diff --git a/lib/Controller/PageController.php b/lib/Controller/PageController.php
index 4f4c722e7..eebfccf8f 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/PageController.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/PageController.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 use OCP\AppFramework\Controller;
 use OCP\AppFramework\Http\TemplateResponse;
-use OCP\IInitialStateService;
+// use OCP\IInitialStateService;
 use OCP\L10N\IFactory;
 use OCP\IRequest;
 
@@ -33,20 +33,20 @@ class PageController extends Controller {
 
 	protected $appName;
 
-	/** @var IInitialStateService */
-	private $initialStateService;
+	// /** @var IInitialStateService */
+	// private $initialStateService;
 
 	/** @var IFactory */
 	private $languageFactory;
 
 	public function __construct(string $AppName,
 								IRequest $request,
-								IInitialStateService $initialStateService,
+								// IInitialStateService $initialStateService,
 								IFactory $languageFactory) {
 		parent::__construct($AppName, $request);
 		
 		$this->appName = $AppName;
-		$this->initialStateService = $initialStateService;
+		// $this->initialStateService = $initialStateService;
 		$this->languageFactory = $languageFactory;
 	}
 
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ public function __construct(string $AppName,
 	 */
 	public function index(): TemplateResponse {
 		$locales = $this->languageFactory->findAvailableLocales();
-		$this->initialStateService->provideInitialState($this->appName, 'locales', $locales);
-		return new TemplateResponse('contacts', 'main'); // templates/main.php
+		// TODO: use initialStateService once min-version is 16!
+		// $this->initialStateService->provideInitialState($this->appName, 'locales', $locales);
+		return new TemplateResponse('contacts', 'main', ['locales' => json_encode($locales)]); // templates/main.php
 	}
 }
diff --git a/templates/main.php b/templates/main.php
index 9fa58fc69..365cf629f 100644
--- a/templates/main.php
+++ b/templates/main.php
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 if (!\OCP\Util::isIe()) {
 	script('contacts', 'contacts');
 	style('contacts', 'contacts');
-} else {
 ?>
+
+<input type="hidden" id="initial-state-contacts-locales" value="<?php p(base64_encode($_['locales'])); ?>">
+
+<?php } else { ?>
 <div id="app-content">
 	<div class="emptycontent">
 		<div class="icon-contacts-dark"></div>
diff --git a/tests/unit/Controller/PageControllerTest.php b/tests/unit/Controller/PageControllerTest.php
index f23ef441c..6090af176 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Controller/PageControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Controller/PageControllerTest.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 use OCP\AppFramework\Http\TemplateResponse;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject;
-use OCP\IInitialStateService;
+// use OCP\IInitialStateService;
 use OCP\IRequest;
 use OCP\L10N\IFactory;
 use ChristophWurst\Nextcloud\Testing\TestCase;
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ class PageControllerTest extends TestCase {
 	/** @var IRequest|MockObject */
 	private $request;
 
-	/** @var IInitialStateService|MockObject */
-	private $initialStateService;
+	// /** @var IInitialStateService|MockObject */
+	// private $initialStateService;
 
 	/** @var IFactory|MockObject */
 	private $languageFactory;
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ public function setUp() {
 		parent::setUp();
 
 		$this->request = $this->createMock(IRequest::class);
-		$this->initialStateService = $this->createMock(IInitialStateService::class);
+		// $this->initialStateService = $this->createMock(IInitialStateService::class);
 		$this->languageFactory = $this->createMock(IFactory::class);
 
 		$this->controller = new PageController(
 			'contacts',
 			$this->request,
-			$this->initialStateService,
+			// $this->initialStateService,
 			$this->languageFactory
 		);
 	}