diff --git a/index/src/pixelrag_index/pipelines.py b/index/src/pixelrag_index/pipelines.py
index a7118b4..ace3d67 100644
--- a/index/src/pixelrag_index/pipelines.py
+++ b/index/src/pixelrag_index/pipelines.py
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ def _repl(m: re.Match) -> str:
     # Render local images (PNG/JPG) — copy/resize into the tile directory structure
     if image_docs:
         from PIL import Image as PILImage
+        from PIL import ImageOps
 
         _MAX_WIDTH = 4000  # cap large images to avoid VRAM pressure during embedding
 
@@ -263,7 +264,9 @@ def _repl(m: re.Match) -> str:
             tile_dir = tiles_dir / f"{idx}.png.tiles"
             tile_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
             try:
-                img = PILImage.open(doc.path)
+                # Apply the display orientation before measuring or resizing pixels.
+                with PILImage.open(doc.path) as source_image:
+                    img = ImageOps.exif_transpose(source_image)
                 # JPEG has no alpha: composite transparent images onto white
                 # before dropping the channel. A bare convert("RGB") maps
                 # fully-transparent pixels to their underlying RGB — black for
diff --git a/tests/test_local_image_orientation.py b/tests/test_local_image_orientation.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b49cb36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_local_image_orientation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+"""Exercise EXIF orientation through the real local-image build path."""
+
+import json
+
+import pytest
+from PIL import Image
+from pixelrag_index import pipelines
+
+
+def _render(src, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    # Skip the chunk/embed/index subprocesses: no model or search backend needed.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pipelines.subprocess, "run", lambda *args, **kwargs: None)
+    output = tmp_path / "index"
+    pipelines.build(
+        {"source": {"type": "local", "path": str(src)}, "output": str(output)}
+    )
+    tile_dir = output / "tiles" / "0.png.tiles"
+    manifest = json.loads((tile_dir / "tiles.json").read_text())
+    assert manifest["tiles"] == ["tile_0000.jpg"]
+    assert manifest["source"] == str(src)
+    with Image.open(tile_dir / "tile_0000.jpg") as tile:
+        assert manifest["page_height"] == tile.height
+        assert tile.getexif().get(274, 1) == 1
+        return tile.copy()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "orientation,size,corners",
+    [
+        (None, (80, 40), "RGBY"),
+        (1, (80, 40), "RGBY"),
+        (2, (80, 40), "GRYB"),
+        (3, (80, 40), "YBGR"),
+        (4, (80, 40), "BYRG"),
+        (5, (40, 80), "RBGY"),
+        (6, (40, 80), "BRYG"),
+        (7, (40, 80), "YGBR"),
+        (8, (40, 80), "GYRB"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_local_image_exif_orientation(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, orientation, size, corners
+):
+    colors = {"R": (255, 0, 0), "G": (0, 255, 0), "B": (0, 0, 255), "Y": (255, 255, 0)}
+    img = Image.new("RGB", (80, 40))
+    for color, box in zip(
+        "RGBY", [(0, 0, 40, 20), (40, 0, 80, 20), (0, 20, 40, 40), (40, 20, 80, 40)]
+    ):
+        img.paste(colors[color], box)
+    exif = Image.Exif()
+    if orientation is not None:
+        exif[274] = orientation
+    src = tmp_path / "photo.jpg"
+    img.save(src, exif=exif, quality=100, subsampling=0)
+    original = src.read_bytes()
+
+    tile = _render(src, tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+
+    assert tile.size == size
+    w, h = size
+    for color, point in zip(
+        corners,
+        [
+            (w // 4, h // 4),
+            (3 * w // 4, h // 4),
+            (w // 4, 3 * h // 4),
+            (3 * w // 4, 3 * h // 4),
+        ],
+    ):
+        assert tile.getpixel(point) == pytest.approx(colors[color], abs=10)
+    assert src.read_bytes() == original
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "stored_size,expected_size", [((80, 4200), (4000, 76)), ((4200, 80), (80, 4200))]
+)
+def test_width_cap_uses_oriented_dimensions(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, stored_size, expected_size
+):
+    src = tmp_path / "large.jpg"
+    exif = Image.Exif()
+    exif[274] = 6
+    Image.new("RGB", stored_size, "red").save(src, exif=exif)
+
+    tile = _render(src, tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+
+    assert tile.size == expected_size
+
+
+def test_oriented_transparent_image_keeps_white_background(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "transparent.png"
+    img = Image.new("RGBA", (80, 40), (0, 0, 0, 0))
+    img.paste((255, 0, 0, 255), (0, 0, 40, 40))
+    exif = Image.Exif()
+    exif[274] = 6
+    img.save(src, exif=exif)
+
+    tile = _render(src, tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+
+    assert tile.size == (40, 80)
+    assert tile.getpixel((20, 20)) == pytest.approx((255, 0, 0), abs=10)
+    assert tile.getpixel((20, 60)) == pytest.approx((255, 255, 255), abs=10)