diff --git a/src/app/app.component.html b/src/app/app.component.html
index 0aad882..9b9f787 100644
--- a/src/app/app.component.html
+++ b/src/app/app.component.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<div class="app-content" [attr.aria-hidden]="isLanguageSelectorOpen() ? 'true' : null" [attr.inert]="isLanguageSelectorOpen() ? '' : null">
+<div class="app-content">
   <router-outlet></router-outlet>
 </div>
 
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@
   </span>
 </button>
 
-@if (isLanguageSelectorOpen()) {
-  <div
-    class="language-overlay"
-    role="dialog"
-    aria-modal="true"
-    aria-labelledby="language-title"
-    (click)="closeLanguageSelectorOnBackdrop($event)"
-  >
+<dialog
+  #languageDialog
+  class="language-overlay"
+  aria-labelledby="language-title"
+  (close)="closeLanguageSelector()"
+  (click)="closeLanguageSelectorOnBackdrop($event)"
+>
+  @if (isLanguageSelectorOpen()) {
     <section class="language-card panel">
       <div class="language-card-header">
         <div class="language-copy">
@@ -57,5 +57,5 @@
         }
       </div>
     </section>
-  </div>
-}
+  }
+</dialog>
diff --git a/src/app/app.component.spec.ts b/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
index 5ea2d0a..b283189 100644
--- a/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe('AppComponent', (): void => {
 
   it('should keep the language selector closed on first visit', (): void => {
     const el = fixture.nativeElement as HTMLElement;
-    expect(el.querySelector('.language-overlay')).toBeNull();
+    expect(el.querySelector<HTMLDialogElement>('dialog.language-overlay')?.open).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it('should preselect English by default', (): void => {
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ describe('AppComponent', (): void => {
     const comp = component as unknown as {
       chooseLanguage(language: 'en' | 'de'): void;
       currentLanguageCode(): string;
-      isLanguageConfirmed(): boolean;
       isLanguageSelectorOpen(): boolean;
     };
 
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ describe('AppComponent', (): void => {
     fixture.detectChanges();
 
     expect(comp.currentLanguageCode()).toBe('de');
-    expect(comp.isLanguageConfirmed()).toBe(true);
     expect(comp.isLanguageSelectorOpen()).toBe(false);
     expect(localStorage.getItem('portfolio-language')).toBe('de');
   });
@@ -71,12 +69,10 @@ describe('AppComponent', (): void => {
     restoredFixture.detectChanges();
     const restoredComponent = restoredFixture.componentInstance as unknown as {
       currentLanguageCode(): string;
-      isLanguageConfirmed(): boolean;
       isLanguageSelectorOpen(): boolean;
     };
 
     expect(restoredComponent.currentLanguageCode()).toBe('de');
-    expect(restoredComponent.isLanguageConfirmed()).toBe(true);
     expect(restoredComponent.isLanguageSelectorOpen()).toBe(false);
   });
 
@@ -93,4 +89,18 @@ describe('AppComponent', (): void => {
 
     expect(comp.isLanguageSelectorOpen()).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it('should sync the selector state when the dialog closes natively', (): void => {
+    const comp = component as unknown as {
+      reopenLanguageSelector(): void;
+      isLanguageSelectorOpen(): boolean;
+    };
+    comp.reopenLanguageSelector();
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    const dialog = (fixture.nativeElement as HTMLElement).querySelector('dialog');
+    dialog?.dispatchEvent(new Event('close'));
+
+    expect(comp.isLanguageSelectorOpen()).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/app.component.ts b/src/app/app.component.ts
index 07ee453..85a3f57 100644
--- a/src/app/app.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.component.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
-import { DOCUMENT } from '@angular/common';
 import {
+  afterRenderEffect,
   ChangeDetectionStrategy,
   Component,
   computed,
-  effect,
   inject,
   signal,
+  viewChild,
 } from '@angular/core';
-import type { OnDestroy, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
+import type { ElementRef, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
 import { RouterOutlet } from '@angular/router';
 
 import type { LanguageCode } from '../languages/language.types';
 import type { LanguageOption } from './app.types';
+import { LanguagePreferenceService } from './services/language-preference.service';
 import { ShellLanguageService } from './services/shell-language.service';
 
 @Component({
@@ -21,13 +22,14 @@ import { ShellLanguageService } from './services/shell-language.service';
   templateUrl: './app.component.html',
   changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush,
 })
-export class AppComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
-  private readonly document = inject(DOCUMENT);
+export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
+  private readonly languagePreferenceService = inject(LanguagePreferenceService);
   private readonly shellLanguageService = inject(ShellLanguageService);
+  private readonly languageDialog =
+    viewChild.required<ElementRef<HTMLDialogElement>>('languageDialog');
 
   protected readonly content = this.shellLanguageService.content;
-  protected readonly currentLanguageCode = this.shellLanguageService.languageCode;
-  protected readonly isLanguageConfirmed = this.shellLanguageService.isLanguageConfirmed;
+  protected readonly currentLanguageCode = this.languagePreferenceService.languageCode;
   protected readonly isLanguageSelectorOpen = signal(false);
   protected readonly selectedLanguage = signal<LanguageCode>('en');
   protected readonly languageOptions: readonly LanguageOption[] = [
@@ -41,26 +43,22 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     this.getLanguageLabel(this.currentLanguageCode(), this.content()),
   );
 
-  constructor() {
-    effect((): void => {
-      const overflowValue = this.isLanguageSelectorOpen() ? 'hidden' : '';
-      this.document.body.style.overflow = overflowValue;
-      this.document.documentElement.style.overflow = overflowValue;
-    });
-  }
+  private readonly syncDialog = afterRenderEffect((): void => {
+    const dialog = this.languageDialog().nativeElement;
+    if (this.isLanguageSelectorOpen() && !dialog.open) {
+      dialog.showModal();
+    } else if (!this.isLanguageSelectorOpen() && dialog.open) {
+      dialog.close();
+    }
+  });
 
   ngOnInit(): void {
-    const initialLanguage = this.shellLanguageService.initializeFromStorage();
-    this.selectedLanguage.set(initialLanguage);
+    this.selectedLanguage.set(this.languagePreferenceService.initialize());
   }
 
   protected chooseLanguage(language: LanguageCode): void {
     this.selectedLanguage.set(language);
-    this.confirmLanguage();
-  }
-
-  protected confirmLanguage(): void {
-    this.shellLanguageService.confirmLanguage(this.selectedLanguage());
+    this.languagePreferenceService.confirmLanguage(language);
     this.isLanguageSelectorOpen.set(false);
   }
 
@@ -69,6 +67,7 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     this.isLanguageSelectorOpen.set(true);
   }
 
+  /** Also runs when the dialog closes natively, e.g. via Escape. */
   protected closeLanguageSelector(): void {
     this.selectedLanguage.set(this.currentLanguageCode());
     this.isLanguageSelectorOpen.set(false);
@@ -83,9 +82,4 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   protected getLanguageLabel(language: LanguageCode, content = this.dialogContent()): string {
     return language === 'de' ? content.app.languageGerman : content.app.languageEnglish;
   }
-
-  ngOnDestroy(): void {
-    this.document.body.style.overflow = '';
-    this.document.documentElement.style.overflow = '';
-  }
 }