diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs
index acbbba02b..31d06b06c 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ pub enum Icon {
     Subject,
     Picker,
     Rotate,
+    /// A curved line with an arrow at both ends: drag to rotate, either way (the crop tool's pointer).
+    RotateDrag,
     Flip,
     Invert,
     Dots,
@@ -428,6 +430,12 @@ pub fn paint(p: &Painter, rect: Rect, icon: Icon, color: Color32) {
             pen.arc(10.0, 10.0, 6.5, 200.0, 470.0);
             pen.line(&[(3.0, 5.5), (4.0, 9.0), (7.5, 8.0)]);
         }
+        RotateDrag => {
+            // the upper arc of a circle, an arrowhead at each end pointing along it
+            pen.arc(10.0, 14.0, 7.5, 200.0, 340.0);
+            pen.line(&[(0.8, 9.6), (3.0, 11.9), (6.1, 11.0)]);
+            pen.line(&[(19.2, 9.6), (17.0, 11.9), (13.9, 11.0)]);
+        }
         Flip => {
             pen.line(&[(10.0, 2.5), (10.0, 17.5)]);
             pen.closed(&[(8.0, 5.0), (8.0, 15.0), (3.0, 15.0)]);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
index 705818911..30c400870 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ pub mod theme;
 pub mod titlebar;
 pub mod widgets;
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_crop_rotate;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_curve;
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/detail.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/detail.rs
index 2e708da66..4ca158abd 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/detail.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/detail.rs
@@ -1248,16 +1248,27 @@ fn crop_overlay(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, resp: &egui::Respons
         let s = to_straight(n, d.crop.geometry.angle, frame);
         d.crop.geometry.rect.contains(Point::new(s.x.clamp(-1.0, 2.0), s.y))
     };
-    if let Some(hq) = resp.hover_pos() {
-        let near = handles.iter().position(|h| h.distance(hq) < 12.0);
-        ui.ctx().set_cursor_icon(match near {
+    // while rotating, the pointer may leave the canvas: it still shows rotation and the angle
+    let rotating = matches!(app.gesture, Some(Gesture::CropRotate { .. }));
+    let pointer = resp.hover_pos().or_else(|| if rotating { ui.input(|i| i.pointer.latest_pos()) } else { None });
+    if let Some(hq) = pointer {
+        let near = handles.iter().position(|h| h.distance(hq) < 12.0).filter(|_| !rotating);
+        let cursor = match near {
             Some(0 | 2) => egui::CursorIcon::ResizeNwSe,
             Some(1 | 3) => egui::CursorIcon::ResizeNeSw,
             Some(4 | 6) => egui::CursorIcon::ResizeVertical,
             Some(_) => egui::CursorIcon::ResizeHorizontal,
-            None if inside(hq) => egui::CursorIcon::Move,
-            None => egui::CursorIcon::Alias,
-        });
+            None if inside(hq) && !rotating => egui::CursorIcon::Move,
+            // a drag here rotates: no system cursor shows that, so draw a curved double arrow
+            None => {
+                rotate_cursor(ui, hq);
+                egui::CursorIcon::None
+            }
+        };
+        ui.ctx().set_cursor_icon(cursor);
+        if rotating {
+            angle_readout(ui, hq, d.crop.geometry.angle);
+        }
     }
     // double-click inside the crop box applies the crop (same as Return / Done)
     if resp.double_clicked()
@@ -1311,6 +1322,40 @@ fn crop_overlay(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, resp: &egui::Respons
     let _ = id;
 }
 
+/// The crop angle as the rotation readout shows it: like the Straighten value, in degrees.
+pub(crate) fn crop_angle_label(angle: f64) -> String {
+    let shown =
+        lightcraft_develop::controls::find("crop.angle").map_or_else(|| format!("{angle:.2}"), |spec| crate::widgets::shown_value(spec, angle));
+    // the slider's format turns a rounded −0.00 into "0": every zero reads as the slider at rest
+    let shown = if shown == "0" { "0.00".to_string() } else { shown };
+    format!("{shown}°")
+}
+
+/// On top of everything (the tooltip layer), so neither the photo nor a panel covers it.
+fn top_painter(ui: &egui::Ui, name: &'static str) -> egui::Painter {
+    ui.ctx().layer_painter(egui::LayerId::new(egui::Order::Tooltip, egui::Id::new(name)))
+}
+
+/// The rotation pointer: a curved double arrow on a dark disc, so it reads over any photo.
+fn rotate_cursor(ui: &egui::Ui, at: Pos2) {
+    let p = top_painter(ui, "crop-rotate-cursor");
+    let r = Rect::from_center_size(at, vec2(22.0, 22.0));
+    p.circle_filled(at, 12.0, Color32::from_black_alpha(150));
+    crate::icons::paint(&p, r.shrink(2.0), crate::icons::Icon::RotateDrag, Color32::WHITE);
+    register(ui.ctx(), "cropRotateCursor", r);
+}
+
+/// While rotating: the angle, next to the pointer.
+fn angle_readout(ui: &egui::Ui, at: Pos2, angle: f64) {
+    let t = Tokens::get(ui.ctx());
+    let p = top_painter(ui, "crop-angle-readout");
+    let galley = p.layout_no_wrap(crop_angle_label(angle), t.font(12.5), Color32::WHITE);
+    let rect = Rect::from_min_size(at + vec2(18.0, 14.0), galley.size() + vec2(12.0, 6.0));
+    p.rect_filled(rect, 4.0, Color32::from_black_alpha(170));
+    p.galley(rect.min + vec2(6.0, 3.0), galley, Color32::WHITE);
+    register(ui.ctx(), "cropAngleReadout", rect);
+}
+
 /// Guided Upright: draw up to four guides along lines that should be vertical or horizontal. Guides are
 /// stored in lens-corrected (pre-perspective) coordinates, so they stay attached to the image as it warps.
 fn guided_overlay(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, resp: &egui::Response, map: &CanvasMap, frame: &Frame, d: &DevelopSettings) {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_crop_rotate.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_crop_rotate.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5aca4e72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_crop_rotate.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+//! Rotating in the crop tool (issue #534): outside the crop box the pointer shows that a drag
+//! rotates, a drag shows the angle as it changes, and the Straighten value takes an exact angle.
