diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_arithb.h b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_arithb.h
index fdccb3854a6..901caaee15f 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_arithb.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_arithb.h
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ void Mat4ToEul(float tmat[][4],float *eul);
 void EulToQuat(float *eul, float *quat);
 
 void Mat3ToCompatibleEul(float mat[][3], float *eul, float *oldrot);
-
+void EulToGimbalAxis(float gmat[][3], float *eul, short order);
 
 
 void compatible_eul(float *eul, float *oldrot);
diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/arithb.c b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/arithb.c
index 6c9ae78bac4..0d3304557c3 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/arithb.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/arithb.c
@@ -3310,6 +3310,69 @@ void Mat3ToCompatibleEul(float mat[][3], float *eul, float *oldrot)
 		VecCopyf(eul, eul1);
 	}
 	
+}
+
+/* the matrix is written to as 3 axis vectors */
+void EulToGimbalAxis(float gmat[][3], float *eul, short order)
+{
+	RotOrderInfo *R= GET_ROTATIONORDER_INFO(order);
+	short R_order[3];
+	short R_order2[3];
+
+	float quat[4];
+	float teul[3];
+	float tvec[3];
+	int i, a;
+
+	R_order2[R->i]= 0;
+	R_order2[R->j]= 1;
+	R_order2[R->k]= 2;
+
+	R_order[0]= R->i;
+	R_order[1]= R->j;
+	R_order[2]= R->k;
+
+	for(i= 0; i<3; i++) {
+		tvec[0]= tvec[1]= tvec[2]= 0.0f;
+		tvec[i] = 1.0f;
+
+		VecCopyf(teul, eul);
+
+		for(a= R_order2[i]; a >= 1; a--)
+			teul[R_order[a-1]]= 0.0f;
+
+		EulOToQuat(teul, order, quat);
+		NormalQuat(quat);
+		QuatMulVecf(quat, tvec);
+		Normalize(tvec);
+
+		VecCopyf(gmat[i], tvec);
+	}
+
+
+#if 0
+
+	for(i= 0; i<3; i++) {
+		tvec[0]= tvec[1]= tvec[2]= 0.0f;
+		tvec[i] = 1.0f;
+
+		VecCopyf(teul, eul);
+
+		for(a= R_order2[i]; a >= 1; a--)
+			teul[R_order[a-1]]= 0.0f;
+
+		EulToQuat(teul, quat);
+		NormalQuat(quat);
+		QuatMulVecf(quat, tvec);
+		Normalize(tvec);
+
+		VecCopyf(gmat[i], tvec);
+	}
+#endif
+
+
+
+
 }
 
 /* ************ AXIS ANGLE *************** */
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_constraints.c b/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_constraints.c
index 1143203217b..f80084f7820 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_constraints.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_constraints.c
@@ -575,6 +575,10 @@ void setUserConstraint(TransInfo *t, short orientation, int mode, const char fte
 		sprintf(text, ftext, "view");
 		setConstraint(t, t->spacemtx, mode, text);
 		break;
+	case V3D_MANIP_GIMBAL:
+		sprintf(text, ftext, "gimbal");
+		setConstraint(t, t->spacemtx, mode, text);
+		break;
 	default: /* V3D_MANIP_CUSTOM */
 		sprintf(text, ftext, t->spacename);
 		setConstraint(t, t->spacemtx, mode, text);
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_manipulator.c b/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_manipulator.c
index bdf0a91bf89..2247977ef87 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_manipulator.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_manipulator.c
@@ -175,6 +175,61 @@ static void stats_editbone(View3D *v3d, EditBone *ebo)
 		protectflag_to_drawflags(OB_LOCK_LOC|OB_LOCK_ROT|OB_LOCK_SCALE, &v3d->twdrawflag);
 }
 
+
+static int test_rotmode_euler(short rotmode)
+{
+	return (ELEM(rotmode, ROT_MODE_AXISANGLE, ROT_MODE_QUAT)) ? 0:1;
+}
+
+void gimbalAxis(Object *ob, float gmat[][3])
+{
+	if(ob->mode & OB_MODE_POSE)
+	{
+		bPoseChannel *pchan= NULL;
+
+		/* use channels to get stats */
+		for(pchan= ob->pose->chanbase.first; pchan; pchan= pchan->next) {
+			if (pchan->bone && pchan->bone->flag & BONE_ACTIVE) {
+				if(test_rotmode_euler(pchan->rotmode)) {
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		if(pchan) {
+			int i;
+
+			EulToGimbalAxis(gmat, pchan->eul, pchan->rotmode);
+
+			for (i=0; i<3; i++)
+				Mat3MulVecfl(pchan->bone->bone_mat, gmat[i]);
+
+			if(pchan->parent) {
+				bPoseChannel *pchan_par= pchan->parent;
+
+				float tmat[3][3];
+				Mat3CpyMat4(tmat, pchan_par->pose_mat);
+
+				for (i=0; i<3; i++)
+					Mat3MulVecfl(tmat, gmat[i]);
+			}
+
+			/* needed if object trans isnt identity */
+			for (i=0; i<3; i++) {
+				float tmat[3][3];
+				Mat3CpyMat4(tmat, ob->obmat);
+				Mat3MulVecfl(tmat, gmat[i]);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	else {
+		if(test_rotmode_euler(ob->rotmode)) {
+			EulToGimbalAxis(gmat, ob->rot, ob->rotmode);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+
 /* centroid, boundbox, of selection */
 /* returns total items selected */
 int calc_manipulator_stats(const bContext *C)
@@ -416,6 +471,14 @@ int calc_manipulator_stats(const bContext *C)
 		case V3D_MANIP_GLOBAL:
 			break; /* nothing to do */
 
