diff --git a/lib/outputlib.php b/lib/outputlib.php
index 414f51dbaaa..35282f97d5b 100644
--- a/lib/outputlib.php
+++ b/lib/outputlib.php
@@ -325,6 +325,14 @@ class theme_config {
      */
     public $yuicssmodules = array('cssreset', 'cssfonts', 'cssgrids', 'cssbase');
 
+    /**
+     * An associative array of block manipulations that should be made if the user is using an rtl language.
+     * The key is the original block region, and the value is the block region to change to.
+     * This is used when displaying blocks for regions only.
+     * @var array
+     */
+    public $blockrtlmanipulations = array();
+
     /**
      * @var renderer_factory Instance of the renderer_factory implementation
      * we are using. Implementation detail.
@@ -418,7 +426,7 @@ class theme_config {
         $configurable = array('parents', 'sheets', 'parents_exclude_sheets', 'plugins_exclude_sheets', 'javascripts', 'javascripts_footer',
                               'parents_exclude_javascripts', 'layouts', 'enable_dock', 'enablecourseajax', 'supportscssoptimisation',
                               'rendererfactory', 'csspostprocess', 'editor_sheets', 'rarrow', 'larrow', 'hidefromselector', 'doctype',
-                              'yuicssmodules');
+                              'yuicssmodules', 'blockrtlmanipulations');
 
         foreach ($config as $key=>$value) {
             if (in_array($key, $configurable)) {
diff --git a/lib/outputrenderers.php b/lib/outputrenderers.php
index bda21547f9e..0e5c9599fcc 100644
--- a/lib/outputrenderers.php
+++ b/lib/outputrenderers.php
@@ -1228,6 +1228,7 @@ class core_renderer extends renderer_base {
      * @return string the HTML to be output.
      */
     public function blocks_for_region($region) {
+        $region = $this->page->apply_theme_region_manipulations($region);
         $blockcontents = $this->page->blocks->get_content_for_region($region, $this);
         $blocks = $this->page->blocks->get_blocks_for_region($region);
         $lastblock = null;
diff --git a/lib/pagelib.php b/lib/pagelib.php
index 6098fafbf40..19940fb2cf2 100644
--- a/lib/pagelib.php
+++ b/lib/pagelib.php
@@ -638,6 +638,22 @@ class moodle_page {
         return $this->_theme;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an array of minipulations or false if there are none to make.
+     *
+     * @since 2.5.1 2.6
+     * @return bool|array
+     */
+    protected function magic_get_blockmanipulations() {
+        if (!right_to_left()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (is_null($this->_theme)) {
+            $this->initialise_theme_and_output();
+        }
+        return $this->_theme->blockrtlmanipulations;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Please do not call this method directly, use the ->devicetypeinuse syntax. {@link moodle_page::__get()}.
      * @return string The device type being used.
@@ -1826,4 +1842,18 @@ class moodle_page {
     public function set_popup_notification_allowed($allowed) {
         $this->_popup_notification_allowed = $allowed;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the block region having made any required theme manipulations.
+     *
+     * @since 2.5.1 2.6
+     * @param string $region
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function apply_theme_region_manipulations($region) {
+        if ($this->blockmanipulations && isset($this->blockmanipulations[$region])) {
+            return $this->blockmanipulations[$region];
+        }
+        return $region;
+    }
 }