diff --git a/lib/action.php b/lib/action.php
index c0b251cc05..ed0144515c 100644
--- a/lib/action.php
+++ b/lib/action.php
@@ -280,7 +280,9 @@ class Action extends HTMLOutputter // lawsuit
 
         // Additional styles for RTL languages
         if (is_rtl(common_language())) {
-            $this->cssLink('css/rtl.css', $mainTheme, $media);
+            if (file_exists(Theme::file('css/rtl.css'))) {
+                $this->cssLink('css/rtl.css', $mainTheme, $media);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/theme/base/css/rtl.css b/theme/base/css/rtl.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9b6e593cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/theme/base/css/rtl.css
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/* placeholder for RTL style */
diff --git a/theme/neo/css/rtl.css b/theme/neo/css/rtl.css
index f198fe6474..a9b6e593cd 100644
--- a/theme/neo/css/rtl.css
+++ b/theme/neo/css/rtl.css
@@ -1,157 +1 @@
-body {
-    direction: rtl;
-}
-
-span.rtl{
-    direction: rtl !important;
-}
-
-#content .notice .entry-title{
-    direction: ltr;
-}
-
-.form_notice textarea{
-    direction: ltr;
-}
-
-#site_nav_global_primary ul{
-    float: left;
-}
-
-.notice div.entry-content {
-    float: right;
-}
-
-#content .notice .threaded-replies .notice div.entry-content{
-    clear: right;
-    float: right;
-}
-
-.threaded-replies {
-    border-right: 3px solid #ECECF2;
-    border-left: 0;
-    margin-right: 59px;
-    margin-left: 0;
-}
-
-address{
-    float: right;
-}
-
-#site_nav_global_primary {
-    left: 0;
-    right: auto;
-}
-
-.input_form .form_settings .submit{
-    float: left;
-}
-
-.input_form .form_settings fieldset fieldset{
-    float: right;
-}
-
-.input_form fieldset fieldset label{
-    right: 6px;
-    text-align: right;
-}
-
-#input_form_event .form_settings .form_data li{
-    float: right;
-}
-
-.notice .author {
-    direction: rtl;
-    float: right;
-    margin-left: 8px;
-    margin-right: 0;
-}
-
-.section .notice .author {
-    margin-left: 0;
-}
-
-.threaded-replies .form_notice #notice_action-submit {
-    right: 10px;
-}
-
-.form_notice input.submit{
-    float: right;
-}
-
-#export_data li a{
-    padding-right: 30px;
-    padding-left: 0;
-    background-position: right center;
-}
-
-#content .notice .threaded-replies .notice .entry-title{
-    margin: 2px 35px 0 7px;
-}
-
-#content .notice .entry-title {
-    margin: 2px 59px 0 7px;
-}
-
-#content .notice .author .photo{
-    right: 0;
-}
-
-.notice-options{
-    float: left;
-}
-
-.notice div.entry-content {
-    margin-right: 59px;
-    margin-left: 0;
-}
-
-#core .vcard .photo {
-    margin-left: 11px;
-    margin-right: 0;
-}
-
-.threaded-replies .notice-reply-comments {
-    margin: 2px 10px 4px 0;
-}
-
-#shownotice .notice div.entry-content {
-    margin-right: 0;
-}
-
-.notice .addressees:before {
-    content: "◂";
-}
-
-#content thead th {
-    text-align: right;
-}
-
-.profile_list th.current a {
-    background-position: left top;
-    padding-left: 25px;
-}
-
-.form_settings .form_data textarea, .form_settings .form_data select, .form_settings .form_data input {
-    float: right;
-}
-
-.form_settings .form_data label {
-    float: right;
-}
-
-.form_settings label {
-    text-align: left;
-}
-
-#form_search input.submit {
-    margin-right: 5px;
-}
-
-#site_nav_local_views {
-    float: right;
-}
-
-#content {
-    float: right;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+/* placeholder for RTL style */