diff --git a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.test.ts b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.test.ts
index b64b6b719..af605f222 100644
--- a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.test.ts
+++ b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.test.ts
@@ -185,6 +185,25 @@ describe('UserResolver', () => {
         )
       })
     })
+
+    describe('unknown language', () => {
+      it('sets "de" as default language', async () => {
+        await mutate({
+          mutation,
+          variables: { ...variables, email: 'bibi@bloxberg.de', language: 'es' },
+        })
+        await expect(
+          getRepository(LoginUser).createQueryBuilder('login_user').getMany(),
+        ).resolves.toEqual(
+          expect.arrayContaining([
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              email: 'bibi@bloxberg.de',
+              language: 'de',
+            }),
+          ]),
+        )
+      })
+    })
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.ts b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.ts
index 3875fc538..ccdef9794 100644
--- a/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.ts
+++ b/backend/src/graphql/resolver/UserResolver.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { signIn } from '../../apis/KlicktippController'
 import { RIGHTS } from '../../auth/RIGHTS'
 import { ServerUserRepository } from '../../typeorm/repository/ServerUser'
 import { ROLE_ADMIN } from '../../auth/ROLES'
+import { randomBytes } from 'crypto'
 
 const EMAIL_OPT_IN_RESET_PASSWORD = 2
 const EMAIL_OPT_IN_REGISTER = 1
@@ -432,7 +433,7 @@ export class UserResolver {
       dbUser.lastName = lastName
       dbUser.username = username
       // TODO this field has no null allowed unlike the loginServer table
-      dbUser.pubkey = Buffer.alloc(32, 0) // default to 0000...
+      dbUser.pubkey = Buffer.from(randomBytes(32)) // Buffer.alloc(32, 0) default to 0000...
       // dbUser.pubkey = keyPair[0]
 
       await queryRunner.manager.save(dbUser).catch((er) => {
diff --git a/database/src/helpers.ts b/database/src/helpers.ts
index 0c15042a8..199af5f7f 100644
--- a/database/src/helpers.ts
+++ b/database/src/helpers.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const migration = new Migration({
   conn: pool,
   tableName: CONFIG.MIGRATIONS_TABLE,
   silent: true,
-  dir: '../database/migrations/', // CONFIG.MIGRATIONS_DIRECTORY,
+  dir: CONFIG.MIGRATIONS_DIRECTORY,
 })
 
 const initialize = async (): Promise<void> => {