diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 394834ea..b1b01f68 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 - the C functions vips_math2_const(), vips_boolean_const() and 
   vips_relational_const() have changed argument order to match
   Python/CLI/C++ ... sorry
+- added vips_rot90() etc. convenience functions
 
 8/12/16 started 8.4.5
 - allow libgsf-1.14.26 to help centos, thanks tdiprima
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index f4c7b471..4b46c1cd 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,11 +1,3 @@
-- vips_object_class_install_argument() should check for duplicate priorities,
-  it's been behind a few nasty bugs
-
-- add vips_rot90() / _rot180() / _rot270(), cf. vips_sin() etc.
-
-  it's currently
-
-	vips_rot( smartcrop->sobel, &smartcrop->sobel90, VIPS_ANGLE_D90, NULL )
 
 - vips linecache has access there twice!
 
diff --git a/libvips/conversion/rot.c b/libvips/conversion/rot.c
index d4aee53a..d07f9e15 100644
--- a/libvips/conversion/rot.c
+++ b/libvips/conversion/rot.c
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
  * 	- gtkdoc
  * 4/11/11
  * 	- rewrite as a class
+ * 7/3/17
+ * 	- added 90/180/270 convenience functions
  */
 
 /*
@@ -374,6 +376,12 @@ vips_rot_init( VipsRot *rot )
 {
 }
 
+static int
+vips_rotv( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, VipsAngle angle, va_list ap )
+{
+	return( vips_call_split( "rot", ap, in, out, angle ) );
+}
+
 /**
  * vips_rot:
  * @in: input image
@@ -397,7 +405,82 @@ vips_rot( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, VipsAngle angle, ... )
 	int result;
 
 	va_start( ap, angle );
-	result = vips_call_split( "rot", ap, in, out, angle );
+	result = vips_rotv( in, out, angle, ap );
+	va_end( ap );
+
+	return( result );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_rot90:
+ * @in: input image
+ * @out: output image
+ * @...: %NULL-terminated list of optional named arguments
+ *
+ * Rotate @in by 90 degress clockwise. A convenience function over vips_rot().
+ *
+ * See also: vips_rot().
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
+int
+vips_rot90( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+
+	va_start( ap, out );
+	result = vips_rotv( in, out, VIPS_ANGLE_D90, ap );
+	va_end( ap );
+
+	return( result );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_rot180:
+ * @in: input image
+ * @out: output image
+ * @...: %NULL-terminated list of optional named arguments
+ *
+ * Rotate @in by 180 degress. A convenience function over vips_rot().
+ *
+ * See also: vips_rot().
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
+int
+vips_rot180( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+
+	va_start( ap, out );
+	result = vips_rotv( in, out, VIPS_ANGLE_D180, ap );
+	va_end( ap );
+
+	return( result );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_rot270:
+ * @in: input image
+ * @out: output image
+ * @...: %NULL-terminated list of optional named arguments
+ *
+ * Rotate @in by 270 degress clockwise. A convenience function over vips_rot().
+ *
+ * See also: vips_rot().
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
+int
+vips_rot270( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+
+	va_start( ap, out );
+	result = vips_rotv( in, out, VIPS_ANGLE_D270, ap );
 	va_end( ap );
 
 	return( result );
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/conversion.h b/libvips/include/vips/conversion.h
index 7c419f61..fa9857b9 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/conversion.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/conversion.h
@@ -124,6 +124,12 @@ int vips_wrap( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
 	__attribute__((sentinel));
 int vips_rot( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, VipsAngle angle, ... )
 	__attribute__((sentinel));
+int vips_rot90( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
+	__attribute__((sentinel));
+int vips_rot180( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
+	__attribute__((sentinel));
+int vips_rot270( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
+	__attribute__((sentinel));
 int vips_rot45( VipsImage *in, VipsImage **out, ... )
 	__attribute__((sentinel));
 VipsAngle vips_autorot_get_angle( VipsImage *image );