diff --git a/app/components/Header/AuthModal.client.vue b/app/components/Header/AuthModal.client.vue
index d12a8e528..5fe0cb3e6 100644
--- a/app/components/Header/AuthModal.client.vue
+++ b/app/components/Header/AuthModal.client.vue
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { useAtproto } from '~/composables/atproto/useAtproto'
 import { authRedirect } from '~/utils/atproto/helpers'
+import { ensureValidAtIdentifier } from '@atproto/syntax'
 
 const handleInput = shallowRef('')
+const errorMessage = shallowRef('')
 const route = useRoute()
 const { user, logout } = useAtproto()
 
@@ -13,26 +15,41 @@ const localeSubPath = ['ko', 'pt', 'ja'].includes(currentLang) ? currentLang : '
 const atprotoLink = `https://atproto.com/${localeSubPath}`
 
 async function handleBlueskySignIn() {
-  await authRedirect('https://bsky.social', { redirectTo: route.fullPath })
+  await authRedirect('https://bsky.social', { redirectTo: route.fullPath, locale: locale.value })
 }
 
 async function handleCreateAccount() {
-  await authRedirect('https://npmx.social', { create: true, redirectTo: route.fullPath })
+  await authRedirect('https://npmx.social', {
+    create: true,
+    redirectTo: route.fullPath,
+    locale: locale.value,
+  })
 }
 
 async function handleLogin() {
   if (handleInput.value) {
-    await authRedirect(handleInput.value)
+    // URLS to PDSs are valid for oauth redirects
+    if (!handleInput.value.startsWith('https://')) {
+      try {
+        ensureValidAtIdentifier(handleInput.value)
+      } catch (error) {
+        errorMessage.value =
+          error instanceof Error ? error.message : $t('auth.modal.default_input_error')
+        return
+      }
+    }
+    await authRedirect(handleInput.value, {
+      redirectTo: route.fullPath,
+      locale: locale.value,
+    })
   }
 }
 
 watch(handleInput, newHandleInput => {
+  errorMessage.value = ''
   if (!newHandleInput) return
 
-  const normalized = newHandleInput
-    .trim()
-    .toLowerCase()
-    .replace(/[^a-z0-9.-]/g, '')
+  const normalized = newHandleInput.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/@/g, '')
 
   if (normalized !== newHandleInput) {
     handleInput.value = normalized
@@ -81,6 +98,9 @@ watch(handleInput, newHandleInput => {
             v-bind="noCorrect"
             class="w-full px-3 py-2 font-mono text-sm bg-bg-subtle border border-border rounded-md text-fg placeholder:text-fg-subtle transition-colors duration-200 hover:border-fg-subtle focus:border-accent focus-visible:(outline-2 outline-accent/70)"
           />
+          <p v-if="errorMessage" class="text-red-500 text-xs mt-1" role="alert">
+            {{ errorMessage }}
+          </p>
         </div>
 
         <details class="text-sm">
diff --git a/app/utils/atproto/helpers.ts b/app/utils/atproto/helpers.ts
index dd4693a64..a588e1818 100644
--- a/app/utils/atproto/helpers.ts
+++ b/app/utils/atproto/helpers.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@ import type { LocationQueryRaw } from 'vue-router'
 interface AuthRedirectOptions {
   create?: boolean
   redirectTo?: string
+  locale?: string
 }
 
