diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2e7c6d353..1863e8f80 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -233,6 +233,13 @@ if test "$enable_testing" = "yes"; then
 	AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_TESTING,1,[include devel code parts for neutrino tests - not recommended for general users!])
 fi
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([fribidi],
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-fribidi], [enable fribidi support])
+)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_FRIBIDI, test "$enable_fribidi" = "yes")
+AS_IF([test "$enable_fribidi" = "yes"],
+	AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_FRIBIDI, 1, [enable fribidi support])
+)
 
 if test "$BOXTYPE" = "coolstream"; then
 if test -e ${srcdir}/lib/hardware/coolstream/hd1/libcoolstream/nevis_ir.h; then
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 616e49b8f..f33f8f87c 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@ neutrino_LDADD += -lgif
 else
 neutrino_LDADD += -lungif
 endif
+
+if ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+neutrino_LDADD += -lfribidi
+endif
+
 if ENABLE_LUA
 neutrino_LDADD += @LUA_LIBS@
 endif
diff --git a/src/driver/fontrenderer.cpp b/src/driver/fontrenderer.cpp
index 5d4ee16b7..375be1570 100644
--- a/src/driver/fontrenderer.cpp
+++ b/src/driver/fontrenderer.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
 #include <system/debug.h>
 #include <global.h>
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+#include <fribidi/fribidi.h>
+#endif
+
 FT_Error FBFontRenderClass::myFTC_Face_Requester(FTC_FaceID  face_id,
         FT_Library  /*library*/,
         FT_Pointer  request_data,
@@ -388,6 +392,49 @@ int UTF8ToUnicode(const char * &text, const bool utf8_encoded) // returns -1 on
 	return unicode_value;
 }
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+static std::string fribidi_shape_char(const char * text)
+{
+	if(text && *text)
+	{
+		int len = strlen(text);
+		char * rtl_text = NULL;
+		int rtl_len = 0;
+
+		fribidi_set_mirroring(true);
+		fribidi_set_reorder_nsm(false);
+
+		// init to utf-8
+		FriBidiCharSet fribidi_charset = FRIBIDI_CHAR_SET_UTF8;
+
+		// tell bidi that we need bidirectional
+		FriBidiCharType fribidi_chartype = FRIBIDI_TYPE_L;
+
+		// our buffer
+		FriBidiChar *logical = (FriBidiChar *)alloca(sizeof(FriBidiChar)*(len + 1));
+		FriBidiChar *visual = (FriBidiChar *)alloca(sizeof(FriBidiChar)*(len + 1));
+
+		// convert from the selected charset to Unicode
+		rtl_len = fribidi_charset_to_unicode(fribidi_charset, const_cast<char *>(text), len, logical);
+		//printf("len: %d rtl_len: %d\n", len, rtl_len);
+
+		// logical to visual
+		if (fribidi_log2vis(logical, rtl_len, &fribidi_chartype, visual, NULL, NULL, NULL))
+		{
+			// removes bidirectional marks
+			fribidi_remove_bidi_marks(visual, rtl_len, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+
+			rtl_text = (char *)alloca(sizeof(char)*(rtl_len * 4 + 1));
+			fribidi_unicode_to_charset(fribidi_charset, visual, rtl_len, rtl_text);
+
+			return std::string(rtl_text);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return std::string(text);
+}
+#endif
+
 void Font::paintFontPixel(fb_pixel_t *td, uint8_t src)
 {
 #define DST_BLUE  0x80
@@ -448,6 +495,11 @@ void Font::RenderString(int x, int y, const int width, const char *text, const f
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock( &renderer->render_mutex );
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+	std::string Text = fribidi_shape_char(text);
+	text = Text.c_str();
+#endif
+
 	FT_Error err = FTC_Manager_LookupSize(renderer->cacheManager, &scaler, &size);
 	if (err != 0)
 	{
@@ -638,6 +690,11 @@ int Font::getRenderWidth(const char *text, const bool utf8_encoded)
 {
 	pthread_mutex_lock( &renderer->render_mutex );
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+	std::string Text = fribidi_shape_char(text);
+	text = Text.c_str();
+#endif
+
 	FT_Error err = FTC_Manager_LookupSize(renderer->cacheManager, &scaler, &size);
 	if (err != 0)
 	{
diff --git a/src/lcddisplay/fontrenderer.cpp b/src/lcddisplay/fontrenderer.cpp
index 43bf2562c..e52e71d6e 100644
--- a/src/lcddisplay/fontrenderer.cpp
+++ b/src/lcddisplay/fontrenderer.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@
 #include <ft2build.h>
 #include FT_FREETYPE_H
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+#include <fribidi/fribidi.h>
+#endif
+
 FT_Error LcdFontRenderClass::myFTC_Face_Requester(FTC_FaceID  face_id,
                             FT_Library  /*library*/,
                             FT_Pointer  request_data,
@@ -230,11 +234,20 @@ extern int UTF8ToUnicode(const char * &text, const bool utf8_encoded); // return
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+std::string fribidi_shape_char(const char * text);
+#endif
+
 void LcdFont::RenderString(int x, int y, const int width, const char * text, const int color, const int selected, const bool utf8_encoded)
 {
 	int err;
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&renderer->render_mutex);
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+	std::string Text = fribidi_shape_char(text);
+	text = Text.c_str();
+#endif
+
 	FTC_ScalerRec scaler;
 
 	scaler.face_id = font.face_id;
@@ -311,6 +324,12 @@ void LcdFont::RenderString(int x, int y, const int width, const char * text, con
 int LcdFont::getRenderWidth(const char * text, const bool utf8_encoded)
 {
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&renderer->render_mutex);
+
+#ifdef ENABLE_FRIBIDI
+	std::string Text = fribidi_shape_char(text);
+	text = Text.c_str();
+#endif
+
 	FT_Error err;
 	FTC_ScalerRec scaler;
 	scaler.face_id = font.face_id;