diff --git a/source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_unwrap_ops.cc b/source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_unwrap_ops.cc
index d16e34593c6..95e736d5424 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_unwrap_ops.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_unwrap_ops.cc
@@ -1507,7 +1507,8 @@ static int pack_islands_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
   }
 
   pack_island_params.setFromUnwrapOptions(options);
-  pack_island_params.rotate = RNA_boolean_get(op->ptr, "rotate");
+  pack_island_params.rotate_method = eUVPackIsland_RotationMethod(
+      RNA_enum_get(op->ptr, "rotate_method"));
   pack_island_params.scale_to_fit = RNA_boolean_get(op->ptr, "scale");
   pack_island_params.merge_overlap = RNA_boolean_get(op->ptr, "merge_overlap");
   pack_island_params.pin_method = eUVPackIsland_PinMethod(RNA_enum_get(op->ptr, "pin_method"));
@@ -1564,6 +1565,23 @@ static const EnumPropertyItem pack_margin_method_items[] = {
     {0, nullptr, 0, nullptr, nullptr},
 };
 
+static const EnumPropertyItem pack_rotate_method_items[] = {
+    {ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_NONE, "NONE", 0, "No rotation", "No rotation is applied to the islands"},
+    RNA_ENUM_ITEM_SEPR,
+    {ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_AXIS_ALIGNED,
+     "AXIS_ALIGNED",
+     0,
+     "Axis-aligned",
+     "Rotated to a minimal rectangle, either vertical or horizontal"},
+    {ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_CARDINAL,
+     "CARDINAL",
+     0,
+     "Cardinal",
+     "Only 90 degree rotations are allowed"},
+    {ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY, "ANY", 0, "Any", "Any angle is allowed for rotation"},
+    {0, nullptr, 0, nullptr, nullptr},
+};
+
 static const EnumPropertyItem pack_shape_method_items[] = {
     {ED_UVPACK_SHAPE_CONCAVE, "CONCAVE", 0, "Exact shape (Concave)", "Uses exact geometry"},
     {ED_UVPACK_SHAPE_CONVEX, "CONVEX", 0, "Boundary shape (Convex)", "Uses convex hull"},
@@ -1627,7 +1645,12 @@ void UV_OT_pack_islands(wmOperatorType *ot)
 
   /* properties */
   RNA_def_enum(ot->srna, "udim_source", pack_target, PACK_UDIM_SRC_CLOSEST, "Pack to", "");
-  RNA_def_boolean(ot->srna, "rotate", true, "Rotate", "Rotate islands for best fit");
+  RNA_def_enum(ot->srna,
+               "rotate_method",
+               pack_rotate_method_items,
+               ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY,
+               "Rotation Method",
+               "");
   RNA_def_boolean(ot->srna, "scale", true, "Scale", "Scale islands to fill unit square");
   RNA_def_boolean(
       ot->srna, "merge_overlap", false, "Merge Overlapped", "Overlapping islands stick together");
@@ -2360,7 +2383,7 @@ void ED_uvedit_live_unwrap(const Scene *scene, Object **objects, int objects_len
 
     blender::geometry::UVPackIsland_Params pack_island_params;
     pack_island_params.setFromUnwrapOptions(options);
-    pack_island_params.rotate = true;
+    pack_island_params.rotate_method = ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY;
     pack_island_params.pin_method = ED_UVPACK_PIN_IGNORED;
     pack_island_params.margin_method = ED_UVPACK_MARGIN_SCALED;
     pack_island_params.margin = scene->toolsettings->uvcalc_margin;
@@ -2502,7 +2525,7 @@ static int unwrap_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
 
   blender::geometry::UVPackIsland_Params pack_island_params;
   pack_island_params.setFromUnwrapOptions(options);
-  pack_island_params.rotate = true;
+  pack_island_params.rotate_method = ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY;
   pack_island_params.pin_method = ED_UVPACK_PIN_IGNORED;
   pack_island_params.margin_method = eUVPackIsland_MarginMethod(
       RNA_enum_get(op->ptr, "margin_method"));
@@ -2882,7 +2905,7 @@ static int smart_project_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
     const bool correct_aspect = RNA_boolean_get(op->ptr, "correct_aspect");
 
     blender::geometry::UVPackIsland_Params params;
-    params.rotate = true;
+    params.rotate_method = ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY;
     params.only_selected_uvs = only_selected_uvs;
     params.only_selected_faces = true;
     params.correct_aspect = correct_aspect;
@@ -3871,7 +3894,7 @@ void ED_uvedit_add_simple_uvs(Main *bmain, const Scene *scene, Object *ob)
 
