diff --git a/src/app/onboarding/pet/page.tsx b/src/app/onboarding/pet/page.tsx
index eccc6f5..2b53747 100644
--- a/src/app/onboarding/pet/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/onboarding/pet/page.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { useActivePet } from "@/context/ActivePetContext";
 import { OnboardingGuidelines } from "@/components/legal/OnboardingGuidelines";
 import { UploadConsent } from "@/components/legal/UploadConsent";
+import { LanguageSwitcher } from "@/components/i18n/LanguageSwitcher";
 
 /**
  * Onboarding pet page — /onboarding/pet
@@ -32,55 +33,41 @@ export default function OnboardingPetPage() {
   const [guidelinesAcknowledged, setGuidelinesAcknowledged] = useState(false);
   const [uploadConsentGiven, setUploadConsentGiven] = useState(false);
 
+  let content: React.ReactNode;
+
   if (!guidelinesAcknowledged) {
-    return (
-      <main className="min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center bg-background px-4">
-        <OnboardingGuidelines onContinue={() => setGuidelinesAcknowledged(true)} />
-      </main>
-    );
-  }
-
-  if (!uploadConsentGiven) {
-    return (
-      <main className="min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center bg-background px-4">
-        <UploadConsent onContinue={() => setUploadConsentGiven(true)} />
-      </main>
-    );
-  }
-
-  if (createdPetId) {
-    return (
-      <main className="min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center bg-background px-4">
-        <div className="w-full max-w-[512px] p-8 flex flex-col items-center gap-6">
-          <div className="text-center">
-            <h1 className="text-xl font-semibold mb-2">{t("addPhoto")}</h1>
-            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{t("addPhotoDesc")}</p>
-          </div>
-
-          <AvatarUpload petId={createdPetId} onUploadComplete={() => {}} />
-
-          <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 w-full">
-            <Button
-              className="w-full"
-              onClick={() => router.push(`/pets/${createdPetId}`)}
-            >
-              {t("done")}
-            </Button>
-            <Button
-              variant="ghost"
-              className="w-full text-muted-foreground"
-              onClick={() => router.push(`/pets/${createdPetId}`)}
-            >
-              {t("skipForNow")}
-            </Button>
-          </div>
+    content = <OnboardingGuidelines onContinue={() => setGuidelinesAcknowledged(true)} />;
+  } else if (!uploadConsentGiven) {
+    content = <UploadConsent onContinue={() => setUploadConsentGiven(true)} />;
+  } else if (createdPetId) {
+    content = (
+      <div className="w-full max-w-[512px] p-8 flex flex-col items-center gap-6">
+        <div className="text-center">
+          <h1 className="text-xl font-semibold mb-2">{t("addPhoto")}</h1>
+          <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{t("addPhotoDesc")}</p>
         </div>
-      </main>
-    );
-  }
 
-  return (
-    <main className="min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center bg-background px-4">
+        <AvatarUpload petId={createdPetId} onUploadComplete={() => {}} />
+
+        <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 w-full">
+          <Button
+            className="w-full"
+            onClick={() => router.push(`/pets/${createdPetId}`)}
+          >
+            {t("done")}
+          </Button>
+          <Button
+            variant="ghost"
+            className="w-full text-muted-foreground"
+            onClick={() => router.push(`/pets/${createdPetId}`)}
+          >
+            {t("skipForNow")}
+          </Button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  } else {
+    content = (
       <div className="w-full max-w-[512px] p-8">
         <h1 className="text-xl font-semibold mb-2">{t("addFirstPet")}</h1>
         <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground mb-8">{t("addFirstPetDesc")}</p>
@@ -92,6 +79,15 @@ export default function OnboardingPetPage() {
           }}
         />
       </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <main className="relative min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center bg-background px-4">
+      <div className="absolute top-4 right-4">
+        <LanguageSwitcher />
+      </div>
+      {content}
     </main>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/i18n/request.ts b/src/i18n/request.ts
index 3e5b72e..41cf638 100644
--- a/src/i18n/request.ts
+++ b/src/i18n/request.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,35 @@
 import { getRequestConfig } from "next-intl/server";
-import { cookies } from "next/headers";
+import { cookies, headers } from "next/headers";
 
 export const LOCALES = ["en", "de"] as const;
 export type Locale = (typeof LOCALES)[number];
 export const defaultLocale: Locale = "en";
 
+/**
+ * Picks the first Accept-Language entry (browsers already send these in
+ * preference order) whose primary subtag matches a supported locale. Used
+ * only when the visitor has never set NEXT_LOCALE — e.g. a fresh sign-up
+ * mid-onboarding, which has no in-app language switcher available yet.
+ */
+function localeFromAcceptLanguage(acceptLanguage: string | null): Locale | null {
+  if (!acceptLanguage) return null;
+  const tags = acceptLanguage
+    .split(",")
+    .map((part) => part.split(";")[0].trim().split("-")[0].toLowerCase());
+  const match = tags.find((tag) => (LOCALES as readonly string[]).includes(tag));
+  return (match as Locale) ?? null;
+}
+
 export default getRequestConfig(async () => {
   const cookieStore = await cookies();
   const raw = cookieStore.get("NEXT_LOCALE")?.value ?? "";
-  const locale: Locale = (LOCALES as readonly string[]).includes(raw)
-    ? (raw as Locale)
-    : defaultLocale;
+  let locale: Locale;
+  if ((LOCALES as readonly string[]).includes(raw)) {
+    locale = raw as Locale;
+  } else {
+    const headerStore = await headers();
+    locale = localeFromAcceptLanguage(headerStore.get("accept-language")) ?? defaultLocale;
+  }
 
   return {
     locale,