diff --git a/gdk/gdk-private.h b/gdk/gdk-private.h
index 0c83002bfc..551ecac9aa 100644
--- a/gdk/gdk-private.h
+++ b/gdk/gdk-private.h
@@ -36,4 +36,8 @@ gboolean gdk_should_use_portal (void);
 
 const gchar *   gdk_get_startup_notification_id (void);
 
+PangoDirection gdk_unichar_direction (gunichar    ch);
+PangoDirection gdk_find_base_dir     (const char *text,
+                                      int         len);
+
 #endif /* __GDK__PRIVATE_H__ */
diff --git a/gdk/gdk.c b/gdk/gdk.c
index d623afabf9..6954ef772e 100644
--- a/gdk/gdk.c
+++ b/gdk/gdk.c
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#include <fribidi.h>
+
 
 /**
  * SECTION:general
@@ -343,3 +345,45 @@ gdk_should_use_portal (void)
  * management for you.
  */
 
+PangoDirection
+gdk_unichar_direction (gunichar ch)
+{
+  FriBidiCharType fribidi_ch_type;
+
+  G_STATIC_ASSERT (sizeof (FriBidiChar) == sizeof (gunichar));
+
+  fribidi_ch_type = fribidi_get_bidi_type (ch);
+
+  if (!FRIBIDI_IS_STRONG (fribidi_ch_type))
+    return PANGO_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL;
+  else if (FRIBIDI_IS_RTL (fribidi_ch_type))
+    return PANGO_DIRECTION_RTL;
+  else
+    return PANGO_DIRECTION_LTR;
+}
+
+PangoDirection
+gdk_find_base_dir (const gchar *text,
+                   gint         length)
+{
+  PangoDirection dir = PANGO_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL;
+  const gchar *p;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (text != NULL || length == 0, PANGO_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL);
+
+  p = text;
+  while ((length < 0 || p < text + length) && *p)
+    {
+      gunichar wc = g_utf8_get_char (p);
+
+      dir = gdk_unichar_direction (wc);
+
+      if (dir != PANGO_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL)
+        break;
+
+      p = g_utf8_next_char (p);
+    }
+
+  return dir;
+}
+
diff --git a/gdk/gdkinternals.h b/gdk/gdkinternals.h
index f64f38dd4b..a8c4bb6176 100644
--- a/gdk/gdkinternals.h
+++ b/gdk/gdkinternals.h
@@ -351,7 +351,6 @@ void gdk_synthesize_surface_state (GdkSurface     *surface,
                                    GdkSurfaceState unset_flags,
                                    GdkSurfaceState set_flags);
 
-
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GDK_INTERNALS_H__ */
diff --git a/gdk/meson.build b/gdk/meson.build
index d68307392b..a7b5f2e630 100644
--- a/gdk/meson.build
+++ b/gdk/meson.build
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ gdk_deps = [
   pixbuf_dep,
   cairo_dep,
   pango_dep,
+  fribidi_dep,
   cairogobj_dep,
   glib_dep,
   gobject_dep,
diff --git a/gdk/wayland/gdkkeys-wayland.c b/gdk/wayland/gdkkeys-wayland.c
index cad938f5f0..9a6809d23b 100644
--- a/gdk/wayland/gdkkeys-wayland.c
+++ b/gdk/wayland/gdkkeys-wayland.c
@@ -31,12 +31,13 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <fribidi.h>
 
 #include "gdk.h"
 #include "gdkwayland.h"
 
 #include "gdkprivate-wayland.h"
-#include "gdkinternals.h"
+#include "gdk-private.h"
 #include "gdkkeysprivate.h"
 
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
@@ -499,7 +500,7 @@ update_direction (GdkWaylandKeymap *keymap)
              {
                PangoDirection dir;
 
