diff --git a/src/LyXRC.cpp b/src/LyXRC.cpp
index d327d32901..6705b08aed 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXRC.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ keyword_item lyxrcTags[] = {
 	{ "\\user_name", LyXRC::RC_USER_NAME },
 	{ "\\view_dvi_paper_option", LyXRC::RC_VIEWDVI_PAPEROPTION },
 	// compatibility with versions older than 1.4.0 only
-	{ "\\viewer", LyXRC::RC_VIEWER}
+	{ "\\viewer", LyXRC::RC_VIEWER},
+	{ "\\visual_cursor" ,LyXRC::RC_VISUAL_CURSOR}
 };
 
 const int lyxrcCount = sizeof(lyxrcTags) / sizeof(keyword_item);
@@ -247,6 +248,7 @@ void LyXRC::setDefaults() {
 	isp_use_esc_chars = false;
 	use_kbmap = false;
 	rtl_support = true;
+	visual_cursor = false;
 	auto_number = true;
 	mark_foreign_language = true;
 	language_auto_begin = true;
@@ -995,6 +997,11 @@ int LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc)
 				rtl_support = lexrc.getBool();
 			}
 			break;
+		case RC_VISUAL_CURSOR:
+			if (lexrc.next()) {
+				visual_cursor = lexrc.getBool();
+			}
+			break;
 		case RC_AUTO_NUMBER:
 			if (lexrc.next()) {
 				auto_number = lexrc.getBool();
@@ -2144,6 +2151,13 @@ void LyXRC::write(ostream & os, bool ignore_system_lyxrc, string const & name) c
 		}
 		if (tag != RC_LAST)
 			break;
+	case RC_VISUAL_CURSOR:
+		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
+			visual_cursor != system_lyxrc.visual_cursor) {
+			os << "\\visual_cursor " << convert<string>(visual_cursor) << '\n';
+		}
+		if (tag != RC_LAST)
+			break;
 	case RC_LANGUAGE_PACKAGE:
 		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
 		    language_package != system_lyxrc.language_package) {
@@ -2654,6 +2668,10 @@ string const LyXRC::getDescription(LyXRCTags tag)
 		str = _("Select to enable support of right-to-left languages (e.g. Hebrew, Arabic).");
 		break;
 
+	case RC_VISUAL_CURSOR:
+		str = _("Select to have visual bidi cursor movement, unselect for logical movement.");
+		break;
+
 	case RC_SCREEN_DPI:
 		str = _("DPI (dots per inch) of your monitor is auto-detected by LyX. If that goes wrong, override the setting here.");
 		break;
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.h b/src/LyXRC.h
index ace663e113..3976a58f16 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.h
+++ b/src/LyXRC.h
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ public:
 		RC_USE_SPELL_LIB,
 		RC_VIEWDVI_PAPEROPTION,
 		RC_VIEWER,
+		RC_VISUAL_CURSOR,
 		RC_LAST
 	};
 
@@ -336,6 +337,8 @@ public:
 	bool language_use_babel;
 	///
 	bool rtl_support;
+	/// bidi cursor movement: true = visual, false = logical
+	bool visual_cursor;
 	///
 	bool auto_number;
 	///
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp
index 7601cd28c1..6946811992 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp
@@ -1438,7 +1438,11 @@ PrefLanguage::PrefLanguage(QWidget * parent)
 {
 	setupUi(this);
 