 /**
  * Redirect user to ATProto authentication
  */
 export async function authRedirect(identifier: string, options: AuthRedirectOptions = {}) {
-  let query: LocationQueryRaw = { handle: identifier }
+  let query: LocationQueryRaw = { handle: identifier, locale: options.locale || 'en' }
   if (options.create) {
     query = { ...query, create: 'true' }
   }
diff --git a/i18n/locales/en.json b/i18n/locales/en.json
index a19c77355..8465efa53 100644
--- a/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -796,7 +796,8 @@
       "create_account": "Create a new account",
       "connect_bluesky": "Connect with Bluesky",
       "what_is_atmosphere": "What is an Atmosphere account?",
-      "atmosphere_explanation": "{npmx} uses the {atproto} to power many of its social features, allowing users to own their data and use one account for all compatible applications. Once you create an account, you can use other apps like {bluesky} and {tangled} with the same account."
+      "atmosphere_explanation": "{npmx} uses the {atproto} to power many of its social features, allowing users to own their data and use one account for all compatible applications. Once you create an account, you can use other apps like {bluesky} and {tangled} with the same account.",
+      "default_input_error": "Please enter a valid handle, DID, or a full PDS URL"
     }
   },
   "header": {
diff --git a/lunaria/files/en-GB.json b/lunaria/files/en-GB.json
index 10cf973e7..bec02c35d 100644
--- a/lunaria/files/en-GB.json
+++ b/lunaria/files/en-GB.json
@@ -796,7 +796,8 @@
       "create_account": "Create a new account",
       "connect_bluesky": "Connect with Bluesky",
       "what_is_atmosphere": "What is an Atmosphere account?",
-      "atmosphere_explanation": "{npmx} uses the {atproto} to power many of its social features, allowing users to own their data and use one account for all compatible applications. Once you create an account, you can use other apps like {bluesky} and {tangled} with the same account."
+      "atmosphere_explanation": "{npmx} uses the {atproto} to power many of its social features, allowing users to own their data and use one account for all compatible applications. Once you create an account, you can use other apps like {bluesky} and {tangled} with the same account.",
+      "default_input_error": "Please enter a valid handle, DID, or a full PDS URL"
     }
   },
   "header": {
diff --git a/lunaria/files/en-US.json b/lunaria/files/en-US.json
index a19c77355..8465efa53 100644
--- a/lunaria/files/en-US.json
+++ b/lunaria/files/en-US.json
@@ -796,7 +796,8 @@
       "create_account": "Create a new account",
       "connect_bluesky": "Connect with Bluesky",
       "what_is_atmosphere": "What is an Atmosphere account?",
-      "atmosphere_explanation": "{npmx} uses the {atproto} to power many of its social features, allowing users to own their data and use one account for all compatible applications. Once you create an account, you can use other apps like {bluesky} and {tangled} with the same account."
+      "atmosphere_explanation": "{npmx} uses the {atproto} to power many of its social features, allowing users to own their data and use one account for all compatible applications. Once you create an account, you can use other apps like {bluesky} and {tangled} with the same account.",
+      "default_input_error": "Please enter a valid handle, DID, or a full PDS URL"
     }
   },
   "header": {
diff --git a/nuxt.config.ts b/nuxt.config.ts
index e25a9b79f..a4baaf79d 100644
--- a/nuxt.config.ts
+++ b/nuxt.config.ts
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ export default defineNuxtConfig({
         'semver',
         'validate-npm-package-name',
         '@atproto/lex',
+        '@atproto/syntax',
         'fast-npm-meta',
         '@floating-ui/vue',
       ],
diff --git a/server/api/auth/atproto.get.ts b/server/api/auth/atproto.get.ts
index 231169f50..89fbb9eaa 100644
--- a/server/api/auth/atproto.get.ts
+++ b/server/api/auth/atproto.get.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ import { ensureValidAtIdentifier } from '@atproto/syntax'
 // @ts-expect-error virtual file from oauth module
 import { clientUri } from '#oauth/config'
 
+//I did not have luck with other ones than these. I got this list from the PDS language picker
+const OAUTH_LOCALES = new Set(['en', 'fr-FR', 'ja-JP'])
+
 /**
  * Fetch the user's profile record to get their avatar blob reference
  * @param did
@@ -98,9 +101,13 @@ export default defineEventHandler(async event => {
         })
       }
 
+      const localeFromQuery = query.locale?.toString() ?? 'en'
+      const locale = OAUTH_LOCALES.has(localeFromQuery) ? localeFromQuery : 'en'
+
       const redirectUrl = await atclient.authorize(handle, {
         scope,
         prompt: create ? 'create' : undefined,
+        ui_locales: locale,
       })
       return sendRedirect(event, redirectUrl.toString())
     } catch (error) {