-               dir = pango_unichar_direction (xkb_keysym_to_utf32 (syms[sym]));
+               dir = gdk_unichar_direction (xkb_keysym_to_utf32 (syms[sym]));
                switch (dir)
                  {
                  case PANGO_DIRECTION_RTL:
diff --git a/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c b/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c
index be54e66e18..4c27ac3472 100644
--- a/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c
+++ b/gdk/x11/gdkkeys-x11.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "gdkkeysyms.h"
 #include "gdkprivate-x11.h"
 #include "gdkdisplay-x11.h"
+#include "gdk-private.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -480,7 +481,7 @@ get_direction (XkbDescRec *xkb,
     {
       gint level = 0;
       KeySym sym = XkbKeySymEntry (xkb, code, level, group);
-      PangoDirection dir = pango_unichar_direction (gdk_keyval_to_unicode (sym));
+      PangoDirection dir = gdk_unichar_direction (gdk_keyval_to_unicode (sym));
 
       switch (dir)
         {
diff --git a/gtk/gtkentry.c b/gtk/gtkentry.c
index f5231424e4..2115852aa3 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkentry.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkentry.c
@@ -5477,7 +5477,7 @@ gtk_entry_create_layout (GtkEntry *entry,
       PangoDirection pango_dir;
 
       if (gtk_entry_get_display_mode (entry) == DISPLAY_NORMAL)
-	pango_dir = pango_find_base_dir (display_text, n_bytes);
+	pango_dir = gdk_find_base_dir (display_text, n_bytes);
       else
 	pango_dir = PANGO_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL;
 
diff --git a/gtk/gtktextbtree.c b/gtk/gtktextbtree.c
index a51e96d8b1..a4f9b5398f 100644
--- a/gtk/gtktextbtree.c
+++ b/gtk/gtktextbtree.c
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@
 #include "gtkdebug.h"
 #include "gtktextmarkprivate.h"
 #include "gtktextsegment.h"
+#include "gtkpango.h"
+#include "gdk-private.h"
 
 /*
  * Types
@@ -595,8 +597,7 @@ gtk_text_btree_resolve_bidi (GtkTextIter *start,
             {
 	      PangoDirection pango_dir;
 
-              pango_dir = pango_find_base_dir (seg->body.chars,
-					       seg->byte_count);
+              pango_dir = gdk_find_base_dir (seg->body.chars, seg->byte_count);
 	      
               if (pango_dir != PANGO_DIRECTION_NEUTRAL)
                 {
diff --git a/gtk/gtktextview.c b/gtk/gtktextview.c
index bbdf7efb68..2950ad7dec 100644
--- a/gtk/gtktextview.c
+++ b/gtk/gtktextview.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include "gtktoolbar.h"
 #include "gtkmagnifierprivate.h"
 #include "gtkemojichooser.h"
+#include "gtkpango.h"
 
 #include "a11y/gtktextviewaccessibleprivate.h"
 
@@ -5831,7 +5832,7 @@ iter_line_is_rtl (const GtkTextIter *iter)
   gtk_text_iter_set_line_offset (&start, 0);
   gtk_text_iter_forward_line (&end);
   text = gtk_text_iter_get_visible_text (&start, &end);
-  direction = pango_find_base_dir (text, -1);
+  direction = gdk_find_base_dir (text, -1);
 
   g_free (text);
 
diff --git a/gtk/meson.build b/gtk/meson.build
index e45b18bf8e..57784e415c 100644
--- a/gtk/meson.build
+++ b/gtk/meson.build
@@ -872,6 +872,7 @@ gtk_deps = [
   platform_gio_dep,
   pangocairo_dep,
   pango_dep,
+  fribidi_dep,
   cairogobj_dep,
   cairo_dep,
   fontconfig_dep,
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0385d15b07..6579ee4f27 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ endif
 
 glib_req           = '>= @0@.@1@.@2@'.format(glib_major_req, glib_minor_req, glib_micro_req)
 pango_req          = '>= 1.41.0'
+fribidi_req        = '>= 0.19.7'
 atk_req            = '>= 2.15.1'
 cairo_req          = '>= 1.14.0'
 gdk_pixbuf_req     = '>= 2.30.0'
@@ -325,6 +326,8 @@ cairo_dep      = dependency('cairo', version: cairo_req, required : cc.get_id()
 cairogobj_dep  = dependency('cairo-gobject', version: cairo_req, required : cc.get_id() != 'msvc')
 pango_dep      = dependency('pango', version: pango_req,
                             fallback : ['pango', 'libpango_dep'])
+fribidi_dep    = dependency('fribidi', version: fribidi_req,
+                            fallback : ['fribidi', 'libfribidi_dep'])
 
 # Require PangoFT2 if on X11 or wayland
 require_pangoft2 = wayland_enabled or x11_enabled