diff --git a/app/[locale]/blog/[slug]/page.tsx b/app/[locale]/blog/[slug]/page.tsx
index 3ecd4afe..c58938c8 100644
--- a/app/[locale]/blog/[slug]/page.tsx
+++ b/app/[locale]/blog/[slug]/page.tsx
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export default async function BlogPost({ params }: BlogPostProps) {
                 </Heading>
                 <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-6 text-white/80 text-sm md:text-base font-medium">
                   <time dateTime={post.frontmatter.date} suppressHydrationWarning>
-                    {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {
+                    {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale || 'de', {
                       year: 'numeric',
                       month: 'long',
                       day: 'numeric',
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export default async function BlogPost({ params }: BlogPostProps) {
             </Heading>
             <div className="flex items-center gap-6 text-text-primary/80 font-medium">
               <time dateTime={post.frontmatter.date} suppressHydrationWarning>
-                {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {
+                {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale || 'de', {
                   year: 'numeric',
                   month: 'long',
                   day: 'numeric',
diff --git a/app/[locale]/blog/page.tsx b/app/[locale]/blog/page.tsx
index 263efddd..2144da2c 100644
--- a/app/[locale]/blog/page.tsx
+++ b/app/[locale]/blog/page.tsx
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export default async function BlogIndex({ params }: BlogIndexProps) {
 
                       <div className="flex items-center gap-3 text-xs md:text-sm font-bold text-white/80 mb-3 tracking-widest uppercase">
                         <time dateTime={post.frontmatter.date} suppressHydrationWarning>
-                          {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {
+                          {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale || 'de', {
                             year: 'numeric',
                             month: 'long',
                             day: 'numeric',
diff --git a/app/actions/contact.ts b/app/actions/contact.ts
index 2cf3c176..f1ee3c57 100644
--- a/app/actions/contact.ts
+++ b/app/actions/contact.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ export async function sendContactFormAction(formData: FormData) {
     ? `Product Inquiry: ${productName}`
     : 'New Contact Form Submission';
   const confirmationSubject = 'Thank you for your inquiry';
+  const isTestSubmission = email === 'testing@mintel.me';
 
   try {
     // 2a. Send notification to Mintel/Client
@@ -84,26 +85,30 @@ export async function sendContactFormAction(formData: FormData) {
       }),
     );
 
-    const notificationResult = await sendEmail({
-      replyTo: email,
-      subject: notificationSubject,
-      html: notificationHtml,
-    });
-
-    if (notificationResult.success) {
-      logger.info('Notification email sent successfully', {
-        messageId: notificationResult.messageId,
-      });
-    } else {
-      logger.error('Notification email FAILED', {
-        error: notificationResult.error,
+    if (!isTestSubmission) {
+      const notificationResult = await sendEmail({
+        replyTo: email,
         subject: notificationSubject,
-        email,
+        html: notificationHtml,
       });
-      services.errors.captureException(
-        new Error(`Notification email failed: ${notificationResult.error}`),
-        { action: 'sendContactFormAction_notification', email },
-      );
+
+      if (notificationResult.success) {
+        logger.info('Notification email sent successfully', {
+          messageId: notificationResult.messageId,
+        });
+      } else {
+        logger.error('Notification email FAILED', {
+          error: notificationResult.error,
+          subject: notificationSubject,
+          email,
+        });
+        services.errors.captureException(
+          new Error(`Notification email failed: ${notificationResult.error}`),
+          { action: 'sendContactFormAction_notification', email },
+        );
+      }
+    } else {
+      logger.info('Skipping notification email for test submission', { email });
     }
 
     // 2b. Send confirmation to Customer (branded as KLZ Cables)
@@ -115,26 +120,30 @@ export async function sendContactFormAction(formData: FormData) {
       }),
     );
 
-    const confirmationResult = await sendEmail({
-      to: email,
-      subject: confirmationSubject,
-      html: confirmationHtml,
-    });
-
-    if (confirmationResult.success) {
-      logger.info('Confirmation email sent successfully', {
-        messageId: confirmationResult.messageId,
-      });
-    } else {
-      logger.error('Confirmation email FAILED', {
-        error: confirmationResult.error,
-        subject: confirmationSubject,
+    if (!isTestSubmission) {
+      const confirmationResult = await sendEmail({
         to: email,
+        subject: confirmationSubject,
+        html: confirmationHtml,
       });
-      services.errors.captureException(
-        new Error(`Confirmation email failed: ${confirmationResult.error}`),
-        { action: 'sendContactFormAction_confirmation', email },
-      );
+
+      if (confirmationResult.success) {
+        logger.info('Confirmation email sent successfully', {
+          messageId: confirmationResult.messageId,
+        });
+      } else {
+        logger.error('Confirmation email FAILED', {
+          error: confirmationResult.error,
+          subject: confirmationSubject,
+          to: email,
+        });
+        services.errors.captureException(
+          new Error(`Confirmation email failed: ${confirmationResult.error}`),
+          { action: 'sendContactFormAction_confirmation', email },
+        );
+      }
+    } else {
+      logger.info('Skipping confirmation email for test submission', { email });
     }
 
     // Notify via Gotify (Internal)
diff --git a/components/home/RecentPosts.tsx b/components/home/RecentPosts.tsx
index 0b66ef60..02111a09 100644
--- a/components/home/RecentPosts.tsx
+++ b/components/home/RecentPosts.tsx
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export default async function RecentPosts({ locale, data }: RecentPostsProps) {
                       suppressHydrationWarning
                       className="px-3 py-1 text-white/80 text-[10px] md:text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-widest border border-white/20 rounded-full bg-white/10 backdrop-blur-md"
                     >
-                      {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale, {
+                      {new Date(post.frontmatter.date).toLocaleDateString(locale || 'de', {
                         year: 'numeric',
                         month: 'short',
                         day: 'numeric',
diff --git a/scripts/check-forms.ts b/scripts/check-forms.ts
index 8a96a867..b88edae2 100644
--- a/scripts/check-forms.ts
+++ b/scripts/check-forms.ts
@@ -168,9 +168,38 @@ async function main() {
     hasErrors = true;
   }
 
+  // 5. Cleanup: Delete test submissions from Payload CMS
+  console.log(`\n🧹 Starting cleanup of test submissions...`);
+  try {
+    const apiUrl = `${targetUrl.replace(/\/$/, '')}/api/form-submissions`;
+    const searchUrl = `${apiUrl}?where[email][equals]=testing@mintel.me`;
+
+    // Fetch test submissions
+    const searchResponse = await axios.get(searchUrl, {
+      headers: { Cookie: `klz_gatekeeper_session=${gatekeeperPassword}` },
+    });
+
+    const testSubmissions = searchResponse.data.docs || [];
+    console.log(`   Found ${testSubmissions.length} test submissions to clean up.`);
+
+    for (const doc of testSubmissions) {
+      try {
+        await axios.delete(`${apiUrl}/${doc.id}`, {
+          headers: { Cookie: `klz_gatekeeper_session=${gatekeeperPassword}` },
+        });
+        console.log(`   ✅ Deleted submission: ${doc.id}`);
+      } catch (delErr: any) {
+        console.error(`   ❌ Failed to delete submission ${doc.id}: ${delErr.message}`);
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    console.error(`❌ Cleanup failed: ${err.message}`);
+    // Don't mark the whole test as failed just because cleanup failed
+  }
+
   await browser.close();
 
-  // 5. Evaluation
+  // 6. Evaluation
   if (hasErrors) {
     console.error(`\n🚨 IMPORTANT: Form E2E checks failed. The CI build is failing.`);
     process.exit(1);