diff --git a/src/openseadragon.js b/src/openseadragon.js
index 9ee18112..7e3c8366 100644
--- a/src/openseadragon.js
+++ b/src/openseadragon.js
@@ -336,6 +336,11 @@
   *     image and if the 'next' button will wrap to the first image when viewing
   *     the last image.
   *
+  * @property {Boolean} [showRotationControl=false]
+  *     If true then the rotate left/right controls will be displayed as part of the
+  *     standard controls. This is also subject to the browser support for rotate
+  *     (e.g. viewer.drawer.canRotate()).
+  *
   * @property {Boolean} [showSequenceControl=true]
   *     If the viewer has been configured with a sequence of tile sources, then
   *     provide buttons for navigating forward and backward through the images.
@@ -807,6 +812,7 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
                 }
             },
             navPrevNextWrap:        false,
+            showRotationControl:    false,
 
             //DEVELOPER SETTINGS
             debugMode:              false,
diff --git a/src/strings.js b/src/strings.js
index e6cf8352..03f4ed42 100644
--- a/src/strings.js
+++ b/src/strings.js
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ var I18N = {
         ZoomIn:         "Zoom in",
         ZoomOut:        "Zoom out",
         NextPage:       "Next page",
-        PreviousPage:   "Previous page"
+        PreviousPage:   "Previous page",
+        RotateLeft:     "Rotate left",
+        RotateRight:    "Rotate right"
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/viewer.js b/src/viewer.js
index ca20ca98..56990624 100644
--- a/src/viewer.js
+++ b/src/viewer.js
@@ -1234,33 +1234,36 @@ $.extend( $.Viewer.prototype, $.EventSource.prototype, $.ControlDock.prototype,
                 onBlur:     onBlurHandler
             }));
 
-            buttons.push( this.rotateLeft = new $.Button({
-                element:    this.rotateLeftButton ? $.getElement( this.rotateLeftButton ) : null,
-                clickTimeThreshold: this.clickTimeThreshold,
-                clickDistThreshold: this.clickDistThreshold,
-                tooltip:    $.getString( "Tooltips.RotateLeft" ),
-                srcRest:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.REST ),
-                srcGroup:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.GROUP ),
-                srcHover:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.HOVER ),
-                srcDown:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.DOWN ),
-                onRelease:  onRotateLeftHandler,
-                onFocus:    onFocusHandler,
-                onBlur:     onBlurHandler
-            }));
+            if (this.showRotationControl && this.drawer.canRotate()) {
+                buttons.push( this.rotateLeft = new $.Button({
+                    element:    this.rotateLeftButton ? $.getElement( this.rotateLeftButton ) : null,
+                    clickTimeThreshold: this.clickTimeThreshold,
+                    clickDistThreshold: this.clickDistThreshold,
+                    tooltip:    $.getString( "Tooltips.RotateLeft" ),
+                    srcRest:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.REST ),
+                    srcGroup:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.GROUP ),
+                    srcHover:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.HOVER ),
+                    srcDown:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateleft.DOWN ),
+                    onRelease:  onRotateLeftHandler,
+                    onFocus:    onFocusHandler,
+                    onBlur:     onBlurHandler
+                }));
 
-            buttons.push( this.rotateRight = new $.Button({
-                element:    this.rotateRightButton ? $.getElement( this.rotateRightButton ) : null,
-                clickTimeThreshold: this.clickTimeThreshold,
-                clickDistThreshold: this.clickDistThreshold,
-                tooltip:    $.getString( "Tooltips.RotateRight" ),
-                srcRest:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.REST ),
-                srcGroup:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.GROUP ),
-                srcHover:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.HOVER ),
-                srcDown:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.DOWN ),
-                onRelease:  onRotateRightHandler,
-                onFocus:    onFocusHandler,
-                onBlur:     onBlurHandler
-            }));
+                buttons.push( this.rotateRight = new $.Button({
+                    element:    this.rotateRightButton ? $.getElement( this.rotateRightButton ) : null,
+                    clickTimeThreshold: this.clickTimeThreshold,
+                    clickDistThreshold: this.clickDistThreshold,
+                    tooltip:    $.getString( "Tooltips.RotateRight" ),
+                    srcRest:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.REST ),
+                    srcGroup:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.GROUP ),
+                    srcHover:   resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.HOVER ),
+                    srcDown:    resolveUrl( this.prefixUrl, navImages.rotateright.DOWN ),
+                    onRelease:  onRotateRightHandler,
+                    onFocus:    onFocusHandler,
+                    onBlur:     onBlurHandler
+                }));
+
+            }
 
             if( useGroup ){
                 this.buttons = new $.ButtonGroup({