diff --git a/library/maps/localize-labels.js b/library/maps/localize-labels.js
index 2df2f1b9d..25a72e733 100644
--- a/library/maps/localize-labels.js
+++ b/library/maps/localize-labels.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function isMaplibreMap(map) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Point the basemap's place-name labels at `lang` ('en' = the style's own labels).
+ * Point the basemap's place-name labels at `lang` (every language, English included).
  * Call after style.load, and again whenever the reader's language changes.
  * @returns {number} how many label layers were localized (0 on Mapbox, which localizes internally)
  */
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ export function localizeBasemapLabels(map, lang) {
         if (!OSM_NAME_FIELD.test(json)) continue   // a plugin's own label: leave it
         saved.set(layer.id, current)
       } else if (!saved.has(layer.id)) continue
-      const next = code === 'en'
-        ? saved.get(layer.id)
-        : ['coalesce', ['get', 'name:' + code], ['get', 'name:latin'], ['get', 'name']]
+      // English too, not the style's own bilingual labels ("Россия" under "Russia"): those drew every
+      // native script at world view, so an English page fetched 13 extra glyph ranges (~600 KB, rega:
+      // Prayer Progress 18 requests / 777 KB in en against 5 / 185 KB in ar). One language per label.
+      const next = ['coalesce', ['get', 'name:' + code], ['get', 'name:latin'], ['get', 'name']]
       map.setLayoutProperty(layer.id, 'text-field', next)
       n++
     }