+		case V3D_MANIP_GIMBAL:
+		{
+			float mat[3][3];
+			Mat3One(mat);
+			gimbalAxis(ob, mat);
+			Mat4CpyMat3(rv3d->twmat, mat);
+			break;
+		}
 		case V3D_MANIP_NORMAL:
 			if(obedit || ob->mode & OB_MODE_POSE) {
 				float mat[3][3];
@@ -1404,9 +1467,10 @@ void BIF_draw_manipulator(const bContext *C)
 	int totsel;
 
 	if(!(v3d->twflag & V3D_USE_MANIPULATOR)) return;
-	if(G.moving && (G.moving & G_TRANSFORM_MANIP)==0) return;
+//	if(G.moving && (G.moving & G_TRANSFORM_MANIP)==0) return;
 
-	if(G.moving==0) {
+//	if(G.moving==0) {
+	{
 		v3d->twflag &= ~V3D_DRAW_MANIPULATOR;
 
 		totsel= calc_manipulator_stats(C);
@@ -1454,7 +1518,7 @@ void BIF_draw_manipulator(const bContext *C)
 				else draw_manipulator_rotate_cyl(v3d, rv3d, 0, drawflags, v3d->twtype, MAN_RGB);
 			}
 			else
-				draw_manipulator_rotate(v3d, rv3d, G.moving, drawflags, v3d->twtype);
+				draw_manipulator_rotate(v3d, rv3d, 0 /* G.moving*/, drawflags, v3d->twtype);
 
 			glDisable(GL_BLEND);
 		}
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_orientations.c b/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_orientations.c
index c9344b97fb2..e790b38dd67 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_orientations.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/transform/transform_orientations.c
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ EnumPropertyItem *BIF_enumTransformOrientation(bContext *C)
 }
 
 char * BIF_menustringTransformOrientation(const bContext *C, char *title) {
-	char menu[] = "%t|Global%x0|Local%x1|Normal%x2|View%x3";
+	char menu[] = "%t|Global%x0|Local%x1|Gimbal%x4|Normal%x2|View%x3";
 	ListBase *transform_spaces = &CTX_data_scene(C)->transform_spaces;
 	TransformOrientation *ts;
 	int i = V3D_MANIP_CUSTOM;
@@ -510,6 +510,7 @@ static int count_bone_select(bArmature *arm, ListBase *lb, int do_it)
 	return total;
 }
 
+extern void gimbalAxis(Object *ob, float gimbal_vecs[][3]);
 void initTransformOrientation(bContext *C, TransInfo *t)
 {
 	View3D *v3d = CTX_wm_view3d(C);
@@ -522,7 +523,12 @@ void initTransformOrientation(bContext *C, TransInfo *t)
 	case V3D_MANIP_GLOBAL:
 		strcpy(t->spacename, "global");
 		break;
-		
+
+	case V3D_MANIP_GIMBAL:
+		Mat3One(t->spacemtx);
+		if(ob)
+			gimbalAxis(ob, t->spacemtx);
+		break;
 	case V3D_MANIP_NORMAL:
 		if(obedit || ob->mode & OB_MODE_POSE) {
 			float mat[3][3];
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h
index 564d6749c16..422c56fe4c1 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_view3d_types.h
@@ -263,7 +263,8 @@ typedef struct View3D {
 #define V3D_MANIP_LOCAL			1
 #define V3D_MANIP_NORMAL		2
 #define V3D_MANIP_VIEW			3
-#define V3D_MANIP_CUSTOM		4 /* anything of value 4 or higher is custom */
+#define V3D_MANIP_GIMBAL		4
+#define V3D_MANIP_CUSTOM		5 /* anything of value 5 or higher is custom */
 
 /* View3d->twflag */
    /* USE = user setting, DRAW = based on selection */
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_space.c b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_space.c
index e46ba16e3d9..43172f0a1e8 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_space.c
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_space.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ static EnumPropertyItem draw_channels_items[] = {
 static EnumPropertyItem transform_orientation_items[] = {
 	{V3D_MANIP_GLOBAL, "GLOBAL", 0, "Global", "Align the transformation axes to world space"},
 	{V3D_MANIP_LOCAL, "LOCAL", 0, "Local", "Align the transformation axes to the selected objects' local space"},
+	{V3D_MANIP_GIMBAL, "GIMBAL", 0, "Gimbal", "Align each axis to the euler rotation axis as used for input"},
 	{V3D_MANIP_NORMAL, "NORMAL", 0, "Normal", "Align the transformation axes to average normal of selected elements (bone Y axis for pose mode)"},
 	{V3D_MANIP_VIEW, "VIEW", 0, "View", "Align the transformation axes to the window"},
 	{V3D_MANIP_CUSTOM, "CUSTOM", 0, "Custom", "Use a custom transform orientation"},
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ EnumPropertyItem *rna_TransformOrientation_itemf(bContext *C, PointerRNA *ptr, i
 
 	RNA_enum_items_add_value(&item, &totitem, transform_orientation_items, V3D_MANIP_GLOBAL);
 	RNA_enum_items_add_value(&item, &totitem, transform_orientation_items, V3D_MANIP_NORMAL);
+	RNA_enum_items_add_value(&item, &totitem, transform_orientation_items, V3D_MANIP_GIMBAL);
 	RNA_enum_items_add_value(&item, &totitem, transform_orientation_items, V3D_MANIP_LOCAL);
 	RNA_enum_items_add_value(&item, &totitem, transform_orientation_items, V3D_MANIP_VIEW);