diff --git a/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in b/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in
index f6cb6378..325482d9 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in
+++ b/lib/wibox/widget/systray.lua.in
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ local beautiful = require("beautiful")
 local capi = { awesome = awesome }
 local setmetatable = setmetatable
 local error = error
+local abs = math.abs
 
 --- wibox.widget.systray
 local systray = { mt = {} }
@@ -19,13 +20,18 @@ local horizontal = true
 local base_size = nil
 
 function systray:draw(wibox, cr, width, height)
-    local x, y, width, height = lbase.rect_to_device_geometry(cr, 0, 0, width, height)
+    local x, y, _, _ = lbase.rect_to_device_geometry(cr, 0, 0, width, height)
     local num_entries = capi.awesome.systray()
     local bg = beautiful.bg_systray or beautiful.bg_normal or "#000000"
 
+    -- Figure out if the cairo context is rotated
+    local dir_x, dir_y = cr:user_to_device_distance(1, 0)
+    local is_rotated = abs(dir_x) < abs(dir_y)
+
     local in_dir, ortho, base
     if horizontal then
         in_dir, ortho = width, height
+        is_rotated = not is_rotated
     else
         ortho, in_dir = width, height
     end
@@ -34,7 +40,7 @@ function systray:draw(wibox, cr, width, height)
     else
         base = in_dir / num_entries
     end
-    capi.awesome.systray(wibox.drawin, x, y, base, horizontal, bg)
+    capi.awesome.systray(wibox.drawin, x, y, base, is_rotated, bg)
 end
 
 function systray:fit(width, height)