diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/FoliateViewer.tsx b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/FoliateViewer.tsx
index 5f55ae82..1cc6ea9c 100644
--- a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/FoliateViewer.tsx
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/FoliateViewer.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { useProgressSync } from '../hooks/useProgressSync';
 import { useProgressAutoSave } from '../hooks/useProgressAutoSave';
 import { useAutoHideScrollbar } from '../hooks/useAutoHideScrollbar';
 import { getStyles, mountAdditionalFonts } from '@/utils/style';
-import { getBookDirFromWritingMode } from '@/utils/book';
+import { getBookDirFromLanguage, getBookDirFromWritingMode } from '@/utils/book';
 import { useTheme } from '@/hooks/useTheme';
 import {
   handleKeydown,
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ const FoliateViewer: React.FC<{
     if (detail.doc) {
       const writingDir = viewRef.current?.renderer.setStyles && getDirection(detail.doc);
       const viewSettings = getViewSettings(bookKey)!;
-      viewSettings.vertical = writingDir?.vertical || false;
-      viewSettings.rtl = writingDir?.rtl || false;
+      viewSettings.vertical =
+        writingDir?.vertical || viewSettings.writingMode.includes('vertical') || false;
+      viewSettings.rtl = writingDir?.rtl || viewSettings.writingMode.includes('rl') || false;
       setViewSettings(bookKey, viewSettings);
       if (viewSettings.scrolled && shouldAutoHideScrollbar) {
         handleScrollbarAutoHide(detail.doc);
@@ -137,22 +138,25 @@ const FoliateViewer: React.FC<{
       document.body.append(view);
       containerRef.current?.appendChild(view);
 
+      const viewSettings = getViewSettings(bookKey)!;
+      const writingMode = viewSettings.writingMode;
+      if (writingMode) {
+        const settingsDir = getBookDirFromWritingMode(writingMode);
+        const languageDir = getBookDirFromLanguage(bookDoc.metadata.language);
+        if (settingsDir !== 'auto') {
+          bookDoc.dir = settingsDir;
+        } else if (languageDir !== 'auto') {
+          bookDoc.dir = languageDir;
+        }
+      }
+
       await view.open(bookDoc);
       // make sure we can listen renderer events after opening book
       viewRef.current = view;
       setFoliateView(bookKey, view);
 
-      const viewSettings = getViewSettings(bookKey)!;
       view.renderer.setStyles?.(getStyles(viewSettings, themeCode));
 
-      const writingMode = viewSettings.writingMode;
-      if (writingMode) {
-        const dir = getBookDirFromWritingMode(writingMode);
-        if (dir !== 'auto') {
-          view.book.dir = dir;
-        }
-      }
-
       const isScrolled = viewSettings.scrolled!;
       const marginPx = viewSettings.marginPx!;
       const gapPercent = viewSettings.gapPercent!;
diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/settings/LayoutPanel.tsx b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/settings/LayoutPanel.tsx
index 61e7e0f5..1a03123f 100644
--- a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/settings/LayoutPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/components/settings/LayoutPanel.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { MdOutlineAutoMode } from 'react-icons/md';
-import { MdOutlineTextRotationDown, MdOutlineTextRotationNone } from 'react-icons/md';
+import { MdOutlineTextRotationNone, MdTextRotateVertical } from 'react-icons/md';
+import { TbTextDirectionRtl } from 'react-icons/tb';
 
 import { useSettingsStore } from '@/store/settingsStore';
 import { useReaderStore } from '@/store/readerStore';
@@ -175,12 +176,19 @@ const LayoutPanel: React.FC<{ bookKey: string }> = ({ bookKey }) => {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     // global settings are not supported for writing mode
+    const prevWritingMode = viewSettings.writingMode;
     viewSettings.writingMode = writingMode;
     setViewSettings(bookKey, viewSettings);
     if (view) {
       view.renderer.setStyles?.(getStyles(viewSettings, themeCode));
       view.book.dir = getBookDirFromWritingMode(writingMode);
     }
+    if (
+      prevWritingMode !== writingMode &&
+      (writingMode === 'horizontal-rl' || prevWritingMode === 'horizontal-rl')
+    ) {
+      setTimeout(() => window.location.reload(), 100);
+    }
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [writingMode]);
 
