--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 AC_PROG_MKDIR_P
 AC_ARG_VAR([LD], [Linker loader command])
 
+PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
+
 AC_ARG_VAR([MKFONTDIR],[mkfontdir command. @<:@default=mkfontdir@:>@])
 AC_PATH_PROG([MKFONTDIR],[mkfontdir],[],[$PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/usr/X11R6/bin])
 
@@ -53,14 +55,23 @@
     features="$features i18n"
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([fribidi],
+    AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-fribidi],[Disable right to left support]))
+if test "$enable_fribidi" != "no" && test "$enable_i18n" != "no"; then
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES(FRIBIDI, fribidi)
+
+    AC_DEFINE(CONFIG_FRIBIDI,1, [Define to enable fribidi support])
+
+    CORE_CFLAGS="${CORE_CFLAGS} ${FRIBIDI_CFLAGS}"
+    CORE_LIBS="${CORE_LIBS} ${FRIBIDI_LIBS}"
+fi
+
 AC_ARG_WITH([unicode-set],
     AC_HELP_STRING([--with-unicode-set=CODESET],[Your iconv unicode set in
 	machine endian encoding (e.g. WCHAR_T, UCS-4-INTERNAL, UCS-4LE,
 	UCS-4BE)]),
     [AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CONFIG_UNICODE_SET],"$with_unicode_set",[Preferred unicode set.])])
 
-PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
-
 # Checks for libraries.
 
 # Checks for header files.
--- a/src/yfontxft.cc
+++ b/src/yfontxft.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 #include "ypaint.h"
 #include "yxapp.h"
 #include "intl.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_FRIBIDI
+    #include <fribidi/fribidi.h>
+#endif
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
@@ -69,10 +74,45 @@
                            char_t * str, size_t len)
     {
         XftColor *c = *g.color();
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_FRIBIDI
+
+#define STATIS_STRING_SIZE	256
+
+		// Based around upstream (1.3.2) patch with some optimization
+		//   on my end. (reduce unnecessary memory allocation)
+		// - Gilboa
+
+		char_t static_str[STATIS_STRING_SIZE];
+		char_t *vis_str = static_str;
+
+		if (len >= STATIS_STRING_SIZE)
+		{
+			vis_str = new char_t[len+1];
+			if (!vis_str)
+				return;
+		}
+
+		FriBidiCharType pbase_dir = FRIBIDI_TYPE_N;
+		fribidi_log2vis(str, len, &pbase_dir, //input
+						vis_str, // output
+						NULL, NULL, NULL // "statistics" that we don't need
+						);
+		str = vis_str;
+#endif
+
         XftDrawString(g.handleXft(), c, font,
                       x - g.xorigin(),
                       y - g.yorigin(),
                       str, len);
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_FRIBIDI
+
+		if (vis_str != static_str)
+			delete[] str;
+
+#endif
+
     }
 
     static void textExtents(XftFont * font, char_t * str, size_t len,