   /* Pack UVs. */
   blender::geometry::UVPackIsland_Params params;
-  params.rotate = true;
+  params.rotate_method = ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY;
   params.only_selected_uvs = false;
   params.only_selected_faces = false;
   params.correct_aspect = false;
diff --git a/source/blender/geometry/GEO_uv_pack.hh b/source/blender/geometry/GEO_uv_pack.hh
index 2ebcdfa8fe9..8584aebd723 100644
--- a/source/blender/geometry/GEO_uv_pack.hh
+++ b/source/blender/geometry/GEO_uv_pack.hh
@@ -26,6 +26,17 @@ enum eUVPackIsland_MarginMethod {
   ED_UVPACK_MARGIN_FRACTION,
 };
 
+enum eUVPackIsland_RotationMethod {
+  /** No rotation. */
+  ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_NONE = 0,
+  /** Rotated to a minimal rectangle, either vertical or horizontal. */
+  ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_AXIS_ALIGNED,
+  /** Only 90 degree rotations are allowed. */
+  ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_CARDINAL,
+  /** Any angle. */
+  ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY,
+};
+
 enum eUVPackIsland_ShapeMethod {
   /** Use Axis-Aligned Bounding-Boxes. */
   ED_UVPACK_SHAPE_AABB = 0,
@@ -57,8 +68,8 @@ class UVPackIsland_Params {
   void setUDIMOffsetFromSpaceImage(const SpaceImage *sima);
   bool isCancelled() const;
 
-  /** Islands can be rotated to improve packing. */
-  bool rotate;
+  /** Restrictions around island rotation. */
+  eUVPackIsland_RotationMethod rotate_method;
   /** Resize islands to fill the unit square. */
   bool scale_to_fit;
   /** (In UV Editor) only pack islands which have one or more selected UVs. */
diff --git a/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_pack.cc b/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_pack.cc
index 4c9b932091a..409b8bc689f 100644
--- a/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_pack.cc
+++ b/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_pack.cc
@@ -211,6 +211,12 @@ void PackIsland::calculate_pre_rotation_(const UVPackIsland_Params &params)
   if (!can_rotate_(params)) {
     return; /* Nothing to do. */
   }
+  if (params.rotate_method == ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_CARDINAL) {
+    /* Arbitrary rotations are not allowed. */
+    return;
+  }
+  BLI_assert(params.rotate_method == ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY ||
+             params.rotate_method == ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_AXIS_ALIGNED);
 
   /* As a heuristic to improve layout efficiency, #PackIsland's are first rotated by an arbitrary
    * angle to minimize the area of the enclosing AABB. This angle is stored in the `pre_rotate_`
@@ -325,7 +331,7 @@ void PackIsland::place_(const float scale, const uv_phi phi)
 
 UVPackIsland_Params::UVPackIsland_Params()
 {
-  rotate = false;
+  rotate_method = ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_NONE;
   scale_to_fit = true;
   only_selected_uvs = false;
   only_selected_faces = false;
@@ -1095,8 +1101,8 @@ static bool rotate_inside_square(const Span<UVAABBIsland *> island_indices,
   if (island_indices.size() == 0) {
     return false; /* Nothing to do. */
   }
-  if (!params.rotate) {
-    return false; /* Unable to rotate. */
+  if (params.rotate_method != ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY) {
+    return false; /* Unable to rotate by arbitrary angle. */
   }
   if (params.shape_method == ED_UVPACK_SHAPE_AABB) {
     /* AABB margin calculations are not preserved under rotations. */
@@ -1927,7 +1933,7 @@ void PackIsland::build_inverse_transformation(const float scale,
 
 bool PackIsland::can_rotate_(const UVPackIsland_Params &params) const
 {
-  if (!params.rotate) {
+  if (params.rotate_method == ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_NONE) {
     return false;
   }
   if (!pinned) {
diff --git a/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_parametrizer.cc b/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_parametrizer.cc
index 6b71e89c962..0237a8a53dc 100644
--- a/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_parametrizer.cc
+++ b/source/blender/geometry/intern/uv_parametrizer.cc
@@ -4113,7 +4113,7 @@ void uv_parametrizer_pack(ParamHandle *handle, float margin, bool do_rotate, boo
   Vector<PackIsland *> pack_island_vector;
 
   UVPackIsland_Params params;
-  params.rotate = do_rotate;
+  params.rotate_method = do_rotate ? ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_ANY : ED_UVPACK_ROTATION_NONE;
   params.margin = margin;
   params.margin_method = ED_UVPACK_MARGIN_SCALED;