@@ -196,11 +204,12 @@ const LayoutPanel: React.FC<{ bookKey: string }> = ({ bookKey }) => {
   }, [overrideLayout]);
 
   const langCode = getBookLangCode(bookData.bookDoc?.metadata?.language);
-  const isCJKBook = langCode === 'zh' || langCode === 'ja' || langCode === 'ko';
+  const mightBeRTLBook =
+    langCode === 'zh' || langCode === 'ja' || langCode === 'ko' || langCode === '';
 
   return (
     <div className='my-4 w-full space-y-6'>
-      {isCJKBook && (
+      {mightBeRTLBook && (
         <div className='w-full'>
           <div className='flex items-center justify-between'>
             <h2 className='font-medium'>{_('Writing Mode')}</h2>
@@ -228,7 +237,16 @@ const LayoutPanel: React.FC<{ bookKey: string }> = ({ bookKey }) => {
                   className={`btn btn-ghost btn-circle ${writingMode === 'vertical-rl' ? 'btn-active bg-base-300' : ''}`}
                   onClick={() => setWritingMode('vertical-rl')}
                 >
-                  <MdOutlineTextRotationDown />
+                  <MdTextRotateVertical />
+                </button>
+              </div>
+
+              <div className='lg:tooltip lg:tooltip-bottom' data-tip={_('RTL Direction')}>
+                <button
+                  className={`btn btn-ghost btn-circle ${writingMode === 'horizontal-rl' ? 'btn-active bg-base-300' : ''}`}
+                  onClick={() => setWritingMode('horizontal-rl')}
+                >
+                  <TbTextDirectionRtl />
                 </button>
               </div>
             </div>
diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/utils/book.ts b/apps/readest-app/src/utils/book.ts
index f2fbd24b..71c3e743 100644
--- a/apps/readest-app/src/utils/book.ts
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/utils/book.ts
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ export const listFormater = (narrow = false, lang = userLang) => {
 export const getBookLangCode = (lang: string | string[] | undefined) => {
   try {
     const bookLang = typeof lang === 'string' ? lang : lang?.[0];
-    return bookLang ? bookLang.split('-')[0]! : 'en';
+    return bookLang ? bookLang.split('-')[0]! : '';
   } catch {
-    return 'en';
+    return '';
   }
 };
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export const formatAuthors = (
   contributors: string | Contributor | [string | Contributor],
   bookLang?: string | string[],
 ) => {
-  const langCode = getBookLangCode(bookLang);
+  const langCode = getBookLangCode(bookLang) || 'en';
   return Array.isArray(contributors)
     ? listFormater(langCode === 'zh', langCode).format(
         contributors.map((contributor) =>
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ export const formatLanguage = (lang: string | string[] | undefined) => {
   return Array.isArray(lang) ? lang.join(', ') : lang;
 };
 
+export const primaryLanguage = (lang: string | string[] | undefined) => {
+  return Array.isArray(lang) ? lang[0] : lang;
+};
+
 export const formatDate = (date: string | number | Date | undefined) => {
   if (!date) return;
   try {
@@ -131,3 +135,11 @@ export const getBookDirFromWritingMode = (writingMode: WritingMode) => {
       return 'auto';
   }
 };
+
+export const getBookDirFromLanguage = (language: string | string[] | undefined) => {
+  const lang = primaryLanguage(language);
+  if (!lang) return 'auto';
+  const rtlLanguages = new Set(['ar', 'he', 'fa', 'ur', 'dv', 'ps', 'sd', 'yi']);
+  const primaryLang = lang.split('-')[0]!.toLowerCase();
+  return rtlLanguages.has(primaryLang) ? 'rtl' : 'auto';
+};