+
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use serde_json::json;
+
+use crate::headless::Headless;
+use crate::{LightcraftApp, Services};
+
+const T: Duration = Duration::from_secs(20);
+const SETTLE: Duration = Duration::from_secs(120);
+
+fn crop_tool() -> Headless {
+    let app = LightcraftApp::new(lightcraft_engine::Session::with_demo(), Services { png: None, ..Default::default() });
+    let mut h = Headless::new(app, [1200.0, 800.0], 1.0);
+    for (method, params) in [("ui.set", json!({"view": "detail"})), ("engine.execute", json!({"command": "panel.crop"}))] {
+        let r = h.request(method, params, T);
+        assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    }
+    h.settle(SETTLE);
+    h
+}
+
+fn has(h: &Headless, id: &str) -> bool {
+    h.app.widgets.iter().any(|(w, _)| w == id)
+}
+
+fn angle(h: &Headless) -> f64 {
+    let id = h.app.session.active().expect("a photo");
+    h.app.session.catalog.photo(id).expect("the photo").develop.crop.geometry.angle
+}
+
+fn hover(h: &mut Headless, p: egui::Pos2) {
+    let r = h.request("ui.move", json!({"x": p.x, "y": p.y}), T);
+    assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    h.settle(SETTLE);
+}
+
+/// Outside the crop box, where a drag rotates, the pointer becomes a curved double arrow drawn at
+/// the pointer (no system cursor has one); inside it is the move cursor, with no rotation glyph.
+#[test]
+fn outside_the_crop_box_the_pointer_shows_rotation() {
+    let mut h = crop_tool();
+    let img = h.app.image_rect.expect("the photo on screen");
+    hover(&mut h, egui::pos2(img.left() - 24.0, img.center().y));
+    assert_eq!(h.last_cursor, egui::CursorIcon::None, "the system cursor gives way to the glyph");
+    assert!(has(&h, "cropRotateCursor"), "the rotation glyph is drawn at the pointer");
+    hover(&mut h, img.center());
+    assert_eq!(h.last_cursor, egui::CursorIcon::Move);
+    assert!(!has(&h, "cropRotateCursor"));
+}
+
+/// Dragging outside the box rotates, and the angle is shown next to the pointer while it moves.
+#[test]
+fn rotating_shows_the_angle() {
+    let mut h = crop_tool();
+    let r = h.request(
+        "ui.pointer",
+        json!({"events": [{"kind": "down", "x": -0.05, "y": 0.2}, {"kind": "drag", "x": -0.05, "y": 0.25}, {"kind": "drag", "x": -0.05, "y": 0.3}]}),
+        T,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    h.settle(SETTLE);
+    assert!(angle(&h) != 0.0, "the drag rotated the crop");
+    assert!(has(&h, "cropAngleReadout"), "the angle is shown while rotating");
+    let r = h.request("ui.pointer", json!({"events": [{"kind": "up", "x": -0.05, "y": 0.3}]}), T);
+    assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    h.settle(SETTLE);
+    assert!(!has(&h, "cropAngleReadout"), "and gone once released");
+}
+
+/// The Straighten value takes an exact angle: click it, type, Enter.
+#[test]
+fn the_straighten_value_takes_an_exact_angle() {
+    let mut h = crop_tool();
+    let r = h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": "sliderValue:crop.angle"}), T);
+    assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    h.settle(SETTLE);
+    for key in ["a", "Backspace"] {
+        // select what is there and clear it
+        let r = h.request("ui.key", json!({"key": key, "cmd": key == "a"}), T);
+        assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    }
+    let r = h.request("ui.text", json!({"text": "2.5"}), T);
+    assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    let r = h.request("ui.key", json!({"key": "Enter"}), T);
+    assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+    h.settle(SETTLE);
+    assert!((angle(&h) - 2.5).abs() < 1e-9, "typed 2.5°, got {}", angle(&h));
+}
+
+/// The angle next to the pointer reads like the Straighten value, in degrees.
+#[test]
+fn the_angle_reads_like_the_straighten_value() {
+    use crate::panels::detail::crop_angle_label;
+    assert_eq!(crop_angle_label(0.0), "0.00°", "as the slider shows it at rest");
+    assert_eq!(crop_angle_label(2.5), "+2.50°");
+    assert_eq!(crop_angle_label(-12.254), "-12.25°");
+    assert_eq!(crop_angle_label(-0.001), "0.00°", "no minus zero, and every zero the same");
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs
index c98baf41f..8865995f9 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ pub fn typed_value(spec: &ControlSpec, text: &str) -> Option<f64> {
 }
 
 /// A slider's value as shown next to its label.
-fn shown_value(spec: &ControlSpec, v: f64) -> String {
+pub(crate) fn shown_value(spec: &ControlSpec, v: f64) -> String {
     let shown = if spec.id == "wb.temp" { format!("{v:.0}") } else { spec.format(v).replace("+0.00", "0").replace("-0.00", "0") };
     if shown == "+0" || shown == "-0" { "0".to_string() } else { shown }
 }