diff --git a/examples/basic/lynx.config.ts b/examples/basic/lynx.config.ts
index eeeb8c5..ead7666 100644
--- a/examples/basic/lynx.config.ts
+++ b/examples/basic/lynx.config.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
       'variable-flow': './src/variable-flow.tsx',
       accuracy: './src/accuracy.tsx',
       'hello-world': './src/hello-world.tsx',
+      'bidi-test': './src/bidi-test.tsx',
     },
   },
   plugins: [
diff --git a/examples/basic/src/bidi-test.tsx b/examples/basic/src/bidi-test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e54d339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/basic/src/bidi-test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+import { root, useState, useMemo } from '@lynx-js/react'
+
+import { prepareWithSegments, layoutWithLines } from 'lynx-pretext'
+import { DevPanel, useDevPanelFPS, DevPanelFPS } from 'lynx-pretext-devtools'
+
+const ARABIC_SHORT =
+  'مرحبا بالعالم، هذه تجربة لقياس النص العربي وكسر الأسطر بشكل صحيح'
+const HEBREW_SHORT =
+  'שלום עולם, זוהי בדיקה למדידת טקסט עברי ושבירת שורות'
+const MULTI_SCRIPT =
+  'Hello مرحبا שלום 你好 こんにちは 안녕하세요 สวัสดี — a greeting in seven scripts!'
+
+const SAMPLES = [
+  { label: 'Arabic', text: ARABIC_SHORT },
+  { label: 'Hebrew', text: HEBREW_SHORT },
+  { label: 'Multi-script', text: MULTI_SCRIPT },
+] as const
+
+const FONT_SIZE = 16
+const LINE_HEIGHT = 24
+const FONT = `${FONT_SIZE}px`
+
+function BidiTestPage() {
+  const [maxWidth, setMaxWidth] = useState(360)
+
+  const { btsFpsTick, btsFpsDisplay } = useDevPanelFPS()
+
+  const contentWidth = Math.max(40, maxWidth - 32)
+
+  const results = useMemo(() => {
+    return SAMPLES.map(s => ({
+      ...s,
+      prepared: prepareWithSegments(s.text, FONT),
+    }))
+  }, [])
+
+  const layouts = results.map(r => ({
+    ...r,
+    layout: layoutWithLines(r.prepared, contentWidth, LINE_HEIGHT),
+  }))
+
+  btsFpsTick()
+
+  return (
+    <DevPanel.Root>
+      <view style={{ flex: 1, backgroundColor: '#fff' }}>
+        <view style={{ flex: 1, padding: '16px' }}>
+          <text style={{ fontSize: '20px', fontWeight: 'bold', color: '#333', marginBottom: '16px' }}>
+            Bidi Text Demo
+          </text>
+
+          {layouts.map((item, idx) => (
+            <view key={`sample-${idx}`} style={{ marginBottom: '20px' }}>
+              <text style={{ fontSize: '13px', fontWeight: 'bold', color: '#1565c0', marginBottom: '6px' }}>
+                {item.label}
+              </text>
+
+              {/* Pretext rendered lines */}
+              <view style={{
+                width: `${contentWidth}px`,
+                borderWidth: '1px',
+                borderColor: '#1976d2',
+                borderRadius: '4px',
+                backgroundColor: '#fafafa',
+                padding: '4px 8px',
+              }}>
+                {item.layout.lines.map((line, i) => (
+                  <view
+                    key={`line-${i}`}
+                    style={{ height: `${LINE_HEIGHT}px`, justifyContent: 'center' }}
+                  >
+                    <text style={{ fontSize: `${FONT_SIZE}px`, color: '#333' }}>
+                      {line.text}
+                    </text>
+                  </view>
+                ))}
+              </view>
+
+              {/* Native comparison */}
+              <view style={{
+                width: `${contentWidth}px`,
+                marginTop: '6px',
+                padding: '4px 8px',
+                borderWidth: '1px',
+                borderColor: '#ddd',
+                borderRadius: '4px',
+                backgroundColor: '#f5f5f5',
+              }}>
+                <text style={{ fontSize: '11px', color: '#999', marginBottom: '2px' }}>
+                  Native
