diff --git a/examples/hello/hello_test.go b/examples/hello/hello_test.go
index 0c156bb..cbb68e2 100644
--- a/examples/hello/hello_test.go
+++ b/examples/hello/hello_test.go
@@ -130,6 +130,16 @@ func TestHelloPluginResolvesLang(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := tr.GetIn("en", "golem15.hello::lang.greeting", nil); got != "Hello" {
 		t.Fatalf("greeting = %q", got)
 	}
+	if got := tr.GetIn("pl-PL", "golem15.hello::lang.greeting", nil); got != "Cześć" {
+		t.Fatalf("pl-PL = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := tr.GetIn("de", "golem15.hello::lang.greeting", nil); got != "Hello" {
+		t.Fatalf("fallback en = %q", got)
+	}
+	const missing = "golem15.hello::lang.does.not.exist"
+	if got := tr.GetIn("pl-PL", missing, nil); got != missing {
+		t.Fatalf("raw key = %q", got)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestTypedItemRoute(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/phrasebook/translator.go b/phrasebook/translator.go
index 0087917..a0f6ea4 100644
--- a/phrasebook/translator.go
+++ b/phrasebook/translator.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package phrasebook
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ type Translator struct {
 	locale     string
 	fallback   string
 	production bool
+	missing    sync.Map
 }
 
 // NewTranslator returns a translator that reads from cat. Empty locale or
@@ -122,7 +124,7 @@ func (t *Translator) GetIn(locale, key string, params map[string]string) string
 	if t == nil {
 		return key
 	}
-	e, ok := t.cat.lookup(locale, key)
+	e, _, ok := t.find(locale, key)
 	if !ok {
 		return key
 	}
@@ -143,20 +145,74 @@ func (t *Translator) ChoiceIn(locale, key string, count any, params map[string]s
 	if t == nil {
 		return key
 	}
-	e, ok := t.cat.lookup(locale, key)
+	e, found, ok := t.find(locale, key)
 	if !ok {
 		return key
 	}
 	text := e.text
 	switch {
 	case len(e.pipes) > 0:
-		text = selectPipe(e.pipes, locale, count)
+		text = selectPipe(e.pipes, found, count)
 	case e.plurals != nil:
-		text = selectMap(e.plurals, locale, count)
+		text = selectMap(e.plurals, found, count)
 	}
 	return interpolate(text, withCount(params, count))
 }
 
+func (t *Translator) find(locale, key string) (entry, string, bool) {
+	if t == nil {
+		return entry{}, locale, false
+	}
+	fallback := defaultFallback
+	if t.fallback != "" {
+		fallback = t.fallback
+	}
+	for _, step := range fallbackChain(locale, fallback) {
+		if e, ok := t.cat.lookup(step, key); ok {
+			return e, step, true
+		}
+	}
+	t.logMissing(key)
+	return entry{}, locale, false
+}
+
+func (t *Translator) logMissing(key string) {
+	if t.production {
+		return
+	}
+	if _, loaded := t.missing.LoadOrStore(key, struct{}{}); loaded {
+		return
+	}
+	slog.Warn("phrasebook: missing translation key", "key", key)
+}
+
+func fallbackChain(requested, fallback string) []string {
+	out := make([]string, 0, 4)
+	seen := make(map[string]struct{}, 4)
+	add := func(s string) {
+		s = strings.TrimSpace(s)
+		if s == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		if _, ok := seen[s]; ok {
+			return
+		}
+		seen[s] = struct{}{}
+		out = append(out, s)
+	}
+	add(requested)
+	if tag, err := language.Parse(requested); err == nil {
+		add(tag.String())
+		for p := tag.Parent(); !p.IsRoot(); p = p.Parent() {
+			add(p.String())
+		}
+	} else if i := strings.IndexAny(requested, "-_"); i > 0 {
+		add(requested[:i])
+	}
+	add(fallback)
+	return out
+}
+
 func selectMap(plurals map[string]string, locale string, count any) string {
 	cat, err := cldrCategory(locale, count)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/phrasebook/translator_test.go b/phrasebook/translator_test.go
index 4fc4224..911750b 100644
--- a/phrasebook/translator_test.go
+++ b/phrasebook/translator_test.go
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 package phrasebook
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"io/fs"
+	"log/slog"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"testing/fstest"
 
 	"git.golem15.com/golem15/summercms/backpack"
 	"git.golem15.com/golem15/summercms/compass"
+	"git.golem15.com/golem15/summercms/towel"
 )
 
 func TestTranslationSmoke(t *testing.T) {
@@ -189,3 +193,59 @@ func TestPluralSmoke(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func TestLocaleFallbackSmoke(t *testing.T) {
+	fsys := fstest.MapFS{
+		"lang/en/lang.yaml": {Data: []byte("greeting: Hello\nonlyEn: English only\n")},
+		"lang/pl/lang.yaml": {Data: []byte("greeting: Cześć\n")},
+	}
+	cat := NewCatalog()
+	if err := cat.Load("golem15.hello", fsys); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Load: %v", err)
+	}
+	tr := NewTranslator(cat, Options{})
+	if tr.locale != "en" || tr.fallback != "en" {
+		t.Fatalf("defaults locale=%q fallback=%q, want en/en", tr.locale, tr.fallback)
+	}
+	if got := tr.GetIn("pl-PL", "golem15.hello::lang.greeting", nil); got != "Cześć" {
+		t.Fatalf("pl-PL parent = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := tr.GetIn("pl", "golem15.hello::lang.onlyEn", nil); got != "English only" {
+		t.Fatalf("fallback en = %q", got)
+	}
+	const missing = "golem15.hello::lang.missing"
+	if got := tr.GetIn("pl-PL", missing, nil); got != missing {
+		t.Fatalf("raw key = %q", got)
+	}
+	ctx := towel.WithLocale(context.Background(), "pl")
+	if got := tr.Get(ctx, "golem15.hello::lang.greeting", nil); got != "Cześć" {
+		t.Fatalf("towel locale = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := tr.Get(context.Background(), "golem15.hello::lang.greeting", nil); got != "Hello" {
+		t.Fatalf("app locale default = %q", got)
+	}
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	prev := slog.Default()
+	slog.SetDefault(slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(&buf, &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: slog.LevelWarn})))
+	defer slog.SetDefault(prev)
+
+	logged := "golem15.hello::lang.loggedOnce"
+	params := map[string]string{"secret": "nope"}
+	tr.GetIn("en", logged, params)
+	tr.GetIn("en", logged, params)
+	log := buf.String()
+	if strings.Count(log, logged) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("missing key should log once, got %q", log)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(log, "secret") || strings.Contains(log, "nope") {
+		t.Fatalf("must not log parameters: %q", log)
+	}
+
+	buf.Reset()
+	prod := NewTranslator(cat, Options{Production: true})
+	prod.GetIn("en", "golem15.hello::lang.otherMissing", nil)
+	if buf.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("production lookup must be silent, got %q", buf.String())
+	}
+}