diff --git a/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.spec.ts b/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.spec.ts
index e675192f44..e95b9dc999 100644
--- a/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.spec.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,24 @@ describe('UserPreferencesService', () => {
         expect(storage.getItem(textOrientation)).toBe(null);
     }));
 
+    it('should default to browser locale for textOrientation when locale is not defined in configuration', (done) => {
+        appConfig.config.languages = [
+            {
+                key: 'fake-locale-browser',
+                direction: 'rtl'
+            }
+        ];
+        spyOn(translate, 'getBrowserCultureLang').and.returnValue('fake-locale-browser');
+        preferences = new UserPreferencesService(translate, appConfig, storage);
+        appConfig.load();
+
+        changeDisposable = preferences.onChange
+            .subscribe((userPreferenceStatus) => {
+                expect(userPreferenceStatus['textOrientation']).toBe('rtl');
+                done();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('should not store in the storage the locale if the app.config.json does not have a value', () => {
         preferences = new UserPreferencesService(translate, appConfig, storage);
         preferences.locale = 'fake-store-locate';
diff --git a/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.ts b/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.ts
index 0d93388ed8..0c4be0fb21 100644
--- a/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.ts
+++ b/lib/core/services/user-preferences.service.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export class UserPreferencesService {
             const locale = this.locale || this.getDefaultLocale();
 
             this.setWithoutStore(UserPreferenceValues.Locale, locale);
-            this.setWithoutStore('textOrientation', (this.locale || this.getDefaultLocale()));
+            this.setWithoutStore('textOrientation', this.getLanguageByKey(locale).direction || 'ltr');
         }
     }
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ export class UserPreferencesService {
     private getLanguageByKey(key: string): LanguageItem {
         return (
             this.appConfig
-                .get<Array<LanguageItem>>(AppConfigValues.APP_CONFIG_LANGUAGES_KEY)
+                .get<Array<LanguageItem>>(AppConfigValues.APP_CONFIG_LANGUAGES_KEY, [<LanguageItem> { key: 'en' }])
                 .find((language) => key.includes(language.key)) || <LanguageItem> { key: 'en' }
         );
     }