+                </text>
+                <text style={{ fontSize: `${FONT_SIZE}px`, lineHeight: `${LINE_HEIGHT}px`, color: '#333' }}>
+                  {item.text}
+                </text>
+              </view>
+
+              {/* Stats */}
+              <text style={{ fontSize: '11px', color: '#888', marginTop: '4px' }}>
+                {`${item.layout.lineCount} lines, ${item.layout.height}px`}
+              </text>
+            </view>
+          ))}
+        </view>
+
+        <DevPanel.Trigger />
+        <DevPanel.Content title="Bidi">
+          <DevPanelFPS mtsFpsDisplay={0} btsFpsDisplay={btsFpsDisplay} />
+          <DevPanel.Stats>
+            <DevPanel.Stat label="width" value={`${contentWidth}px`} />
+          </DevPanel.Stats>
+          <DevPanel.Stepper
+            label="width"
+            value={maxWidth}
+            min={40}
+            max={1200}
+            step={20}
+            unit="px"
+            onChange={setMaxWidth}
+          />
+        </DevPanel.Content>
+      </view>
+    </DevPanel.Root>
+  )
+}
+
+root.render(<BidiTestPage />)
+
+if (import.meta.webpackHot) {
+  import.meta.webpackHot.accept()
+}
diff --git a/src/bidi.ts b/src/bidi.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f530ff9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bidi.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+// Simplified bidi metadata helper for the rich prepareWithSegments() path,
+// forked from pdf.js via Sebastian's text-layout. It classifies characters
+// into bidi types, computes embedding levels, and maps them onto prepared
+// segments for custom rendering. The line-breaking engine does not consume
+// these levels.
+
+type BidiType = 'L' | 'R' | 'AL' | 'AN' | 'EN' | 'ES' | 'ET' | 'CS' |
+                'ON' | 'BN' | 'B' | 'S' | 'WS' | 'NSM'
+
+const baseTypes: BidiType[] = [
+  'BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','S','B','S','WS',
+  'B','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN',
+  'BN','BN','B','B','B','S','WS','ON','ON','ET','ET','ET','ON',
+  'ON','ON','ON','ON','ON','CS','ON','CS','ON','EN','EN','EN',
+  'EN','EN','EN','EN','EN','EN','EN','ON','ON','ON','ON','ON',
+  'ON','ON','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','ON','ON',
+  'ON','ON','ON','ON','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','ON','ON','ON','ON','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','B','BN',
+  'BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN',
+  'BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN','BN',
+  'BN','CS','ON','ET','ET','ET','ET','ON','ON','ON','ON','L','ON',
+  'ON','ON','ON','ON','ET','ET','EN','EN','ON','L','ON','ON','ON',
+  'EN','L','ON','ON','ON','ON','ON','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','ON','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L',
+  'L','L','L','ON','L','L','L','L','L','L','L','L'
+]
+
+const arabicTypes: BidiType[] = [
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'CS','AL','ON','ON','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM',
+  'NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AN','AN','AN','AN','AN','AN','AN','AN','AN',
+  'AN','ET','AN','AN','AL','AL','AL','NSM','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM',
+  'NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','NSM','ON','NSM',
+  'NSM','NSM','NSM','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL',
+  'AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL','AL'
+]
+
+function classifyChar(charCode: number): BidiType {
+  if (charCode <= 0x00ff) return baseTypes[charCode]!
+  if (0x0590 <= charCode && charCode <= 0x05f4) return 'R'
+  if (0x0600 <= charCode && charCode <= 0x06ff) return arabicTypes[charCode & 0xff]!
