diff --git a/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts b/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts
index 188cc016f1..93a91c26d7 100644
--- a/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts
+++ b/server/src/repositories/metadata.repository.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export class MetadataRepository {
     inferTimezoneFromDatestamps: true,
     inferTimezoneFromTimeStamp: true,
     useMWG: true,
-    numericTags: [...DefaultReadTaskOptions.numericTags, 'FocalLength', 'FileSize'],
+    numericTags: [...DefaultReadTaskOptions.numericTags, 'FocalLength', 'FileSize', 'Rotation'],
     /* eslint unicorn/no-array-callback-reference: off, unicorn/no-array-method-this-argument: off */
     geoTz: (lat, lon) => geotz.find(lat, lon)[0],
     geolocation: true,
diff --git a/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts b/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
index 70e059d4bf..dfa254b78a 100644
--- a/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/metadata.service.ts
@@ -616,6 +616,17 @@ export class MetadataService extends BaseService {
     // never use duration from sidecar
     delete sidecarTags?.Duration;
 
+    // don't use Exif Orientation for HEIF based images, it's usually missing or invalid.
+    // prefer irot (ExifTool QuickTime:Rotation) mapped to ExifOrientation.
+    if (mimeTypes.isHeifImage(asset.originalPath)) {
+      const orientation = this.getHeifOrientation(mediaTags);
+      if (orientation === null) {
+        delete mediaTags.Orientation;
+      } else {
+        mediaTags.Orientation = orientation;
+      }
+    }
+
     return {
       tags: { ...mediaTags, ...videoResult?.tags, ...sidecarTags },
       audio: videoResult?.audio,
@@ -1110,4 +1121,24 @@ export class MetadataService extends BaseService {
 
     return { tags, audio, video, packets, format };
   }
+
+  private getHeifOrientation(exifTags: ImmichTags): ExifOrientation | null {
+    // https://exiftool.org/TagNames/QuickTime.html#ItemPropCont
+    const rotation = typeof exifTags.Rotation === 'number' ? exifTags.Rotation : undefined;
+    switch (rotation) {
+      case 0: {
+        return ExifOrientation.Horizontal;
+      }
+      case 1: {
+        return ExifOrientation.Rotate270CW;
+      }
+      case 2: {
+        return ExifOrientation.Rotate180;
+      }
+      case 3: {
+        return ExifOrientation.Rotate90CW;
+      }
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/utils/mime-types.ts b/server/src/utils/mime-types.ts
index be98edb9f0..346124df32 100644
--- a/server/src/utils/mime-types.ts
+++ b/server/src/utils/mime-types.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ const possiblyAnimatedImage: Record<string, string[]> = Object.fromEntries(
   Object.entries(image).filter(([key]) => possiblyAnimatedImageExtensions.has(key)),
 );
 
+const heifImageExtensions = new Set(['.avif', '.heic', '.heif', '.hif']);
+const heifImage: Record<string, string[]> = Object.fromEntries(
+  Object.entries(image).filter(([key]) => heifImageExtensions.has(key)),
+);
+
 const extensionOverrides: Record<string, string> = {
   'image/jpeg': '.jpg',
 };
@@ -147,6 +152,7 @@ export const mimeTypes = {
   isAsset: (filename: string) => isType(filename, image) || isType(filename, video),
   isImage: (filename: string) => isType(filename, image),
   isWebSupportedImage: (filename: string) => isType(filename, webSupportedImage),
+  isHeifImage: (filename: string) => isType(filename, heifImage),
   isPossiblyAnimatedImage: (filename: string) => isType(filename, possiblyAnimatedImage),
   isProfile: (filename: string) => isType(filename, profile),
   isSidecar: (filename: string) => isType(filename, sidecar),