diff --git a/C4/AuthoritiesMarc.pm b/C4/AuthoritiesMarc.pm
index 35feed6033..c77b719bed 100644
--- a/C4/AuthoritiesMarc.pm
+++ b/C4/AuthoritiesMarc.pm
@@ -1619,8 +1619,25 @@ sub merge {
     my $auth_tag_to_report_to   = $authtypeto   ? $authtypeto->auth_tag_to_report   : '';
 
     my @record_to;
-    @record_to = $MARCto->field($auth_tag_to_report_to)->subfields()
-        if $auth_tag_to_report_to && $MARCto && $MARCto->field($auth_tag_to_report_to);
+
+    my $short_langcode = C4::Context->preference('LanguageToReportOnMerge');
+    if ( $auth_tag_to_report_to && $MARCto && $MARCto->field($auth_tag_to_report_to) ) {
+        my $chosen_field = $MARCto->field($auth_tag_to_report_to);
+        if ($short_langcode) {
+            foreach my $field ( $MARCto->field($auth_tag_to_report_to) ) {
+                my $subfield = $field->subfield('7');
+                if (
+                    defined $subfield
+                    && (   ( length($subfield) == 2 && $subfield eq $short_langcode )
+                        || ( length($subfield) == 8 && substr( $subfield, 4, 2 ) eq $short_langcode ) )
+                    )
+                {
+                    $chosen_field = $field;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        @record_to = $chosen_field->subfields();
+    }
 
     # Exceptional: If MARCto and authtypeto exist but $auth_tag_to_report_to
     # is empty, make sure that $9 and $a remain (instead of clearing the
diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug38142.pl b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug38142.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f94ba2012b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/atomicupdate/Bug38142.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+use Modern::Perl;
+
+return {
+    bug_number  => "38142",
+    description => "LanguageToReportOnMerge",
+    up          => sub {
+        my ($args) = @_;
+        my ( $dbh, $out ) = @$args{qw(dbh out)};
+        $dbh->do(
+            q{
+            INSERT IGNORE INTO systempreferences (variable, value, options, explanation, type) VALUES
+           ('LanguageToReportOnMerge','','','If set, the authority field having the given language code in its $7 subfield will be reported to the bibliographic record if it exists, rather than the first field. The code can be in a short, 2 characters long form (example: ba for latin) or in a long, 8 characters long form, with the short form in position 5 and 6 starting from 1 (example: ba0yba0y for latin). A list of available codes can be found here: https://documentation.abes.fr/sudoc/formats/unmb/DonneesCodees/CodesZone104.htm#$d','Free');
+        }
+        );
+
+        say $out "Added new syspref 'LanguageToReportOnMerge'";
+    }
+};
diff --git a/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/sysprefs.sql b/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/sysprefs.sql
index ab0bc8ee80..ab730e17bc 100644
--- a/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/sysprefs.sql
+++ b/installer/data/mysql/mandatory/sysprefs.sql
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ INSERT INTO systempreferences ( `variable`, `value`, `options`, `explanation`, `
 ('KohaManualBaseURL','https://koha-community.org/manual/','','Where is the Koha manual/documentation located?','Free'),
 ('KohaManualLanguage','en','en|ar|cs|de|es|fr|it|pt_BR|tr|zh_TW','What is the language of the online manual you want to use?','Choice'),
 ('LabelMARCView','standard','standard|economical','Define how a MARC record will display','Choice'),
+('LanguageToReportOnMerge','',NULL,'If set, the authority field having the given language code in its $7 subfield will be reported to the bibliographic record if it exists, rather than the first field. The code can be in a short, 2 characters long form (example: ba for latin) or in a long, 8 characters long form, with the short form in position 5 and 6 starting from 1 (example: ba0yba0y for latin). A list of available codes can be found here: https://documentation.abes.fr/sudoc/formats/unmb/DonneesCodees/CodesZone104.htm#$d','Free'),
 ('LibraryName','','','Define the library name as displayed on the OPAC',''),
 ('LibraryThingForLibrariesEnabled','0','','Enable or Disable Library Thing for Libraries Features','YesNo'),
 ('LibraryThingForLibrariesID','','','See:http://librarything.com/forlibraries/','free'),
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/admin/preferences/authorities.pref b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/admin/preferences/authorities.pref
index 39b044b30c..57c4cadb2c 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/admin/preferences/authorities.pref
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/modules/admin/preferences/authorities.pref
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ Authorities:
                   0: "Don't"
             - consider the intended use of MARC21 authority records (008/14-16) during cataloging and linking.
             - "<br/>NOTE: If you enable this preference, 'No attempt to code' in 008/14-16 is excluded from search results too."
-
+        -
+            - "If set, the authority field having the given language code in its $7 subfield will be reported to the bibliographic record if it exists, rather than the first field. The code can be in a short, 2 characters long form (example: ba for latin) or in a long, 8 characters long form, with the short form in position 5 and 6 starting from 1 (example: ba0yba0y for latin). A list of available codes can be found here: https://documentation.abes.fr/sudoc/formats/unmb/DonneesCodees/CodesZone104.htm#$d"
+            - pref: LanguageToReportOnMerge
     Linker:
         -
             - Use the
diff --git a/t/db_dependent/Authority/Merge.t b/t/db_dependent/Authority/Merge.t
index 885e7fdaaf..fb65f65401 100755
--- a/t/db_dependent/Authority/Merge.t
+++ b/t/db_dependent/Authority/Merge.t
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 # Tests for C4::AuthoritiesMarc::merge
 
 use Modern::Perl;
-
 use Test::NoWarnings;
 use Test::More tests => 14;
 
