diff --git a/platform/ios/Mapbox.playground/Contents.swift b/platform/ios/Mapbox.playground/Contents.swift
index ed48116da9d..23350c73a53 100644
--- a/platform/ios/Mapbox.playground/Contents.swift
+++ b/platform/ios/Mapbox.playground/Contents.swift
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class MapDelegate: NSObject, MGLMapViewDelegate {
             let av = PlaygroundAnnotationView(reuseIdentifier: "annotation")
             av.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 30, height: 30)
             av.centerOffset = CGVector(dx: -15, dy: -15)
-            av.flat = true
+            av.freeAxes = .X;
             let centerView = UIView(frame: CGRectInset(av.bounds, 3, 3))
             centerView.backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
             av.addSubview(centerView)
diff --git a/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m b/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m
index ce1e4ad8465..2145e05c2cb 100644
--- a/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m
+++ b/platform/ios/app/MBXViewController.m
@@ -586,12 +586,12 @@ - (MGLAnnotationView *)mapView:(MGLMapView *)mapView viewForAnnotation:(id<MGLAn
     if (!annotationView)
     {
         annotationView = [[MBXAnnotationView alloc] initWithReuseIdentifier:MBXViewControllerAnnotationViewReuseIdentifer];
-        annotationView.frame = CGRectMake(0, 0, 10, 10);
+        annotationView.frame = CGRectMake(0, 0, 30, 30);
         annotationView.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
        
-        // uncomment to flatten the annotation view against the map when the map is tilted
+        // uncomment to lay the annotation view flat against the map when the map is tilted
         // this currently causes severe performance issues when more than 2k annotations are visible
-        // annotationView.flat = YES;
+//        annotationView.freeAxes = MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisX;
         
         // uncomment to make the annotation view draggable
         // also note that having two long press gesture recognizers on overlapping views (`self.view` & `annotationView`) will cause weird behaviour
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ - (MGLAnnotationView *)mapView:(MGLMapView *)mapView viewForAnnotation:(id<MGLAn
         // uncomment to force annotation view to maintain a constant size when the map is tilted
         // by default, annotation views will shrink and grow as the move towards and away from the
         // horizon. Relatedly, annotations backed by GL sprites ONLY scale with viewing distance currently.
-        // annotationView.scalesWithViewingDistance = NO;
+//        annotationView.scalesWithViewingDistance = NO;
     } else {
         // orange indicates that the annotation view was reused
         annotationView.backgroundColor = [UIColor orangeColor];
diff --git a/platform/ios/jazzy.yml b/platform/ios/jazzy.yml
index aec0d5fe9f5..45359f99242 100644
--- a/platform/ios/jazzy.yml
+++ b/platform/ios/jazzy.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ custom_categories:
       - MGLAnnotationImage
       - MGLAnnotationVerticalAlignment
       - MGLAnnotationView
+      - MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxis
       - MGLAnnotationViewDragState
       - MGLCalloutView
       - MGLCalloutViewDelegate
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.h b/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.h
index ef0a3843fbe..80d7984fbf0 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.h
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.h
@@ -38,6 +38,57 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSUInteger, MGLAnnotationViewDragState) {
     MGLAnnotationViewDragStateEnding,
 };
 
+/**
+ Options for locking the orientation of an `MGLAnnotationView` along one or more
+ axes for a billboard effect.
+ */
+typedef NS_OPTIONS(NSUInteger, MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxis)
+{
+    /**
+     Orients the annotation view such that its x-axis is always fixed with
+     respect to the map.
+     
+     If this option is unset, the annotation view remains unchanged as the map’s
+     pitch increases, so that the view appears to stand upright on the tilted
+     map. If this option is set, the annotation view tilts as the map’s pitch
+     increases, so that the view appears to lie flat against the tilted map.
+     
+     For example, you would set this option if the annotation view depicts an
+     arrow that should always point due south. You would unset this option if
+     the arrow should always point down towards the ground.
+     */
+    MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisX = 0x1 << 0,
+    
+    /**
+     Orients the annotation view such that its y-axis is always fixed with
+     respect to the map.
+     
+     If this option is unset, the annotation view remains unchanged as the map
+     is rotated. If this option is set, the annotation view rotates as the map
+     rotates.
+     
+     For example, you would set this option if the annotation view should be
+     aligned with a street, regardless of the direction from which the user
+     views the street.
+     */
+    MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisY = 0x1 << 1,
+    
+    /**
+     Orients the annotation view such that its z-axis is always fixed with
+     respect to the map.
+     
+     Because `MGLMapView` does not support changes to its bank, or roll, this
+     option has no effect.
+     */
+    MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisZ = 0x1 << 2,
+    
+    /**
+     Orients the annotation view such that all three axes are always fixed with
+     respect to the map.
+     */
+    MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisAll = (MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisX | MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisY | MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisZ),
+};
+
 /**
  The `MGLAnnotationView` class is responsible for marking a point annotation
  with a view. Annotation views represent an annotation object, which is an
@@ -98,7 +149,8 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSUInteger, MGLAnnotationViewDragState) {
  
