diff --git a/src/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.ts b/src/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.ts
index 5b1aade..8ca1d36 100644
--- a/src/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import {
   addMessages,
 } from '../stores/dictionary'
 import { getRelatedLocalesOf } from '../stores/locale'
-import { $isLoading } from '../stores/loading'
-import { getOptions } from '../configs'
 
 type Queue = Set<MessagesLoader>
 const loaderQueue: Record<string, Queue> = {}
@@ -55,11 +53,6 @@ export function flush(locale: string) {
   // istanbul ignore if
   if (queues.length === 0) return
 
-  const loadingDelay = setTimeout(
-    () => $isLoading.set(true),
-    getOptions().loadingDelay
-  )
-
   // TODO what happens if some loader fails
   activeLocaleFlushes[locale] = Promise.all(
     queues.map(([locale, queue]) => {
@@ -70,8 +63,6 @@ export function flush(locale: string) {
       })
     })
   ).then(() => {
-    clearTimeout(loadingDelay)
-    $isLoading.set(false)
     delete activeLocaleFlushes[locale]
   })
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/stores/locale.ts b/src/runtime/stores/locale.ts
index 50cf267..7094f3e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/stores/locale.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/stores/locale.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { flush, hasLocaleQueue } from '../includes/loaderQueue'
 import { getOptions } from '../configs'
 
 import { getClosestAvailableLocale } from './dictionary'
+import { $isLoading } from './loading'
 
 let current: string
 const $locale = writable(null)
@@ -59,7 +60,26 @@ $locale.subscribe((newLocale: string) => {
 const localeSet = $locale.set
 $locale.set = (newLocale: string): void | Promise<void> => {
   if (getClosestAvailableLocale(newLocale) && hasLocaleQueue(newLocale)) {
-    return flush(newLocale).then(() => localeSet(newLocale))
+    const loadingDelay = getOptions().loadingDelay
+
+    let loadingTimer: number
+
+    // if there's no current locale, we don't wait to set isLoading to true
+    // because it would break pages when loading the initial locale
+    if (getCurrentLocale() != null && loadingDelay) {
+      loadingTimer = window.setTimeout(() => $isLoading.set(true), loadingDelay)
+    } else {
+      $isLoading.set(true)
+    }
+
+    return flush(newLocale)
+      .then(() => {
+        localeSet(newLocale)
+      })
+      .finally(() => {
+        clearTimeout(loadingTimer)
+        $isLoading.set(false)
+      })
   }
   return localeSet(newLocale)
 }
diff --git a/test/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.test.ts b/test/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.test.ts
index e3f2eff..10e5679 100644
--- a/test/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.test.ts
+++ b/test/runtime/includes/loaderQueue.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import { get } from 'svelte/store'
-
 import {
   hasLocaleQueue,
   flush,
@@ -7,8 +5,6 @@ import {
   resetQueues,
 } from '../../../src/runtime/includes/loaderQueue'
 import { getMessageFromDictionary } from '../../../src/runtime/stores/dictionary'
-import { $isLoading } from '../../../src/runtime/stores/loading'
-import { getOptions } from '../../../src/runtime/configs'
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   resetQueues()
@@ -54,30 +50,3 @@ test('consecutive flushes return the same promise', async () => {
   expect(flushB).toStrictEqual(flushA)
   expect(flushC).toStrictEqual(flushA)
 })
-
-test('should set loading to true if passed min delay and false after loading', () => {
-  registerLocaleLoader(
-    'en',
-    () =>
-      new Promise(res =>
-        setTimeout(() => res({}), getOptions().loadingDelay * 2)
-      )
-  )
-
-  const flushPromise = flush('en')
-
-  return new Promise((res, rej) => {
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      if (get($isLoading) === true) return res()
-      return rej('$isLoading should be "true"')
-    }, getOptions().loadingDelay)
-  }).then(() => {
-    flushPromise.then(
-      () =>
-        new Promise((res, rej) => {
-          if (get($isLoading) === false) return res()
-          return rej('$isLoading should be "false" after loading')
-        })
-    )
-  })
-})
diff --git a/test/runtime/stores/locale.test.ts b/test/runtime/stores/locale.test.ts
index 416dcc4..e656a14 100644
--- a/test/runtime/stores/locale.test.ts
+++ b/test/runtime/stores/locale.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
   isRelatedLocale,
 } from '../../../src/runtime/stores/locale'
 import { getOptions, init } from '../../../src/runtime/configs'
-import { register } from '../../../src/runtime'
+import { register, isLoading } from '../../../src/runtime'
 import { hasLocaleQueue } from '../../../src/runtime/includes/loaderQueue'
 
 beforeEach(() => {
@@ -132,3 +132,38 @@ test('should flush the queue of the locale when changing the store value', async
   expect(hasLocaleQueue('en')).toBe(false)
   expect(lookup('foo', 'en')).toBe('Foo')
 })
+
+test('if no locale is set, ignore the loading delay', async () => {
+  register(
+    'en',
+    () => new Promise(res => setTimeout(() => res({ foo: 'Foo' }), 50))
+  )
+
+  const promise = $locale.set('en')
+
+  expect(get(isLoading)).toBe(true)
+
+  await promise
+
+  expect(get(isLoading)).toBe(false)
+})
+
+test("if a locale is set, don't ignore the loading delay", async () => {
+  register(
+    'en',
+    () => new Promise(res => setTimeout(() => res({ foo: 'Foo' }), 50))
+  )
+  register(
+    'pt',
+    () => new Promise(res => setTimeout(() => res({ foo: 'Foo' }), 50))
+  )
+
+  await $locale.set('en')
+  const promise = $locale.set('pt')
+
+  expect(get(isLoading)).toBe(false)
+
+  await promise
+
+  expect(get(isLoading)).toBe(false)
+})