diff --git a/src/lib/evas/Evas_Common.h b/src/lib/evas/Evas_Common.h
index 80e36587e5..4051f4f33a 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/Evas_Common.h
+++ b/src/lib/evas/Evas_Common.h
@@ -3220,6 +3220,14 @@ EAPI int  evas_string_char_prev_get(const char *str, int pos, int *decoded) EINA
  */
 EAPI int  evas_string_char_len_get(const char *str) EINA_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT EINA_ARG_NONNULL(1);
 
+/**
+ * Get language direction.
+ *
+ * @ingroup Evas_Utils
+ * @since 1.18
+ */
+EAPI Evas_BiDi_Direction     evas_language_direction_get(void);
+
 /**
  * Reinitialize language from the environment.
  *
diff --git a/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_main.c b/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_main.c
index 964b8ccbb3..ea3e5daa4e 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_main.c
+++ b/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_main.c
@@ -820,6 +820,12 @@ evas_ector_get(Evas_Public_Data *e, void *output)
    return NULL;
 }
 
+EAPI Evas_BiDi_Direction
+evas_language_direction_get(void)
+{
+   return evas_common_language_direction_get();
+}
+
 EAPI void
 evas_language_reinit(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_object_textblock.c b/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_object_textblock.c
index 6476c48b02..05ebba9e4c 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_object_textblock.c
+++ b/src/lib/evas/canvas/evas_object_textblock.c
@@ -421,6 +421,13 @@ typedef enum _Evas_Textblock_Item_Type
    EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ITEM_FORMAT,
 } Evas_Textblock_Item_Type;
 
+typedef enum _Evas_Textblock_Align_Auto
+{
+   EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_NONE,
+   EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_NORMAL,
+   EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_LOCALE
+} Evas_Textblock_Align_Auto;
+
 struct _Evas_Object_Textblock_Item
 {
    EINA_INLIST;
@@ -538,7 +545,7 @@ struct _Evas_Object_Textblock_Format
    Eina_Bool            strikethrough : 1;  /**< EINA_TRUE if text should be stricked off, else EINA_FALSE */
    Eina_Bool            backing : 1;  /**< EINA_TRUE if enable background color, else EINA_FALSE */
    Eina_Bool            password : 1;  /**< EINA_TRUE if the text is password, else EINA_FALSE */
-   Eina_Bool            halign_auto : 1;  /**< EINA_TRUE if auto horizontal align, else EINA_FALSE */
+   Evas_Textblock_Align_Auto halign_auto : 2;  /**< Auto horizontal align mode */
 };
 
 struct _Efl_Canvas_Text_Style
@@ -1928,6 +1935,7 @@ _format_command(Evas_Object *eo_obj, Evas_Object_Textblock_Format *fmt, const ch
          * Sets the horizontal alignment of the text. The value can either be
          * a number, a percentage or one of several presets:
          * @li "auto" - Respects LTR/RTL settings
+         * @li "locale" - Respects locale(language) direction settings
          * @li "center" - Centers the text in the line
          * @li "middle" - Alias for "center"
          * @li "left" - Puts the text at the left of the line
@@ -1942,7 +1950,11 @@ _format_command(Evas_Object *eo_obj, Evas_Object_Textblock_Format *fmt, const ch
          */
         if (len == 4 && !strcmp(param, "auto"))
           {
-             fmt->halign_auto = EINA_TRUE;
+             fmt->halign_auto = EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_NORMAL;
+          }
+        if (len == 6 && !strcmp(param, "locale"))
+          {
+             fmt->halign_auto = EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_LOCALE;
           }
         else
           {
@@ -1982,7 +1994,7 @@ _format_command(Evas_Object *eo_obj, Evas_Object_Textblock_Format *fmt, const ch
                   if (fmt->halign < 0.0) fmt->halign = 0.0;
                   else if (fmt->halign > 1.0) fmt->halign = 1.0;
                }
-             fmt->halign_auto = EINA_FALSE;
+             fmt->halign_auto = EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_NONE;
           }
      }
    else if (cmd == valignstr)
@@ -2859,7 +2871,7 @@ struct _Ctxt
    int have_underline, have_underline2;
    double align, valign;
    Textblock_Position position;
-   Eina_Bool align_auto : 1;
+   Evas_Textblock_Align_Auto align_auto : 2;
    Eina_Bool width_changed : 1;
 };
 
@@ -3503,7 +3515,7 @@ static inline double
 _layout_line_align_get(Ctxt *c)
 {
 #ifdef BIDI_SUPPORT
-   if (c->align_auto && c->ln)
+   if ((c->align_auto == EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_NORMAL) && c->ln)
      {
         if (c->ln->items && c->ln->items->text_node &&
               (c->ln->par->direction == EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_RTL))
@@ -3517,6 +3529,20 @@ _layout_line_align_get(Ctxt *c)
              return 0.0;
           }
      }
+   else if (c->align_auto == EVAS_TEXTBLOCK_ALIGN_AUTO_LOCALE)
+     {
+        if (evas_common_language_direction_get() == EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_RTL)
+          {
+             /* Align right*/
+             return 1.0;
+          }
+        else
+          {
+             /* Align left */
+             return 0.0;
+          }
+     }
+
 #endif
    return c->align;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.c b/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.c
index ce075a1534..8eda465480 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.c
+++ b/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#include <libintl.h>
 
 #ifdef HAVE_EVIL
 # include <Evil.h>
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@
 
 static char lang[6]; /* FIXME: Maximum length I know about */
 static char lang_full[32];
+static Evas_BiDi_Direction lang_dir = EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL;
 
 static Evas_Script_Type
 _evas_common_language_char_script_search(Eina_Unicode unicode)
@@ -194,10 +196,27 @@ evas_common_language_from_locale_full_get(void)
    return "";
 }
 
+Evas_BiDi_Direction
+evas_common_language_direction_get(void)
+{
+   if (lang_dir == EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL)
+     {
+        const char *dir_str = dgettext(PACKAGE, "default:LTR");
+
+        if (dir_str && !strcmp(dir_str, "default:RTL"))
+          lang_dir = EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_RTL;
+        else
+          lang_dir = EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_LTR;
+     }
+
+   return lang_dir;
+}
+
 void
 evas_common_language_reinit(void)
 {
    *lang = *lang_full = '\0';
+   lang_dir = EVAS_BIDI_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.h b/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.h
index 8c7529a572..1ecde84967 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.h
+++ b/src/lib/evas/common/language/evas_language_utils.h
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ evas_common_language_from_locale_get(void);
 const char *
 evas_common_language_from_locale_full_get(void);
 
+Evas_BiDi_Direction
+evas_common_language_direction_get(void);
+
 void
 evas_common_language_reinit(void);
 #endif