diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ReProcessItem.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ReProcessItem.scala
index c2e363c3..813abf88 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ReProcessItem.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/ReProcessItem.scala
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import docspell.store.records.RAttachment
 import docspell.store.records.RAttachmentSource
 import docspell.store.records.RCollective
 import docspell.store.records.RItem
+import docspell.store.queries.QItem
 
 object ReProcessItem {
   type Args = ReProcessItemArgs
@@ -131,10 +132,13 @@ object ReProcessItem {
 
   def getLanguage[F[_]: Sync]: Task[F, Args, Language] =
     Task { ctx =>
-      (for {
-        coll <- OptionT(ctx.store.transact(RCollective.findByItem(ctx.args.itemId)))
-        lang = coll.language
-      } yield lang).getOrElse(Language.German)
+      val lang1 = OptionT(
+        ctx.store.transact(QItem.getItemLanguage(ctx.args.itemId)).map(_.headOption)
+      )
+      val lang2 = OptionT(ctx.store.transact(RCollective.findByItem(ctx.args.itemId)))
+        .map(_.language)
+
+      lang1.orElse(lang2).getOrElse(Language.German)
     }
 
   def isLastRetry[F[_]: Sync]: Task[F, Args, Boolean] =
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
index 623b68e0..22e64a0d 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
@@ -714,4 +714,13 @@ object QItem {
       txt = texts.map(_._1).mkString(pageSep)
     } yield TextAndTag(itemId, txt, tag)
 
+  /** Gets the language of the first attachment of the given item. */
+  def getItemLanguage(itemId: Ident): ConnectionIO[List[Language]] =
+    Select(
+      select(m.language),
+      from(m)
+        .innerJoin(a, a.id === m.id)
+        .innerJoin(i, i.id === a.itemId),
+      i.id === itemId
+    ).orderBy(a.position.asc).build.query[Language].to[List]
 }