diff --git a/00README_STR_METRICS_BRANCH b/00README_STR_METRICS_BRANCH
index 31cc489162..18c68ca2fb 100644
--- a/00README_STR_METRICS_BRANCH
+++ b/00README_STR_METRICS_BRANCH
@@ -17,18 +17,24 @@ What is done:
   metrics are computed. The list of elements is stored in the row
   object in visual ordering, not logical.
 
-* Re-implement cursorX and getColumnNearX using row elements
+* Re-implement cursorX and getColumnNearX using row elements.
 
 * Implement proper string metrics computation (with cache), when
   lyxrc.force_paint_single_char is false. In this case, remove also
   useless workarounds which disable kerning and ligatures.
 
 
+Next steps needed:
+
+* check what happens with arabic and/or hebrew text. There may be some
+  problems related to compose characters. I suspect that some code is
+  needed in FontMetrics::width.
+
 Next possible steps:
 
-* Get rid of old code of cursorX and getColumnNearX (which have been
+* Get rid of old code in cursorX and getColumnNearX; it has been
   kept for comparison purpose, guarded with KEEP_OLD_METRICS_CODE in
-  order to check computations).
+  order to check computations.
 
 * Re-implement row painting using row elements. This is not difficult
   in principle, but the code is intricate and needs some careful
@@ -43,9 +49,11 @@ Difference in behavior (aka bug fixes)
   actual text, not default font.
 
 * When cursor is after a LTR separator just before a RTL chunk, the
-  cursor posiiton is computed better with the new code.
+  cursor position is computed better with the new code.
 
 
 Other differences (aka real bugs)
 
-You tell me.
+* there are still difference in what breaks words. In particular,
+  RowPainter breaks strings at: selection end, spellchecking
+  extremity.
diff --git a/src/Row.cpp b/src/Row.cpp
index 1a3bb247f0..d784979d34 100644
--- a/src/Row.cpp
+++ b/src/Row.cpp
@@ -218,9 +218,11 @@ ostream & operator<<(ostream & os, Row const & row)
 	   << " descent: " << row.dim_.des
 	   << " separator: " << row.separator
 	   << " label_hfill : " << row.label_hfill << "\n";
+	double x = row.x;
 	Row::Elements::const_iterator it = row.elements_.begin();
 	for ( ; it != row.elements_.end() ; ++it) {
-		os << "** " << *it << endl;
+		os << "x=" << x << " => " << *it << endl;
+		x += it->width();
 	}
 	return os;
 }
diff --git a/src/TextMetrics.cpp b/src/TextMetrics.cpp
index f4e03c38e9..d949e3a75a 100644
--- a/src/TextMetrics.cpp
+++ b/src/TextMetrics.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 
 #include "TextMetrics.h"
 
+#ifdef KEEP_OLD_METRICS_CODE
 #include "Bidi.h"
+#endif
 #include "Buffer.h"
 #include "buffer_funcs.h"
 #include "BufferParams.h"
@@ -1115,9 +1117,18 @@ void TextMetrics::setRowHeight(Row & row, pit_type const pit,
 pos_type TextMetrics::getColumnNearX(pit_type const pit,
 		Row const & row, int & x, bool & boundary) const
 {
-	boundary = false;
+
+	/// For the main Text, it is possible that this pit is not
+	/// yet in the CoordCache when moving cursor up.
+	/// x Paragraph coordinate is always 0 for main text anyway.
+	int const xo = origin_.x_;
+	x -= xo;
+#ifdef KEEP_OLD_METRICS_CODE
+	int const x_orig = x;
+#endif
 
 	pos_type pos = row.pos();
+	boundary = false;
 	if (row.x >= x || row.empty())
 		x = row.x;
 	else if (x >= row.width() - row.right_margin) {
@@ -1158,16 +1169,13 @@ pos_type TextMetrics::getColumnNearX(pit_type const pit,
 	    && row.back().endpos == row.endpos())
 		boundary = row.right_boundary();
 
+	x += xo;
 #if !defined(KEEP_OLD_METRICS_CODE)
 	return pos - row.pos();
 #else
 	Buffer const & buffer = bv_->buffer();
 
