diff --git a/src/navigator.js b/src/navigator.js
index 9fac3637..4b3a98d2 100644
--- a/src/navigator.js
+++ b/src/navigator.js
@@ -199,11 +199,18 @@ $.Navigator = function( options ){
     this.displayRegionContainer.appendChild(this.displayRegion);
     this.element.getElementsByTagName('div')[0].appendChild(this.displayRegionContainer);
 
+    function rotate(degrees) {
+        _setTransformRotate(_this.displayRegionContainer, degrees);
+        _setTransformRotate(_this.displayRegion, -degrees);
+        _this.viewport.setRotation(degrees);
+    }
     if (options.navigatorRotate) {
+        var degrees = options.viewer.viewport ?
+            options.viewer.viewport.getRotation() :
+            options.viewer.degrees || 0;
+        rotate(degrees);
         options.viewer.addHandler("rotate", function (args) {
-            _setTransformRotate(_this.displayRegionContainer, args.degrees);
-            _setTransformRotate(_this.displayRegion, -args.degrees);
-            _this.viewport.setRotation(args.degrees);
+            rotate(args.degrees);
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/test/modules/navigator.js b/test/modules/navigator.js
index b6b49e5d..a3e929e3 100644
--- a/test/modules/navigator.js
+++ b/test/modules/navigator.js
@@ -867,4 +867,57 @@
 
     });
 
+    asyncTest('Viewer rotation applied to navigator by default', function() {
+
+        viewer = OpenSeadragon({
+            id:            'example',
+            prefixUrl:     '/build/openseadragon/images/',
+            tileSources:   '/test/data/tall.dzi',
+            springStiffness: 100, // Faster animation = faster tests
+            showNavigator:  true,
+            degrees:        45
+        });
+        viewer.addHandler('open', function openHandler() {
+            viewer.removeHandler('open', openHandler);
+
+            var navigator = viewer.navigator;
+
+            equal(navigator.viewport.getRotation(), 45,
+                "Rotation set in constructor should be applied to navigator by default.");
+
+            viewer.viewport.setRotation(90);
+            equal(navigator.viewport.getRotation(), 90,
+                "Rotation set by setRotation should be applied to navigator by default.");
+
+            start();
+        });
+    });
+
+    asyncTest('Viewer rotation not applied to navigator when navigatorRotate=false', function() {
+
+        viewer = OpenSeadragon({
+            id:            'example',
+            prefixUrl:     '/build/openseadragon/images/',
+            tileSources:   '/test/data/tall.dzi',
+            springStiffness: 100, // Faster animation = faster tests
+            showNavigator:  true,
+            degrees:        45,
+            navigatorRotate: false
+        });
+        viewer.addHandler('open', function openHandler() {
+            viewer.removeHandler('open', openHandler);
+
+            var navigator = viewer.navigator;
+
+            equal(navigator.viewport.getRotation(), 0,
+                "Rotation set in constructor should not be applied to navigator when navigatorRotate is false.");
+
+            viewer.viewport.setRotation(90);
+            equal(navigator.viewport.getRotation(), 0,
+                "Rotation set by setRotation should not be applied to navigator when navigatorRotate is false.");
+
+            start();
+        });
+    });
+
 })();