-	connect(rtlCB, SIGNAL(clicked()),
+	connect(rtlGB, SIGNAL(clicked()),
+		this, SIGNAL(changed()));
+	connect(visualCursorRB, SIGNAL(clicked()),
+		this, SIGNAL(changed()));
+	connect(logicalCursorRB, SIGNAL(clicked()),
 		this, SIGNAL(changed()));
 	connect(markForeignCB, SIGNAL(clicked()),
 		this, SIGNAL(changed()));
@@ -1476,7 +1480,8 @@ PrefLanguage::PrefLanguage(QWidget * parent)
 void PrefLanguage::apply(LyXRC & rc) const
 {
 	// FIXME: remove rtl_support bool
-	rc.rtl_support = rtlCB->isChecked();
+	rc.rtl_support = rtlGB->isChecked();
+	rc.visual_cursor = rtlGB->isChecked() && visualCursorRB->isChecked();
 	rc.mark_foreign_language = markForeignCB->isChecked();
 	rc.language_auto_begin = autoBeginCB->isChecked();
 	rc.language_auto_end = autoEndCB->isChecked();
@@ -1492,7 +1497,11 @@ void PrefLanguage::apply(LyXRC & rc) const
 void PrefLanguage::update(LyXRC const & rc)
 {
 	// FIXME: remove rtl_support bool
-	rtlCB->setChecked(rc.rtl_support);
+	rtlGB->setChecked(rc.rtl_support);
+	if (rc.visual_cursor)
+		visualCursorRB->setChecked(true);
+	else
+		logicalCursorRB->setChecked(true);
 	markForeignCB->setChecked(rc.mark_foreign_language);
 	autoBeginCB->setChecked(rc.language_auto_begin);
 	autoEndCB->setChecked(rc.language_auto_end);
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefLanguageUi.ui b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefLanguageUi.ui
index 7fc209311b..816f068fad 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefLanguageUi.ui
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefLanguageUi.ui
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>329</width>
-    <height>300</height>
+    <width>345</width>
+    <height>401</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle" >
@@ -19,19 +19,6 @@
    <property name="spacing" >
     <number>6</number>
    </property>
-   <item row="1" column="2" >
-    <spacer>
-     <property name="orientation" >
-      <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
-     </property>
-     <property name="sizeHint" >
-      <size>
-       <width>40</width>
-       <height>20</height>
-      </size>
-     </property>
-    </spacer>
-   </item>
    <item row="4" column="0" >
     <widget class="QCheckBox" name="useBabelCB" >
      <property name="text" >
@@ -39,13 +26,25 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="8" column="0" colspan="2" >
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="markForeignCB" >
+   <item row="0" column="1" >
+    <widget class="QComboBox" name="defaultLanguageCO" />
+   </item>
+   <item row="2" column="1" >
+    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="startCommandED" />
+   </item>
+   <item row="1" column="0" >
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="languagePackageLA" >
      <property name="text" >
-      <string>Mark &amp;foreign languages</string>
+      <string>Language pac&amp;kage:</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="buddy" >
+      <cstring>languagePackageED</cstring>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="1" column="1" >
+    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="languagePackageED" />
+   </item>
    <item row="10" column="0" colspan="2" >
     <spacer>
      <property name="orientation" >
@@ -62,51 +61,10 @@
      </property>
     </spacer>
    </item>
-   <item row="7" column="0" >
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="autoEndCB" >
+   <item row="8" column="0" colspan="2" >
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="markForeignCB" >
      <property name="text" >
-      <string>Auto &amp;end</string>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item row="9" column="0" colspan="2" >
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="rtlCB" >
-     <property name="text" >
-      <string>&amp;Right-to-left language support</string>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item row="5" column="0" >
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="globalCB" >
-     <property name="text" >
-      <string>&amp;Global</string>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item row="6" column="0" >
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="autoBeginCB" >
-     <property name="text" >
-      <string>Auto &amp;begin</string>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item row="1" column="0" >
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="languagePackageLA" >
-     <property name="text" >
-      <string>Language pac&amp;kage:</string>
-     </property>
-     <property name="buddy" >
-      <cstring>languagePackageED</cstring>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item row="3" column="0" >
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="endCommandLA" >
-     <property name="text" >
-      <string>Command e&amp;nd:</string>
-     </property>
-     <property name="buddy" >
-      <cstring>endCommandED</cstring>
+      <string>Mark &amp;foreign languages</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
@@ -120,18 +78,6 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="0" column="1" >
-    <widget class="QComboBox" name="defaultLanguageCO" />
-   </item>
-   <item row="1" column="1" >
-    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="languagePackageED" />
-   </item>
-   <item row="2" column="1" >
-    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="startCommandED" />
-   </item>
-   <item row="3" column="1" >
-    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="endCommandED" />
-   </item>
    <item row="2" column="0" >
     <widget class="QLabel" name="startCommandLA" >
      <property name="text" >
@@ -142,6 +88,114 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="3" column="1" >
+    <widget class="QLineEdit" name="endCommandED" />
+   </item>
+   <item row="3" column="0" >
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="endCommandLA" >
+     <property name="text" >
+      <string>Command e&amp;nd:</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="buddy" >
+      <cstring>endCommandED</cstring>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="5" column="0" >
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="globalCB" >
+     <property name="text" >
+      <string>&amp;Global</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="1" column="2" >
+    <spacer>
+     <property name="orientation" >
+      <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+     </property>
+     <property name="sizeHint" >
+      <size>
+       <width>40</width>
+       <height>20</height>
+      </size>
+     </property>
+    </spacer>
+   </item>
+   <item row="7" column="0" >
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="autoEndCB" >
+     <property name="text" >
+      <string>Auto &amp;end</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="6" column="0" >
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="autoBeginCB" >
+     <property name="text" >
+      <string>Auto &amp;begin</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="9" column="0" >
+    <widget class="QGroupBox" name="rtlGB" >
+     <property name="toolTip" >
+      <string>Select to enable support of right-to-left languages (e.g. Hebrew, Arabic).</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="title" >
+      <string>&amp;Right-to-left language support</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="flat" >
+      <bool>false</bool>
+     </property>
+     <property name="checkable" >
+      <bool>true</bool>
+     </property>
+     <layout class="QVBoxLayout" >
+      <property name="margin" >
+       <number>4</number>
+      </property>
+      <property name="spacing" >
+       <number>6</number>
+      </property>
+      <item>
+       <layout class="QHBoxLayout" >
+        <property name="margin" >
+         <number>0</number>
+        </property>
+        <property name="spacing" >
+         <number>6</number>
+        </property>
+        <item>
+         <widget class="QLabel" name="label" >
+          <property name="text" >
+           <string>Cursor movement:</string>
+          </property>
+          <property name="scaledContents" >
+           <bool>false</bool>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+        <item>
+         <widget class="QRadioButton" name="logicalCursorRB" >
+          <property name="text" >
+           <string>Logical</string>
+          </property>
+          <property name="checked" >
+           <bool>true</bool>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+        <item>
+         <widget class="QRadioButton" name="visualCursorRB" >
+          <property name="text" >
+           <string>Visual</string>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+       </layout>
+      </item>
+     </layout>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <tabstops>
@@ -154,7 +208,6 @@
   <tabstop>autoBeginCB</tabstop>
   <tabstop>autoEndCB</tabstop>
   <tabstop>markForeignCB</tabstop>
-  <tabstop>rtlCB</tabstop>
  </tabstops>
  <includes>
   <include location="local" >qt_helpers.h</include>