-	/// For the main Text, it is possible that this pit is not
-	/// yet in the CoordCache when moving cursor up.
-	/// x Paragraph coordinate is always 0 for main text anyway.
-	int const xo = origin_.x_;
-	int x2 = x - xo;
+	int x2 = x_orig;
 	Paragraph const & par = text_->getPar(pit);
 	Bidi bidi;
 	bidi.computeTables(par, buffer, row);
@@ -1280,8 +1288,8 @@ pos_type TextMetrics::getColumnNearX(pit_type const pit,
 
 	if (abs(x2 - x) > 0.1 || boundary != boundary
 	    || c != pos) {
-		lyxerr << "new=(x=" << x << ", b=" << boundary << ", p=" << pos << "), "
-		       << "old=(x=" << x2 << ", b=" << boundary2 << ", p=" << c << "), " << row;
+		lyxerr << "getColumnNearX: new=(x=" << x - xo << ", b=" << boundary << ", p=" << pos << "), "
+		       << "old=(x=" << x2 - xo << ", b=" << boundary2 << ", p=" << c << "), " << row;
 	}
 
 	if (!c || end == par.size())
@@ -2100,7 +2108,6 @@ void TextMetrics::drawParagraph(PainterInfo & pi, pit_type pit, int x, int y) co
 	if (pm.rows().empty())
 		return;
 
-	Bidi bidi;
 	bool const original_drawing_state = pi.pain.isDrawingEnabled();
 	int const ww = bv_->workHeight();
 	size_t const nrows = pm.rows().size();
@@ -2141,7 +2148,7 @@ void TextMetrics::drawParagraph(PainterInfo & pi, pit_type pit, int x, int y) co
 			&& y - row.ascent() < ww);
 		// It is not needed to draw on screen if we are not inside.
 		pi.pain.setDrawingEnabled(inside && original_drawing_state);
-		RowPainter rp(pi, *text_, pit, row, bidi, x, y);
+		RowPainter rp(pi, *text_, pit, row, x, y);
 
 		if (selection)
 			row.setSelectionAndMargins(sel_beg_par, sel_end_par);
diff --git a/src/rowpainter.cpp b/src/rowpainter.cpp
index 63b21c7ba9..5b69701bf8 100644
--- a/src/rowpainter.cpp
+++ b/src/rowpainter.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 #include "rowpainter.h"
 
-#include "Bidi.h"
 #include "Buffer.h"
 #include "CoordCache.h"
 #include "Cursor.h"
@@ -56,13 +55,12 @@ using frontend::FontMetrics;
 
 
 RowPainter::RowPainter(PainterInfo & pi,
-	Text const & text, pit_type pit, Row const & row, Bidi & bidi, int x, int y)
+	Text const & text, pit_type pit, Row const & row, int x, int y)
 	: pi_(pi), text_(text),
 	  text_metrics_(pi_.base.bv->textMetrics(&text)),
 	  pars_(text.paragraphs()),
 	  row_(row), pit_(pit), par_(text.paragraphs()[pit]),
-	  pm_(text_metrics_.parMetrics(pit)),
-	  bidi_(bidi), change_(pi_.change_),
+	  pm_(text_metrics_.parMetrics(pit)), change_(pi_.change_),
 	  xo_(x), yo_(y), width_(text_metrics_.width()),
 	  solid_line_thickness_(1.0), solid_line_offset_(1),
 	  dotted_line_thickness_(1.0), dotted_line_offset_(2)
diff --git a/src/rowpainter.h b/src/rowpainter.h
index 480a2dd56c..644cb3773d 100644
--- a/src/rowpainter.h
+++ b/src/rowpainter.h
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@
 #ifndef ROWPAINTER_H
 #define ROWPAINTER_H
 
+#include "Bidi.h"
 #include "Changes.h"
 
 #include "support/types.h"
 
 namespace lyx {
 
-class Bidi;
 class BufferView;
 class Font;
 class FontInfo;
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class RowPainter {
 public:
 	/// initialise and run painter
 	RowPainter(PainterInfo & pi, Text const & text,
-		pit_type pit, Row const & row, Bidi & bidi, int x, int y);
+		pit_type pit, Row const & row, int x, int y);
 
 	/// paint various parts
 	/// FIXME: transfer to TextMetrics
@@ -98,10 +98,8 @@ private:
 	Paragraph const & par_;
 	ParagraphMetrics const & pm_;
 
-	/// bidi cache, comes from outside the rowpainter because
-	/// rowpainters are normally created in a for loop and there only
-	/// one of them is active at a time.
-	Bidi & bidi_;
+	/// bidi cache
+	Bidi bidi_;
 
 	/// row changed? (change tracking)
 	Change const change_;