diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_message.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_message.mustache
index c04eba98fe7..f344c81ec10 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_message.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_message.mustache
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     tabindex="0">
 
     <div class="content {{position}}">
-        <span class="text" data-region="message-text">
+        <span dir="auto" align="initial" class="text" data-region="message-text">
             {{{text}}}
         </span>
         <span class="timesent">
diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_response.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_response.mustache
index f7de5456bee..de3cfb6b914 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_response.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_response.mustache
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 }}
 <div class="message-text-container">
     <textarea data-region="send-message-txt"
+        dir="auto"
         rows="1"
         data-auto-rows
         data-max-rows="5"
diff --git a/theme/boost/scss/moodle/message.scss b/theme/boost/scss/moodle/message.scss
index 11be4f635ce..15bc867f749 100644
--- a/theme/boost/scss/moodle/message.scss
+++ b/theme/boost/scss/moodle/message.scss
@@ -551,6 +551,7 @@
                         display: table-cell;
 
                         textarea {
+                            direction: ltr;
                             line-height: 20px;
                             padding: 4px 6px;
                             vertical-align: middle;
diff --git a/theme/boost/style/moodle.css b/theme/boost/style/moodle.css
index 8eb8431f123..2298b36805e 100644
--- a/theme/boost/style/moodle.css
+++ b/theme/boost/style/moodle.css
@@ -13679,6 +13679,7 @@ a.ygtvspacer:hover {
           .messaging-area-container .messaging-area .messages-area .response .message-box .message-text-container {
             display: table-cell; }
             .messaging-area-container .messaging-area .messages-area .response .message-box .message-text-container textarea {
+              direction: ltr;
               line-height: 20px;
               padding: 4px 6px;
               vertical-align: middle;
diff --git a/theme/bootstrapbase/less/moodle/message.less b/theme/bootstrapbase/less/moodle/message.less
index 70aa519cdc2..13acf027691 100644
--- a/theme/bootstrapbase/less/moodle/message.less
+++ b/theme/bootstrapbase/less/moodle/message.less
@@ -545,6 +545,7 @@
                         display: table-cell;
 
                         textarea {
+                            direction: ltr;
                             width: 100%;
                             margin: 0;
                             resize: none;
diff --git a/theme/bootstrapbase/style/moodle.css b/theme/bootstrapbase/style/moodle.css
index 05c7a9615ec..0d52fa7999a 100644
--- a/theme/bootstrapbase/style/moodle.css
+++ b/theme/bootstrapbase/style/moodle.css
@@ -8577,6 +8577,7 @@ a.ygtvspacer:hover {
   display: table-cell;
 }
 .messaging-area-container .messaging-area .messages-area .response .message-box .message-text-container textarea {
+  direction: ltr;
   width: 100%;
   margin: 0;
   resize: none;