diff --git a/.changeset/free-crabs-watch.md b/.changeset/free-crabs-watch.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62759a335
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/free-crabs-watch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@radix-ui/react-direction': patch
+---
+
+Respect document-level dir attribute in useDirection when no DirectionProvider is present
diff --git a/packages/react/direction/src/direction.test.tsx b/packages/react/direction/src/direction.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2a749f0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/direction/src/direction.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import type { RenderResult } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { cleanup, render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { DirectionProvider, useDirection } from './direction';
+import { afterEach, describe, it, beforeEach, expect } from 'vitest';
+
+// Helper component that renders the resolved direction as text
+function DirectionDisplay({ localDir }: { localDir?: 'ltr' | 'rtl' }) {
+  const direction = useDirection(localDir);
+  return <span data-testid="direction">{direction}</span>;
+}
+
+describe('useDirection', () => {
+  let rendered: RenderResult;
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup();
+    // Reset document dir after each test
+    document.documentElement.dir = '';
+  });
+
+  describe('given no DirectionProvider and no local dir', () => {
+    describe('when document dir is not set', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        document.documentElement.dir = '';
+        rendered = render(<DirectionDisplay />);
+      });
+
+      it('should default to ltr', () => {
+        expect(rendered.getByTestId('direction').textContent).toBe('ltr');
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when document dir is rtl', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        document.documentElement.dir = 'rtl';
+        rendered = render(<DirectionDisplay />);
+      });
+
+      it('should return rtl from document', () => {
+        expect(rendered.getByTestId('direction').textContent).toBe('rtl');
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when document dir is ltr', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        document.documentElement.dir = 'ltr';
+        rendered = render(<DirectionDisplay />);
+      });
+
+      it('should return ltr from document', () => {
+        expect(rendered.getByTestId('direction').textContent).toBe('ltr');
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('given a DirectionProvider with dir="rtl"', () => {
+    describe('when document dir is ltr', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        document.documentElement.dir = 'ltr';
+        rendered = render(
+          <DirectionProvider dir="rtl">
+            <DirectionDisplay />
+          </DirectionProvider>,
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('should return rtl from provider (overrides document)', () => {
+        expect(rendered.getByTestId('direction').textContent).toBe('rtl');
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('given a DirectionProvider with dir="ltr"', () => {
+    describe('when document dir is rtl', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        document.documentElement.dir = 'rtl';
+        rendered = render(
+          <DirectionProvider dir="ltr">
+            <DirectionDisplay />
+          </DirectionProvider>,
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('should return ltr from provider (overrides document)', () => {
+        expect(rendered.getByTestId('direction').textContent).toBe('ltr');
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('given a local dir prop', () => {
+    describe('when DirectionProvider is rtl and document is rtl', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        document.documentElement.dir = 'rtl';
+        rendered = render(
+          <DirectionProvider dir="rtl">
+            <DirectionDisplay localDir="ltr" />
+          </DirectionProvider>,
+        );
+      });
+
+      it('should return ltr from local dir (highest priority)', () => {
+        expect(rendered.getByTestId('direction').textContent).toBe('ltr');
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/react/direction/src/direction.tsx b/packages/react/direction/src/direction.tsx
index 9ab26b44a..307dabfd7 100644
--- a/packages/react/direction/src/direction.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/direction/src/direction.tsx
@@ -20,9 +20,16 @@ const DirectionProvider: React.FC<DirectionProviderProps> = (props) => {
 
 function useDirection(localDir?: Direction) {
   const globalDir = React.useContext(DirectionContext);
-  return localDir || globalDir || 'ltr';
+  const documentDir = getDocumentDirection();
+  return localDir || globalDir || documentDir;
 }
 
+function getDocumentDirection(): Direction {
+  if (typeof document === 'undefined') return 'ltr';
+  return document.documentElement.dir === 'rtl' ? 'rtl' : 'ltr';
+}
+
+
 const Provider = DirectionProvider;
 
 export {