displayReport = true) => {
     {
       ...toastConfig,
       timeout: 0,
-      rtl: rtlLanguages.includes(i18n.global.locale),
+      rtl: isRtl(),
     }
   );
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/router/index.ts b/frontend/src/router/index.ts
index ea93f3a5..111fa167 100644
--- a/frontend/src/router/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/router/index.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import Shares from "@/views/settings/Shares.vue";
 import Errors from "@/views/Errors.vue";
 import { useAuthStore } from "@/stores/auth";
 import { baseURL, name } from "@/utils/constants";
-import { i18n, rtlLanguages } from "@/i18n";
+import { i18n, isRtl, rtlLanguages } from "@/i18n";
 import { recaptcha, loginPage } from "@/utils/constants";
 import { login, validateLogin } from "@/utils/auth";
 
@@ -186,18 +186,6 @@ router.beforeResolve(async (to, from, next) => {
   // const title = titles[to.name];
   document.title = title + " - " + name;
 
-  /*** RTL related settings per route ****/
-  const rtlSet = document.querySelector("body")?.classList.contains("rtl");
-  const shouldSetRtl = rtlLanguages.includes(i18n.global.locale);
-  switch (true) {
-    case shouldSetRtl && !rtlSet:
-      document.querySelector("body")?.classList.add("rtl");
-      break;
-    case !shouldSetRtl && rtlSet:
-      document.querySelector("body")?.classList.remove("rtl");
-      break;
-  }
-
   const authStore = useAuthStore();
 
   // this will only be null on first route
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores/auth.ts b/frontend/src/stores/auth.ts
index f157afe7..38b4adcf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores/auth.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/stores/auth.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { defineStore } from "pinia";
 import dayjs from "dayjs";
-import i18n, { detectLocale } from "@/i18n";
+import i18n, { detectLocale, setLocale } from "@/i18n";
 import { cloneDeep } from "lodash-es";
 
 export const useAuthStore = defineStore("auth", {
@@ -24,20 +24,12 @@ export const useAuthStore = defineStore("auth", {
         return;
       }
 
-      const locale = user.locale || detectLocale();
-      dayjs.locale(locale);
-      // according to doc u only need .value if legacy: false but they lied
-      // https://vue-i18n.intlify.dev/guide/essentials/scope.html#local-scope-1
-      //@ts-ignore
-      i18n.global.locale.value = locale;
+      setLocale(user.locale || detectLocale());
       this.user = user;
     },
     updateUser(user: Partial<IUser>) {
       if (user.locale) {
-        dayjs.locale(user.locale);
-        // see above
-        //@ts-ignore
-        i18n.global.locale.value = user.locale;
+        setLocale(user.locale);
       }
 
       this.user = { ...this.user, ...cloneDeep(user) } as IUser;
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/settings/Profile.vue b/frontend/src/views/settings/Profile.vue
index 2c4023fe..68e0cf22 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/settings/Profile.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/settings/Profile.vue
@@ -161,9 +161,7 @@ const updateSettings = async (event: Event) => {
       singleClick: singleClick.value,
       dateFormat: dateFormat.value,
     };
-    const shouldReload =
-      rtlLanguages.includes(data.locale) !==
-      rtlLanguages.includes(i18n.global.locale);
+
     await api.update(data, [
       "locale",
       "hideDotfiles",
@@ -171,9 +169,6 @@ const updateSettings = async (event: Event) => {
       "dateFormat",
     ]);
     authStore.updateUser(data);
-    if (shouldReload) {
-      location.reload();
-    }
     $showSuccess(t("settings.settingsUpdated"));
   } catch (err) {
     if (err instanceof Error) {