diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
index 5270de9c8..145ebed39 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ typedef Eigen::Quaterniond Quaternion;
     static Rot3 roll (double t) { return Rx(t);} // positive roll is to right (increasing yaw in aircraft)
     static Rot3 ypr  (double y, double p, double r) { return RzRyRx(r,p,y);}
 
+    /** Create from Quaternion parameters */
+    static Rot3 quaternion(double w, double x, double y, double z) { Quaternion q(w, x, y, z); return Rot3(q); }
+
     /**
      * Rodriguez' formula to compute an incremental rotation matrix
      * @param   w is the rotation axis, unit length
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp
index ec7a60f31..278745d3d 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp
@@ -448,7 +448,9 @@ TEST(Rot3, quaternion) {
 
   // Check creating Rot3 from quaternion
   EXPECT(assert_equal(R1, Rot3(q1)));
+  EXPECT(assert_equal(R1, Rot3::quaternion(q1.w(), q1.x(), q1.y(), q1.z())));
   EXPECT(assert_equal(R2, Rot3(q2)));
+  EXPECT(assert_equal(R2, Rot3::quaternion(q2.w(), q2.x(), q2.y(), q2.z())));
 
   // Check converting Rot3 to quaterion
   EXPECT(assert_equal(Vector(R1.toQuaternion().coeffs()), Vector(q1.coeffs())));