+  if (0x0700 <= charCode && charCode <= 0x08AC) return 'AL'
+  return 'L'
+}
+
+function computeBidiLevels(str: string): Int8Array | null {
+  const len = str.length
+  if (len === 0) return null
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line unicorn/no-new-array
+  const types: BidiType[] = new Array(len)
+  let numBidi = 0
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    const t = classifyChar(str.charCodeAt(i))
+    if (t === 'R' || t === 'AL' || t === 'AN') numBidi++
+    types[i] = t
+  }
+
+  if (numBidi === 0) return null
+
+  const startLevel = (len / numBidi) < 0.3 ? 0 : 1
+  const levels = new Int8Array(len)
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) levels[i] = startLevel
+
+  const e: BidiType = (startLevel & 1) ? 'R' : 'L'
+  const sor = e
+
+  // W1-W7
+  let lastType: BidiType = sor
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    if (types[i] === 'NSM') types[i] = lastType
+    else lastType = types[i]!
+  }
+  lastType = sor
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    const t = types[i]!
+    if (t === 'EN') types[i] = lastType === 'AL' ? 'AN' : 'EN'
+    else if (t === 'R' || t === 'L' || t === 'AL') lastType = t
+  }
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    if (types[i] === 'AL') types[i] = 'R'
+  }
+  for (let i = 1; i < len - 1; i++) {
+    if (types[i] === 'ES' && types[i - 1] === 'EN' && types[i + 1] === 'EN') {
+      types[i] = 'EN'
+    }
+    if (
+      types[i] === 'CS' &&
+      (types[i - 1] === 'EN' || types[i - 1] === 'AN') &&
+      types[i + 1] === types[i - 1]
+    ) {
+      types[i] = types[i - 1]!
+    }
+  }
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    if (types[i] !== 'EN') continue
+    let j
+    for (j = i - 1; j >= 0 && types[j] === 'ET'; j--) types[j] = 'EN'
+    for (j = i + 1; j < len && types[j] === 'ET'; j++) types[j] = 'EN'
+  }
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    const t = types[i]!
+    if (t === 'WS' || t === 'ES' || t === 'ET' || t === 'CS') types[i] = 'ON'
+  }
+  lastType = sor
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    const t = types[i]!
+    if (t === 'EN') types[i] = lastType === 'L' ? 'L' : 'EN'
+    else if (t === 'R' || t === 'L') lastType = t
+  }
+
+  // N1-N2
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    if (types[i] !== 'ON') continue
+    let end = i + 1
+    while (end < len && types[end] === 'ON') end++
+    const before: BidiType = i > 0 ? types[i - 1]! : sor
+    const after: BidiType = end < len ? types[end]! : sor
+    const bDir: BidiType = before !== 'L' ? 'R' : 'L'
+    const aDir: BidiType = after !== 'L' ? 'R' : 'L'
+    if (bDir === aDir) {
+      for (let j = i; j < end; j++) types[j] = bDir
+    }
+    i = end - 1
+  }
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    if (types[i] === 'ON') types[i] = e
+  }
+
+  // I1-I2
+  for (let i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    const t = types[i]!
+    if ((levels[i]! & 1) === 0) {
+      if (t === 'R') levels[i]!++
+      else if (t === 'AN' || t === 'EN') levels[i]! += 2
+    } else if (t === 'L' || t === 'AN' || t === 'EN') {
+      levels[i]!++
+    }
+  }
+
+  return levels
+}
+
+export function computeSegmentLevels(normalized: string, segStarts: number[]): Int8Array | null {
+  const bidiLevels = computeBidiLevels(normalized)
+  if (bidiLevels === null) return null
+
+  const segLevels = new Int8Array(segStarts.length)
+  for (let i = 0; i < segStarts.length; i++) {
+    segLevels[i] = bidiLevels[segStarts[i]!]!
+  }
+  return segLevels
+}
diff --git a/src/layout.ts b/src/layout.ts
index 51af429..9b026d3 100644
--- a/src/layout.ts
+++ b/src/layout.ts
@@ -51,13 +51,7 @@ function getSharedGraphemeSegmenter(): Intl.Segmenter {
   return sharedGraphemeSegmenter
 }
 
-// Bidi stub for MVP — returns null (no bidi metadata).
-function computeSegmentLevels(
-  _normalized: string,
-  _segStarts: number[],
-): Int8Array | null {
-  return null
-}
+import { computeSegmentLevels } from './bidi'
 
 // --- Public types ---