diff --git a/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2devicecontext.inc b/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2devicecontext.inc
index d1e6f727c7..f0ad44c491 100644
--- a/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2devicecontext.inc
+++ b/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2devicecontext.inc
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ begin
     SetColors(FGColor, BGColor);
 
     WidgetCont := pango_layout_get_context(AFont^.GDIFontObject);
+
     OldMatrix := pango_context_get_matrix(WidgetCont);
     NewMatrix.xx := 1.0;
     NewMatrix.xy := 0.0;
diff --git a/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2extrah.inc b/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2extrah.inc
index b56edbc5e8..0f4200c656 100644
--- a/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2extrah.inc
+++ b/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2extrah.inc
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ function gdk_x11_image_get_ximage(image:PGdkImage):PXImage;cdecl;external gdklib
 procedure laz_gdk_gc_set_dashes(gc:PGdkGC; dash_offset:gint;
   dashlist:Pgint8; n:gint); cdecl; external gdkdll name 'gdk_gc_set_dashes';
 // - - - - - - - - - pango extras - - - - - - - - -
+
+
+function pango_unichar_direction(ch : gunichar) : TPangoDirection; cdecl; external pangolib;
+
+// pango 1.4
+function pango_find_base_dir(text : Pgchar; aLength : gint) : TPangoDirection; cdecl; external pangolib;
+
 type
   PPPangoAttrList = ^PPangoAttrList;
 // pango 1.16
diff --git a/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2winapi.inc b/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2winapi.inc
index 4eb3048041..7c3e40c877 100644
--- a/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2winapi.inc
+++ b/lcl/interfaces/gtk2/gtk2winapi.inc
@@ -765,11 +765,13 @@ var
   DevCtx: TGtk2DeviceContext absolute DC;
   DCOrigin: TPoint;
   yOffset: integer;
+  Direction : TPangoDirection;
 begin
   Result := IsValidDC(DC);
   if not Result then Exit;
   if Count <= 0 then Exit;
 
+
   if DevCtx.HasTransf then
     DevCtx.TransfPoint(X, Y);
 
@@ -784,6 +786,9 @@ begin
   DevCtx.SelectedColors := dcscCustom;
   EnsureGCColor(DC, dccCurrentTextColor, True, False);
 
+  Direction := pango_find_base_dir(Str, Count);
+  pango_context_set_base_dir(@DevCtx, Direction);
+
   DevCtx.DrawTextWithColors(Str, Count,
     X + DCOrigin.X, Y + DCOrigin.Y + yOffset,
     nil, nil);