diff --git a/avatar/models.py b/avatar/models.py
index 5268983..b97c0f3 100644
--- a/avatar/models.py
+++ b/avatar/models.py
@@ -127,12 +127,38 @@ class Avatar(models.Model):
     def thumbnail_exists(self, size):
         return self.avatar.storage.exists(self.avatar_name(size))
 
+    def transpose_image(self, image):
+        """
+            Transpose based on EXIF information.
+            Borrowed from django-imagekit:
+            imagekit.processors.Transpose
+        """
+        EXIF_ORIENTATION_STEPS = {
+            1: [],
+            2: ['FLIP_LEFT_RIGHT'],
+            3: ['ROTATE_180'],
+            4: ['FLIP_TOP_BOTTOM'],
+            5: ['ROTATE_270', 'FLIP_LEFT_RIGHT'],
+            6: ['ROTATE_270'],
+            7: ['ROTATE_90', 'FLIP_LEFT_RIGHT'],
+            8: ['ROTATE_90'],
+        }
+        try:
+            orientation = image._getexif()[0x0112]
+            ops = EXIF_ORIENTATION_STEPS[orientation]
+        except:
+            ops = []
+        for method in ops:
+            image = image.transpose(getattr(Image, method))
+        return image
+
     def create_thumbnail(self, size, quality=None):
         # invalidate the cache of the thumbnail with the given size first
         invalidate_cache(self.user, size)
         try:
             orig = self.avatar.storage.open(self.avatar.name, 'rb')
             image = Image.open(orig)
+            image = self.transpose_image(image)
             quality = quality or settings.AVATAR_THUMB_QUALITY
             w, h = image.size
             if w != size or h != size:
diff --git a/tests/data/image_exif_orientation.jpg b/tests/data/image_exif_orientation.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2df1300
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/data/image_exif_orientation.jpg differ
diff --git a/tests/data/image_no_exif.jpg b/tests/data/image_no_exif.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6491989
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/data/image_no_exif.jpg differ
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index 1538888..4466247 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os.path
 
+import math
 from django.contrib.admin.sites import AdminSite
 from django.test import TestCase
 try:
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ from avatar.utils import get_primary_avatar, get_user_model
 from avatar.models import Avatar
 from avatar.templatetags import avatar_tags
 from avatar.signals import avatar_deleted
-from PIL import Image
+from PIL import Image, ImageChops
 
 
 class AssertSignal:
@@ -43,8 +44,17 @@ def upload_helper(o, filename):
     return response
 
 
-class AvatarTests(TestCase):
+def root_mean_square_difference(image1, image2):
+    "Calculate the root-mean-square difference between two images"
+    diff = ImageChops.difference(image1, image2).convert('L')
+    h = diff.histogram()
+    sq = (value * (idx ** 2) for idx, value in enumerate(h))
+    sum_of_squares = sum(sq)
+    rms = math.sqrt(sum_of_squares / float(image1.size[0] * image1.size[1]))
+    return rms
 
+
+class AvatarTests(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.testdatapath = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "data")
         self.user = get_user_model().objects.create_user('test', 'lennon@thebeatles.com', 'testpassword')
@@ -199,6 +209,17 @@ class AvatarTests(TestCase):
         image = Image.open(avatar.avatar.storage.open(avatar.avatar_name(settings.AVATAR_DEFAULT_SIZE), 'rb'))
         self.assertEqual(image.mode, 'RGB')
 
+    def test_thumbnail_transpose_based_on_exif(self):
+        upload_helper(self, "image_no_exif.jpg")
+        avatar = get_primary_avatar(self.user)
+        image_no_exif = Image.open(avatar.avatar.storage.open(avatar.avatar_name(settings.AVATAR_DEFAULT_SIZE), 'rb'))
+
+        upload_helper(self, "image_exif_orientation.jpg")
+        avatar = get_primary_avatar(self.user)
+        image_with_exif = Image.open(avatar.avatar.storage.open(avatar.avatar_name(settings.AVATAR_DEFAULT_SIZE), 'rb'))
+
+        self.assertLess(root_mean_square_difference(image_with_exif, image_no_exif), 1)
+
     def test_has_avatar_False_if_no_avatar(self):
         self.assertFalse(avatar_tags.has_avatar(self.user))