Index: gtk/gtkmain.c
===================================================================
--- gtk/gtkmain.c	(revisione 19490)
+++ gtk/gtkmain.c	(copia locale)
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+/* -*- mode: C; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*- */
+
 /* GTK - The GIMP Toolkit
  * Copyright (C) 1995-1997 Peter Mattis, Spencer Kimball and Josh MacDonald
  *
@@ -670,8 +672,18 @@
    * it isn't default:LTR or default:RTL it will not work 
    */
     char *e = _("default:LTR");
-    if (strcmp (e, "default:RTL")==0) 
+    const gchar *env_string = g_getenv ("GTK_FORCE_DIRECTION");
+
+    if (env_string != NULL)
+      if (strcmp (env_string, "ltr")==0)
+        gtk_widget_set_default_direction (GTK_TEXT_DIR_LTR);
+      else 
+        if (strcmp (env_string, "rtl")==0)
       gtk_widget_set_default_direction (GTK_TEXT_DIR_RTL);
+        else g_warning ("GTK_FORCE_DIRECTION must be 'ltr' or 'rtl'.\n");
+    else
+      if (strcmp (e, "default:RTL")==0)
+        gtk_widget_set_default_direction (GTK_TEXT_DIR_RTL);
     else if (strcmp (e, "default:LTR"))
       g_warning ("Whoever translated default:LTR did so wrongly.\n");
   }
