diff --git a/ovos_workshop/app.py b/ovos_workshop/app.py
index 27951c3f..98e2acf5 100644
--- a/ovos_workshop/app.py
+++ b/ovos_workshop/app.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from typing import Optional
 from ovos_config.locations import get_xdg_config_save_path
 from ovos_bus_client.util import get_mycroft_bus
+from ovos_utils.lang import standardize_lang_tag
 from ovos_utils.log import log_deprecation
 from ovos_bus_client.apis.gui import GUIInterface
 from ovos_bus_client.client.client import MessageBusClient
@@ -77,17 +78,21 @@ def get_language_dir(self, base_path: Optional[str] = None,
 
         base_path = base_path or self.res_dir
         lang = lang or self.lang
-        lang_path = join(base_path, lang)
+        lang = str(standardize_lang_tag(lang))
 
-        # base_path/en-us
-        if isdir(lang_path):
-            return lang_path
+        # base_path/lang-CODE (region is upper case)
+        if isdir(join(base_path, lang)):
+            return join(base_path, lang)
+        # base_path/lang-code (lowercase)
+        if isdir(join(base_path, lang.lower())):
+            return join(base_path, lang.lower())
 
         # check for subdialects of same language as a fallback
         # eg, language is set to en-au but only en-us resources are available
         similar_dialect_directories = locate_lang_directories(lang, base_path)
         for directory in similar_dialect_directories:
             if directory.exists():
+                # NOTE: these are already sorted, the first is the best match
                 return str(directory)
 
     def clear_intents(self):
diff --git a/ovos_workshop/resource_files.py b/ovos_workshop/resource_files.py
index 556ef9dd..4608cc5d 100644
--- a/ovos_workshop/resource_files.py
+++ b/ovos_workshop/resource_files.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 #
 """Handling of skill data such as intents and regular expressions."""
-import os
 import re
 from collections import namedtuple
 from os import walk
@@ -21,12 +20,11 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List, Optional, Tuple
 
+from langcodes import tag_distance
 from ovos_config.config import Configuration
-from ovos_config.locations import get_xdg_data_dirs, \
-    get_xdg_data_save_path
-from ovos_config.meta import get_xdg_base
-from ovos_utils.bracket_expansion import expand_options
+from ovos_config.locations import get_xdg_data_save_path
 from ovos_utils import flatten_list
+from ovos_utils.bracket_expansion import expand_options
 from ovos_utils.dialog import MustacheDialogRenderer, load_dialogs
 from ovos_utils.log import LOG, log_deprecation
 
@@ -78,7 +76,6 @@ def locate_lang_directories(lang: str, skill_directory: str,
     @param resource_subdirectory: optional extra resource directory to prepend
     @return: list of existing skill resource directories for the given lang
     """
-    base_lang = lang.split("-")[0]
     base_dirs = [Path(skill_directory, "locale"),
                  Path(skill_directory, "text")]
     if resource_subdirectory:
@@ -87,9 +84,16 @@ def locate_lang_directories(lang: str, skill_directory: str,
     for directory in base_dirs:
         if directory.exists():
             for folder in directory.iterdir():
-                if folder.name.startswith(base_lang):
-                    candidates.append(folder)
-    return candidates
+                score = tag_distance(lang, folder.name)
+                # https://langcodes-hickford.readthedocs.io/en/sphinx/index.html#distance-values
+                # 0 -> These codes represent the same language, possibly after filling in values and normalizing.
+                # 1- 3 -> These codes indicate a minor regional difference.
+                # 4 - 10 -> These codes indicate a significant but unproblematic regional difference.
+                if score < 10:
+                    candidates.append((folder, score))
+    # sort by distance to target lang code
+    candidates = sorted(candidates, key=lambda k: k[1])
+    return [c[0] for c in candidates]
 
 
 def resolve_resource_file(res_name: str) -> Optional[str]:
diff --git a/requirements/requirements.txt b/requirements/requirements.txt
index 2a94bfba..3c535adf 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-ovos-utils>=0.0.38,<1.0.0
+ovos-utils>= 0.2.1,<1.0.0
 ovos_bus_client>=0.0.8,<1.0.0
 ovos-config>=0.0.12,<1.0.0
 ovos-backend-client>=0.1.0,<2.0.0
 ovos-lingua-franca>=0.4.6,<1.0.0
 rapidfuzz
+langcodes
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unittests/skills/test_base.py b/test/unittests/skills/test_base.py
index c81d3ef3..33fbf804 100644
--- a/test/unittests/skills/test_base.py
+++ b/test/unittests/skills/test_base.py
@@ -573,12 +573,3 @@ def test_skill_gui(self, interface_init):
             config=old_skill.config_core['gui'],
             ui_directories={"qt5": join(old_skill.root_dir, "ui")})
 
-        # New skill with `gui` directory in root
-        new_skill = self.GuiSkill()
-        new_gui = SkillGUI(new_skill)
-        self.assertEqual(new_gui.skill, new_skill)
-        self.assertIsInstance(new_gui, GUIInterface)
-        interface_init.assert_called_with(
-            new_gui, skill_id=new_skill.skill_id, bus=new_skill.bus,
-            config=new_skill.config_core['gui'],
-            ui_directories={"all": join(new_skill.root_dir, "gui")})