diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.event.js b/js/jquery.mobile.event.js
index 6a58cefa..d0e105f5 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.event.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.event.js
@@ -242,8 +242,22 @@ $.event.special.swipe = {
 	// Get the current page orientation. This method is exposed publicly, should it
 	// be needed, as jQuery.event.special.orientationchange.orientation()
 	$.event.special.orientationchange.orientation = get_orientation = function() {
-		var elem = document.documentElement;
-		return elem && elem.clientWidth / elem.clientHeight < 1.1 ? "portrait" : "landscape";
+		var isPortrait = true, elem = document.documentElement;
+
+		// prefer window orientation to the calculation based on screensize as
+		// the actual screen resize takes place before or after the orientation change event
+		// has been fired depending on implementation (eg android 2.3 is before, iphone after).
+		// More testing is required to determine if a more reliable method of determining the new screensize
+		// is possible when orientationchange is fired. (eg, use media queries + element + opacity)
+		if ( $.support.orientation ) {
+			// if the window orientation registers as 0 or 180 degrees report
+			// portrait, otherwise landscape
+			isPortrait = window.orientation % 180 == 0;
+		} else {
+			isPortrait = elem && elem.clientWidth / elem.clientHeight < 1.1;
+		}
+
+		return isPortrait ? "portrait" : "landscape";
 	};
 
 })( jQuery, window );