@@ -211,6 +210,78 @@ subtest 'Test merge A1 to modified A1, test strict mode' => sub {
     # Note: the +1 comes from the added subfield $9 in the biblio
 };
 
+subtest 'Test merge A1 to B1 (choosing language)' => sub {
+    plan tests => 4;
+
+    t::lib::Mocks::mock_preference( 'LanguageToReportOnMerge', '' );
+
+    my $auth1 = MARC::Record->new;
+    $auth1->append_fields(
+        MARC::Field->new( '109', '0', '0', 'a' => 'language da', '7' => 'da' ),
+        MARC::Field->new( '109', '0', '0', 'a' => 'language ba', '7' => 'ba' ),
+    );
+    my $authid1 = AddAuthority( $auth1, undef, $authtype1 );
+
+    my $marc = MARC::Record->new;
+    $marc->append_fields(
+        MARC::Field->new( '003', 'some_003' ),
+        MARC::Field->new( '245', '', '', a => 'My title' ),
+        MARC::Field->new( '609', '', '', a => 'language ba', '7' => 'ba', 9 => $authid1 ),
+    );
+    my ($biblionumber) = C4::Biblio::AddBiblio( $marc, '' );
+
+    @linkedrecords = ($biblionumber);
+    C4::AuthoritiesMarc::merge( { mergefrom => $authid1, MARCfrom => $auth1, mergeto => $authid1, MARCto => $auth1 } );
+    my $biblio = Koha::Biblios->find($biblionumber)->metadata->record;
+
+    is(
+        $biblio->subfield( '609', 'a' ), 'language da',
+        'When LanguageToReportOnMerge is not set, the first authority field is used'
+    );
+
+    t::lib::Mocks::mock_preference( 'LanguageToReportOnMerge', 'ba' );
+    C4::AuthoritiesMarc::merge( { mergefrom => $authid1, MARCfrom => $auth1, mergeto => $authid1, MARCto => $auth1 } );
+    $biblio = Koha::Biblios->find($biblionumber)->metadata->record;
+    is(
+        $biblio->subfield( '609', 'a' ), 'language ba',
+        'When LanguageToReportOnMerge is set, the field with the matching language is reported'
+    );
+
+    t::lib::Mocks::mock_preference( 'LanguageToReportOnMerge', 'xx' );
+    C4::AuthoritiesMarc::merge( { mergefrom => $authid1, MARCfrom => $auth1, mergeto => $authid1, MARCto => $auth1 } );
+    $biblio = Koha::Biblios->find($biblionumber)->metadata->record;
+    is(
+        $biblio->subfield( '609', 'a' ), 'language da',
+        'When LanguageToReportOnMerge is set to a value that does not exist in the authority, the first authority field is used'
+    );
+
+    # Long form of lang code
+    t::lib::Mocks::mock_preference( 'LanguageToReportOnMerge', 'ba' );
+    my $auth2 = MARC::Record->new;
+    $auth2->append_fields(
+        MARC::Field->new( '109', '0', '0', 'a' => 'language da (long form)', '7' => 'ba0yda0y' ),
+        MARC::Field->new( '109', '0', '0', 'a' => 'language ba (long form)', '7' => 'ba0yba0y' ),
+    );
+    my $authid2 = AddAuthority( $auth2, undef, $authtype1 );
+
+    $marc = MARC::Record->new;
+    $marc->append_fields(
+        MARC::Field->new( '003', 'some_003' ),
+        MARC::Field->new( '245', '', '', a => 'My title' ),
+        MARC::Field->new( '609', '', '', a => 'language ba', '7' => 'ba', 9 => $authid2 ),
+    );
+    my ($biblionumber2) = C4::Biblio::AddBiblio( $marc, '' );
+
+    @linkedrecords = ($biblionumber2);
+    C4::AuthoritiesMarc::merge( { mergefrom => $authid2, MARCfrom => $auth2, mergeto => $authid2, MARCto => $auth2 } );
+    my $biblio2 = Koha::Biblios->find($biblionumber2)->metadata->record;
+    is(
+        $biblio2->subfield( '609', 'a' ), 'language ba (long form)',
+        'When LanguageToReportOnMerge is set, the field with the matching language in its long form is reported'
+    );
+
+};
+
 subtest 'Test merge A1 to B1 (changing authtype)' => sub {
 
     # Tests were aimed for bug 9988, moved to 17909 in adjusted form