--- a/scribus/pageitem_textframe.cpp
+++ b/scribus/pageitem_textframe.cpp
@@ -1763,42 +1763,28 @@ void PageItem_TextFrame::layout()
 				 }
 				 //set left indentation
 				 current.leftIndent = 0.0;
-				 if (current.addLeftIndent && ((maxDX == 0) || DropCmode || BulNumMode))
+				 // RTL: a line sitting beside an active drop cap must reserve the cap
+				 // band on the visual RIGHT. The indent block is normally skipped once
+				 // maxDX != 0, so force it to run for these follow-lines.
+				 bool rtlDropFollow = (style.direction() == ParagraphStyle::RTL)
+									   && current.hasDropCap && (maxDX > current.colLeft);
+				 if (current.addLeftIndent && ((maxDX == 0) || DropCmode || BulNumMode || rtlDropFollow))
 				 {
-					 current.leftIndent = style.leftMargin() + autoLeftIndent;
-					 if (itemText.isBlockStart(a))
+					 if (style.direction() == ParagraphStyle::RTL)
 					 {
-						 if (style.direction() == ParagraphStyle::RTL)
-						 {
-							 // use rightIndent to not mess with old behavior
-							 current.rightIndent = style.firstIndent();
-							 // line width should consider RTL indent when it breaks the line.
-							 current.mustLineEnd = current.colRight - current.rightIndent;
-						 }
-						 else
-							 current.leftIndent += style.firstIndent();
-						 if (BulNumMode || DropCmode)
-						 {
-							 if (style.parEffectIndent())
-							 {
-								 double effectWidth = 0.0;
-								 for (int j = i; shapedText.haveMoreText(j, glyphClusters); ++j)
-								 {
-									 const auto& glyph = glyphClusters[j];
-									 if (glyph.firstChar() != a)
-										 break;
-									 effectWidth += glyph.width();
-								 }
-								 current.leftIndent -= style.parEffectOffset() + effectWidth;
-								 if (current.leftIndent < 0.0)
-								 {
-									 autoLeftIndent = abs(current.leftIndent);
-									 current.leftIndent = 0.0;
-								 }
-							 }
-						 }
+						 // RTL: logical left margin is on the visual right side
+						 // logical right margin is on the visual left side
+						 current.leftIndent = style.rightMargin();
+						 current.rightIndent = style.leftMargin();
+
+						 if (itemText.isBlockStart(a))
+							 current.rightIndent += style.firstIndent();
+						 // reserve the drop-cap band on the visual right for follow-lines
+						 if (rtlDropFollow)
+							 current.rightIndent += (maxDX - current.colLeft);
+						 // line width should consider RTL indent when it breaks the line.
+						 current.mustLineEnd = current.colRight - current.rightIndent;
 					 }
-					 current.addLeftIndent = false;
 				 }
 			 }
 			 current.recalculateY = true;
@@ -2361,6 +2347,12 @@ void PageItem_TextFrame::layout()
 					 }
 				 }
 				 // set the offset for Drop Cap, Bullet & Number List
 				 current.glyphs[currentIndex].extraWidth += style.parEffectOffset();
+				 // RTL: the line is reversed at render time, so trailing extraWidth lands
+				 // on the cap's OUTER (right) edge, not between the cap and the text. Shift
+				 // the cap glyph to the right of its advance box so the reserved offset
+				 // falls on the inner (left) side, next to the text.
+				 if (style.direction() == ParagraphStyle::RTL && (DropCmode || BulNumMode))
+					 current.glyphs[currentIndex].xoffset += style.parEffectOffset();
 				 if (DropCmode)
 				 {
 					 DropCmode = false;
@@ -2672,7 +2658,10 @@ void PageItem_TextFrame::layout()
 					 inOverflow = false;
 					 outs = false;
 					 current.startOfCol = false;
-					 current.restartX = current.xPos = qMax(maxDX, current.colLeft);
+					 if (style.direction() == ParagraphStyle::RTL)
+						 current.restartX = current.xPos = current.colLeft;
+					 else
+						 current.restartX = current.xPos = qMax(maxDX, current.colLeft);
 					 lastLineY = current.rowDesc;
 					 if (current.hasDropCap)
 					 {