diff --git a/common/changes/@uifabric/utilities/sopurand-TryCatchForRTL_2017-06-07-18-51.json b/common/changes/@uifabric/utilities/sopurand-TryCatchForRTL_2017-06-07-18-51.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f3447c83dc71c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/changes/@uifabric/utilities/sopurand-TryCatchForRTL_2017-06-07-18-51.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "@uifabric/utilities",
+      "comment": "Adding a try-catch around setting RTL in local storage for the browser",
+      "type": "patch"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "@uifabric/utilities",
+  "email": "sopurand@microsoft.com"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/utilities/src/rtl.ts b/packages/utilities/src/rtl.ts
index 80f7c7a60ec31..04fa5b623312b 100644
--- a/packages/utilities/src/rtl.ts
+++ b/packages/utilities/src/rtl.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ export function setRTL(isRTL: boolean, avoidPersisting = false) {
   let win = getWindow();
   // tslint:disable-next-line:no-string-literal
   if (win && win['localStorage'] && !avoidPersisting) {
-    localStorage.setItem('isRTL', isRTL ? '1' : '0');
+    try {
+      localStorage.setItem('isRTL', isRTL ? '1' : '0');
+    } catch (e) {
+      /*  swallow the exception, because safari private mode does not have local storage */
+    }
   }
 
   _isRTL = isRTL;