  You specify the reuse identifier when you create the view. You use the
  identifier later to retrieve an annotation view that was created previously but
- which is currently unused because its annotation is not on-screen.
+ which is currently unused because its annotation does not lie within the map
+ view’s viewport.
  
  If you define distinctly different types of annotations (with distinctly
  different annotation views to go with them), you can differentiate between the
@@ -127,19 +179,13 @@ typedef NS_ENUM(NSUInteger, MGLAnnotationViewDragState) {
 @property (nonatomic) CGVector centerOffset;
 
 /**
- A Boolean value indicating whether the view lies flat against the map as it
- tilts.
- 
- If this option is unset, the annotation view remains unchanged as the map’s
- pitch increases, so that the view appears to stand upright on the tilted map.
- If this option is set, the annotation view tilts as the map’s pitch increases,
- so that the view appears to lie flat against the tilted map.
+ An option that specifies the annotation view’s degrees of freedom.
  
- For example, you would set this option if the annotation view depicts an arrow
- that should always point due south. You would unset this option if the arrow
- should always point down towards the ground.
+ By default, none of the axes are free; in other words, the annotation view is
+ oriented like a billboard with respect to the x-, y-, and z-axes. See
+ `MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxis` for available options.
  */
-@property (nonatomic, assign, getter=isFlat) BOOL flat;
+@property (nonatomic, assign) MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxis freeAxes;
 
 /**
  A Boolean value that determines whether the annotation view grows and shrinks
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.mm b/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.mm
index 7a33e68a3ea..c416685cafa 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.mm
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLAnnotationView.mm
@@ -88,11 +88,15 @@ - (void)updateTransform
         return;
     }
     
-    self.layer.transform = CATransform3DIdentity;
+    CATransform3D t = CATransform3DIdentity;
     MGLMapCamera *camera = self.mapView.camera;
-    if (self.flat)
+    if (camera.pitch >= 0 && (self.freeAxes & MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisX))
     {
-        self.layer.transform = CATransform3DRotate(self.layer.transform, MGLRadiansFromDegrees(camera.pitch), 1.0, 0, 0);
+        t = CATransform3DRotate(t, MGLRadiansFromDegrees(camera.pitch), 1.0, 0, 0);
+    }
+    if (camera.heading >= 0 && (self.freeAxes & MGLAnnotationViewBillboardAxisY))
+    {
+        t = CATransform3DRotate(t, MGLRadiansFromDegrees(-camera.heading), 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
     }
     
     CGFloat superviewHeight = CGRectGetHeight(self.superview.frame);
@@ -117,8 +121,9 @@ - (void)updateTransform
         // reduction is then normalized for a scale of 1.0.
         CGFloat pitchAdjustedScale = 1.0 - maxScaleReduction * pitchIntensity;
         
-        self.layer.transform = CATransform3DScale(self.layer.transform, pitchAdjustedScale, pitchAdjustedScale, 1);
+        t = CATransform3DScale(t, pitchAdjustedScale, pitchAdjustedScale, 1);
     }
+    self.layer.transform = t;
 }
 
 #pragma mark - Draggable
diff --git a/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm b/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm
index 28b030b7dd1..9a41c0946cc 100644
--- a/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm
+++ b/platform/ios/src/MGLMapView.mm
@@ -4566,6 +4566,9 @@ - (void)updateAnnotationViews
     [CATransaction begin];
     [CATransaction setDisableActions:YES];
     
+    CLLocationDirection direction = self.direction;
+    CGFloat pitch = self.camera.pitch;
+    
     for (auto &pair : _annotationContextsByAnnotationTag)
     {
         CGRect viewPort = CGRectInset(self.bounds,
@@ -4588,6 +4591,7 @@ - (void)updateAnnotationViews
                 
                 annotationView.center = [self convertCoordinate:annotationContext.annotation.coordinate toPointToView:self];
                 annotationView.mapView = self;
+                
                 annotationContext.annotationView = annotationView;
             }
         }