diff --git a/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj b/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj
index 246aa6b209..6c38801908 100644
--- a/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ def init_ui():
         , 0)  # We do this after event loop ticks over to avoid catching popstate events that some browsers send on page load
 
     translations = get_translations()
-    if translations:
-        install(translations)
-        get_translations(translations)
+    install(translations)
     remove_initial_progress_bar()
     document.head.appendChild(E.style(get_widget_css()))
     set_css(document.body, background_color=get_color('window-background'), color=get_color('window-foreground'))
@@ -88,7 +86,7 @@ def install_data_and_init_ui(raw_data):
     interface_data = get_interface_data()
     sd = UserSessionData(interface_data.username, interface_data.user_session_data)
     set_session_data(sd)
-    if data.translations:
+    if data.translations?:
         get_translations(data.translations)
     init_ui()
 
@@ -128,7 +126,7 @@ def do_update_interface_data():
         if end_type is 'load':
             data = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText)
             update_interface_data(data)
-            if data.translations:
+            if data.translations?:
                 get_translations(data.translations)
                 install(data.translations)
     ).send()
diff --git a/src/pyj/session.pyj b/src/pyj/session.pyj
index 85ec943c21..889feb2096 100644
--- a/src/pyj/session.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/session.pyj
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ def update_interface_data(new_data):
 def get_translations(newval):
     if not get_translations.storage:
         get_translations.storage = SessionData('calibre-translations-')
-    if newval:
+    if newval?:
         get_translations.storage.set('current', newval)
     else:
         return get_translations.storage.get('current')