diff --git a/src/displace_atoms.cpp b/src/displace_atoms.cpp
index 3fb1a48fda..2f26f46b93 100644
--- a/src/displace_atoms.cpp
+++ b/src/displace_atoms.cpp
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@
 #include "comm.h"
 #include "irregular.h"
 #include "group.h"
+#include "math_const.h"
 #include "random_park.h"
 #include "error.h"
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
+using namespace MathConst;
 
-enum{MOVE,RAMP,RANDOM};
+enum{MOVE,RAMP,RANDOM,ROTATE};
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ void DisplaceAtoms::command(int narg, char **arg)
   if (strcmp(arg[1],"move") == 0) style = MOVE;
   else if (strcmp(arg[1],"ramp") == 0) style = RAMP;
   else if (strcmp(arg[1],"random") == 0) style = RANDOM;
+  else if (strcmp(arg[1],"rotate") == 0) style = ROTATE;
   else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal displace_atoms command");
 
   // set option defaults
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@ void DisplaceAtoms::command(int narg, char **arg)
   if (style == MOVE) options(narg-5,&arg[5]);
   else if (style == RAMP) options(narg-8,&arg[8]);
   else if (style == RANDOM) options(narg-6,&arg[6]);
+  else if (style == ROTATE) options(narg-9,&arg[9]);
 
   // setup scaling
 
@@ -189,6 +193,72 @@ void DisplaceAtoms::command(int narg, char **arg)
 
     delete random;
   }
+ 
+  // rotate atoms by right-hand rule by theta around R
+  // P = point = vector = point of rotation
+  // R = vector = axis of rotation
+  // R0 = runit = unit vector for R
+  // D = X - P = vector from P to X
+  // C = (D dot R0) R0 = projection of atom coord onto R line
+  // A = D - C = vector from R line to X
+  // B = R0 cross A = vector perp to A in plane of rotation
+  // A,B define plane of circular rotation around R line
+  // X = P + C + A cos(theta) + B sin(theta)
+
+  if (style == ROTATE) {
+    double axis[3],point[3];
+    double a[3],b[3],c[3],d[3],disp[3],runit[3];
+    
+    int dim = domain->dimension;
+    point[0] = xscale*atof(arg[2]);
+    point[1] = yscale*atof(arg[3]);
+    point[2] = zscale*atof(arg[4]);
+    axis[0] = atof(arg[5]);
+    axis[1] = atof(arg[6]);
+    axis[2] = atof(arg[7]);
+    double theta = atof(arg[8]);
+    if (dim == 2 and (axis[0] != 0.0 || axis[1] != 0.0))
+      error->all(FLERR,"Invalid displace_atoms rotate axis for 2d");
+
+    double len = sqrt(axis[0]*axis[0] + axis[1]*axis[1] + axis[2]*axis[2]);
+    if (len == 0.0)
+      error->all(FLERR,"Zero length rotation vector with displace_atoms");
+    runit[0] = axis[0]/len;
+    runit[1] = axis[1]/len;
+    runit[2] = axis[2]/len;
+
+    double sine = sin(MY_PI*theta/180.0);
+    double cosine = cos(MY_PI*theta/180.0);
+    double ddotr;
+
+    double **x = atom->x;
+    int *mask = atom->mask;
+    int nlocal = atom->nlocal;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < nlocal; i++) {
+      if (mask[i] & groupbit) {
+        d[0] = x[i][0] - point[0];
+        d[1] = x[i][1] - point[1];
+        d[2] = x[i][2] - point[2];
+        ddotr = d[0]*runit[0] + d[1]*runit[1] + d[2]*runit[2];
+        c[0] = ddotr*runit[0];
+        c[1] = ddotr*runit[1];
+        c[2] = ddotr*runit[2];
+        a[0] = d[0] - c[0];
+        a[1] = d[1] - c[1];
+        a[2] = d[2] - c[2];
+        b[0] = runit[1]*a[2] - runit[2]*a[1];
+        b[1] = runit[2]*a[0] - runit[0]*a[2];
+        b[2] = runit[0]*a[1] - runit[1]*a[0];
+        disp[0] = a[0]*cosine  + b[0]*sine;
+        disp[1] = a[1]*cosine  + b[1]*sine;
+        disp[2] = a[2]*cosine  + b[2]*sine;
+        x[i][0] = point[0] + c[0] + disp[0];
+        x[i][1] = point[1] + c[1] + disp[1];
+        if (dim == 3) x[i][2] = point[2] + c[2] + disp[2];
+      }
+    }
+  }
 
   // move atoms back inside simulation box and to new processors
   // use remap() instead of pbc() in case atoms moved a long distance
diff --git a/src/fix_move.cpp b/src/fix_move.cpp
index d1bc5456e0..bdf4e3ac3b 100644
--- a/src/fix_move.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_move.cpp
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ FixMove::FixMove(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
   if (mstyle == ROTATE) {
     double len = sqrt(axis[0]*axis[0] + axis[1]*axis[1] + axis[2]*axis[2]);
     if (len == 0.0)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Fix move cannot have 0 length rotation vector");
+      error->all(FLERR,"Zero length rotation vector with fix move");
     runit[0] = axis[0]/len;
     runit[1] = axis[1]/len;
     runit[2] = axis[2]/len;