diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/character.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/character.rs
index 7156d0003..9a452a2ae 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/character.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/character.rs
@@ -775,16 +775,18 @@ fn style_toggle(ui: &mut Ui, g: Glyph, tip: &str, on: bool) -> bool {
 /// The Character Direction submenu: Default, Left to Right and Right to Left set the characters the
 /// panel acts on ([`char_cmd`]) as the bidi algorithm sets them, or left to right or right to left
 /// inside their paragraph. The direction those characters share is checked, and none is checked
-/// when they differ.
+/// when they differ. At a caret in text the Type tool edits, with no characters selected, the items
+/// are disabled.
 fn char_direction_items(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ui: &mut Ui) {
     use vectorcraft_doc::ParaDirection;
     let direction = shared(app, |s| s.char_direction);
+    let enabled = text_editing(app).is_none_or(|(_, a, b)| b > a);
     for (label, d, key) in [
         (tl!("Default"), None, "default"),
         (tl!("Left to Right"), Some(ParaDirection::LeftToRight), "leftToRight"),
         (tl!("Right to Left"), Some(ParaDirection::RightToLeft), "rightToLeft"),
     ] {
-        if menu_item(ui, label, true, direction == Some(d)) {
+        if menu_item(ui, label, enabled, direction == Some(d)) {
             format(app, json!({"charDirection": key}));
         }
     }
@@ -1437,6 +1439,36 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(checked(&mut app), ["Default"]);
     }
 
+    /// At a caret in text the Type tool edits, with no characters selected, the Character
+    /// Direction items are disabled: a click on one leaves the direction of every character as it was.
+    #[test]
+    fn character_direction_does_nothing_at_an_empty_caret() {
+        let mut app = VectorcraftApp::new(Session::new(), Default::default());
+        app.run("file.new", json!({"width": 300, "height": 200})).unwrap();
+        let id = app.run("text.create", json!({"x": 20, "y": 50, "text": "שלום 21 10 2026"})).unwrap()["id"].as_u64().unwrap();
+        app.run("select.set", json!({"ids": [id]})).unwrap();
+        app.select_tool("type");
+        app.session.apply_actions(vec![vectorcraft_tools::Action::Notify("text.editNew".into())]).unwrap();
+        app.session.set_tool_option("select", &json!({"start": 3, "end": 3}));
+        let directions = |app: &VectorcraftApp| match &app.session.active().unwrap().doc.node(NodeId(id)).unwrap().kind {
+            NodeKind::Text(t) => t.runs.iter().map(|r| (r.text.clone(), r.style.char_direction)).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            _ => panic!("text"),
+        };
+        let before = directions(&app);
+        let ctx = egui::Context::default();
+        let click_rtl = |app: &mut VectorcraftApp| {
+            let texts = super::super::tests_appearance::frame_events(&ctx, app, vec![], char_direction_items);
+            let at = texts.iter().find(|(t, _)| t.trim_start_matches(['✓', ' ']) == "Right to Left").unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("{texts:?}")).1;
+            super::super::tests_appearance::click(&ctx, app, at.center(), char_direction_items);
+        };
+        click_rtl(&mut app);
+        assert_eq!(directions(&app), before);
+        // With characters selected, the same click sets their direction.
+        app.session.set_tool_option("select", &json!({"start": 0, "end": 4}));
+        click_rtl(&mut app);
+        assert_ne!(directions(&app), before);
+    }
+
     /// No Break is in the panel menu, and choosing it marks the selected characters.
     #[test]
     fn no_break_menu_item_toggles_the_selected_characters() {