A system and method for controlling the lateral tilt of a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine, such as, but not limited to, a combine, windrower or the like, and more particularly, to an automatic lateral tilt control system for precisely controlling an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine based on a lateral tilt angle of the machine relative to a reference and at least one additional characteristic such that, when the machine is disposed on a laterally inclined surface, and the machine is at a tilt angle differing from an angle of the laterally inclined surface, the angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine is responsively adjusted so an angle of the lateral tilt of the header relative to the reference is substantially equal to the angle of the laterally inclined surface, the system especially useful when operating in a stubble mode and traversing inclined surfaces.