This article explores the interactional processes of a binational stepfamily in Denmark. Following Bourdieu (1977), it is argued that in stepfamily interaction, negotiations of legitimacy precede, overlap and become intertwined with negotiations of control and connection. In previous studies conducted in interactional linguistics and linguistic anthropology, the control and connection dimensions have been found to provide a useful framework for studying family interaction (Blum-Kulka 1997; Dedaic 2001; Tannen 2001, 2007; Marinova 2007; Gordon 2009). This paper builds upon these studies, which focus primarily on the interaction in intact nuclear families, to consider stepfamilies. In addition, the family analysed includes a stepparent who is not fully proficient in the language spoken in the family, which adds yet another dimension of complexity. What the interactional analysis of data collected from a binational stepfamily reveals is that legitimacy serves as an often overlooked precursor for control and connection manoeuvres in family interaction and that linguistic alignment can occur despite disagreement on issues of legitimacy.