diff --git a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
index deb1511a0f..510e67e842 100644
--- a/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
+++ b/src/documentation/content/xdocs/status.xml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
     <changes>
         <release version="3.8-beta4" date="2011-??-??">
+           <action dev="poi-developers" type="add">Support isRightToLeft and setRightToLeft on the common spreadsheet Sheet interface, as per existing HSSF support</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">50209 - Fixed evaluation of Subtotals to ignore nested subtotals</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">44431 - HWPFDocument.write destroys fields</action>
            <action dev="poi-developers" type="fix">50401 - fixed EscherProperty to return property name instead of 'unknown' for complex properties </action>
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java
index b7c145c26d..b68f0fdd72 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java
@@ -116,6 +116,20 @@ public interface Sheet extends Iterable<Row> {
      */
     boolean isColumnHidden(int columnIndex);
 
+    /**
+     * Sets whether the worksheet is displayed from right to left instead of from left to right.
+     *
+     * @param value true for right to left, false otherwise.
+     */
+    public void setRightToLeft(boolean value);
+
+    /**
+     * Whether the text is displayed in right-to-left mode in the window
+     *
+     * @return whether the text is displayed in right-to-left mode in the window
+     */
+    public boolean isRightToLeft();
+
     /**
      * Set the width (in units of 1/256th of a character width)
      *
diff --git a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFSheet.java b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFSheet.java
index c31e2fa22f..e8e000b4ef 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFSheet.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/streaming/SXSSFSheet.java
@@ -431,6 +431,26 @@ public class SXSSFSheet implements Sheet, Cloneable
     {
         return _sh.isDisplayZeros();
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Sets whether the worksheet is displayed from right to left instead of from left to right.
+     *
+     * @param value true for right to left, false otherwise.
+     */
+    public void setRightToLeft(boolean value)
+    {
+       _sh.setRightToLeft(value);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Whether the text is displayed in right-to-left mode in the window
+     *
+     * @return whether the text is displayed in right-to-left mode in the window
+     */
+    public boolean isRightToLeft()
+    {
+       return _sh.isRightToLeft();
+    }
 
     /**
      * Flag indicating whether the Fit to Page print option is enabled.
diff --git a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFSheet.java b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFSheet.java
index 24cd2ba245..281f773495 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFSheet.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFSheet.java
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.CellStyle;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.DataValidation;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.DataValidationHelper;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Footer;
-import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.FormulaEvaluator;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Header;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Row;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Sheet;
@@ -713,6 +712,27 @@ public class XSSFSheet extends POIXMLDocumentPart implements Sheet {
         return getWorkbook().getCellStyleAt((short)(idx == -1 ? 0 : idx));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets whether the worksheet is displayed from right to left instead of from left to right.
+     *
+     * @param value true for right to left, false otherwise.
+     */
+    public void setRightToLeft(boolean value)
+    {
+       CTSheetView view = getDefaultSheetView();
+       view.setRightToLeft(value);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Whether the text is displayed in right-to-left mode in the window
+     *
+     * @return whether the text is displayed in right-to-left mode in the window
+     */
+    public boolean isRightToLeft()
+    {
+       CTSheetView view = getDefaultSheetView();
+       return view == null ? false : view.getRightToLeft();
+    }
 
     /**
      * Get whether to display the guts or not,