diff --git a/_config/filters.js b/_config/filters.js
index 2f1affe..b1b3071 100644
--- a/_config/filters.js
+++ b/_config/filters.js
@@ -48,18 +48,24 @@ module.exports = function (eleventyConfig, { TIME_ZONE, defaultLanguage }) {
         // determine locale to resolve to
         const pageLang = desiredLocale || (ctx.page && ctx.page.lang) || ctx.locale || defaultLanguage;
 
+        const LOCALE_URL_DEBUG = process.env.LOCALE_URL_DEBUG === "1" || process.env.LOCALE_URL_DEBUG === "true";
         if (LOCALE_URL_DEBUG) {
             console.warn(`[locale_url_resolve] resolving targetUrl="${targetUrl}" desiredLocale="${desiredLocale}" pageLang="${pageLang}"`);
         }
 
-        // if requested locale is default, return the raw url
-        if (pageLang === defaultLanguage) {
-            if (LOCALE_URL_DEBUG) console.warn(`[locale_url_resolve] requested locale is default (${defaultLanguage}) — returning raw URL "${targetUrl}"`);
-            return targetUrl;
+        // special case for homepage
+        if (targetUrl === "/" || targetUrl === "/index/") {
+            if (pageLang === defaultLanguage) {
+                if (LOCALE_URL_DEBUG) console.warn(`[locale_url_resolve] homepage, default language (${defaultLanguage}) -> "/"`);
+                return "/";
+            }
+            const homepageUrl = `/${pageLang}/`;
+            if (LOCALE_URL_DEBUG) console.warn(`[locale_url_resolve] homepage, language (${pageLang}) -> "${homepageUrl}"`);
+            return homepageUrl;
         }
 
-        // normalize targetUrl to ensure trailing slash for comparison
-        const normUrl = targetUrl.endsWith("/") ? targetUrl : (targetUrl + "/");
+        // normalize targetUrl to include trailing slash for comparison
+        const normUrl = targetUrl.endsWith("/") ? targetUrl : `${targetUrl}/`;
 
         // try to find the canonical (default language) page corresponding to targetUrl
         let canonical = all.find(p => {
@@ -83,7 +89,7 @@ module.exports = function (eleventyConfig, { TIME_ZONE, defaultLanguage }) {
 
         // if cannot find canonical page, fall back to a prefixed URL (best effort)
         if (!canonical) {
-            const fallback = (`/${pageLang}${targetUrl}`).replace(/\/{2,}/g, "/");
+            const fallback = `/${pageLang}${targetUrl}`.replace(/\/{2,}/g, "/");
             if (LOCALE_URL_DEBUG) console.warn(`[locale_url_resolve] fallback -> "${fallback}"`);
             return fallback;
         }
@@ -117,8 +123,8 @@ module.exports = function (eleventyConfig, { TIME_ZONE, defaultLanguage }) {
             return localized.url;
         }
 
-        // no localized page found — fall back to prefixed path
-        const fallback2 = (`/${pageLang}${targetUrl}`).replace(/\/{2,}/g, "/");
+        // fallback to prefixed URL
+        const fallback2 = `/${pageLang}${targetUrl}`.replace(/\/{2,}/g, "/");
         if (LOCALE_URL_DEBUG) console.warn(`[locale_url_resolve] localized NOT found for key="${key}" — fallback -> "${fallback2}"`);
         return fallback2;
     });