diff --git a/examples/timeline/34_orientation.html b/examples/timeline/34_orientation.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf907dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/timeline/34_orientation.html
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+<!DOCTYPE HTML>
+<html>
+<head>
+  <title>Timeline | Orientation</title>
+
+  <style type="text/css">
+    body, html {
+      font-family: sans-serif;
+    }
+  </style>
+
+  <script src="../../dist/vis.js"></script>
+  <link href="../../dist/vis.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
+  <script src="../googleAnalytics.js"></script>
+</head>
+<body>
+
+<p>
+  There are a number of orientation options for the time axis and the items.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  <label for="axis-orientation">Axis orientation</label>
+  <select id="axis-orientation">
+    <option value="both">both</option>
+    <option value="bottom" selected>bottom</option>
+    <option value="top">top</option>
+  </select>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  <label for="item-orientation">Item orientation</label>
+  <select id="item-orientation">
+    <option value="bottom" selected>bottom</option>
+    <option value="top">top</option>
+  </select>
+</p>
+
+<div id="visualization"></div>
+
+<script type="text/javascript">
+  // DOM element where the Timeline will be attached
+  var container = document.getElementById('visualization');
+
+  // Create a DataSet (allows two way data-binding)
+  var items = new vis.DataSet([
+    {id: 1, content: 'item 1', start: '2014-04-20'},
+    {id: 2, content: 'item 2', start: '2014-04-14'},
+    {id: 3, content: 'item 3', start: '2014-04-18'},
+    {id: 4, content: 'item 4', start: '2014-04-16', end: '2014-04-19'},
+    {id: 5, content: 'item 5', start: '2014-04-25'},
+    {id: 6, content: 'item 6', start: '2014-04-27', type: 'point'}
+  ]);
+
+  // Configuration for the Timeline
+  var options = {
+    height: 250 // px
+  };
+
+  // Create a Timeline
+  var timeline = new vis.Timeline(container, items, options);
+
+  var axisOrientation = document.getElementById('axis-orientation');
+  axisOrientation.onchange = function () {
+    timeline.setOptions({ orientation: {axis: this.value} });
+  };
+
+  var itemOrientation = document.getElementById('item-orientation');
+  itemOrientation.onchange = function () {
+    timeline.setOptions({ orientation: {item: this.value} });
+  };
+</script>
+</body>
+</html>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/timeline/index.html b/examples/timeline/index.html
index a618d70e..bfad35dd 100644
--- a/examples/timeline/index.html
+++ b/examples/timeline/index.html
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
   <p><a href="31_background_areas_with_groups.html">31_background_areas_with_groups.html</a></p>
   <p><a href="32_grid_styling.html">32_grid_styling.html</a></p>
   <p><a href="33_custom_snapping.html">33_custom_snapping.html</a></p>
+  <p><a href="34_orientation.html">34_orientation.html</a></p>
   <p><a href="requirejs/requirejs_example.html">requirejs_example.html</a></p>
 
 </div>
diff --git a/lib/timeline/Core.js b/lib/timeline/Core.js
index f5b8428c..735b4770 100644
--- a/lib/timeline/Core.js
+++ b/lib/timeline/Core.js
@@ -218,14 +218,22 @@ Core.prototype.setOptions = function (options) {
 
     if ('orientation' in options) {
       if (typeof options.orientation === 'string') {
-        this.options.orientation = options.orientation;
+        this.options.orientation = {
+          item: options.orientation,
+          axis: options.orientation
+        };
       }
-      else if (typeof options.orientation === 'object' && 'axis' in options.orientation) {
-        this.options.orientation = options.orientation.axis;
+      else if (typeof options.orientation === 'object') {
+        if ('item' in options.orientation) {
+          this.options.orientation.item = options.orientation.item;
+        }
+        if ('axis' in options.orientation) {
+          this.options.orientation.axis = options.orientation.axis;
+        }
       }
     }
 
-    if (this.options.orientation === 'both') {
+    if (this.options.orientation.axis === 'both') {
       if (!this.timeAxis2) {
         var timeAxis2 = this.timeAxis2 = new TimeAxis(this.body);
         timeAxis2.setOptions = function (options) {
@@ -680,7 +688,7 @@ Core.prototype._redraw = function() {
 
   // reposition the scrollable contents
   var offset = this.props.scrollTop;
-  if (options.orientation == 'bottom') {
+  if (options.orientation.item == 'bottom') {
     offset += Math.max(this.props.centerContainer.height - this.props.center.height -
       this.props.border.top - this.props.border.bottom, 0);
   }
@@ -936,7 +944,7 @@ Core.prototype._updateScrollTop = function () {
   if (scrollTopMin != this.props.scrollTopMin) {
     // in case of bottom orientation, change the scrollTop such that the contents
     // do not move relative to the time axis at the bottom
-    if (this.options.orientation == 'bottom') {
+    if (this.options.orientation.item == 'bottom') {
       this.props.scrollTop += (scrollTopMin - this.props.scrollTopMin);
     }
     this.props.scrollTopMin = scrollTopMin;
diff --git a/lib/timeline/Graph2d.js b/lib/timeline/Graph2d.js
index 80e720aa..a4e80e0f 100644
--- a/lib/timeline/Graph2d.js
+++ b/lib/timeline/Graph2d.js
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ function Graph2d (container, items, groups, options) {
 
     autoResize: true,
 
-    orientation: 'bottom',
+    orientation: {
+      axis: 'bottom',   // axis orientation: 'bottom', 'top', or 'both'
+      item: 'bottom'    // not relevant for Graph2d
+    },
+
     width: null,
     height: null,
     maxHeight: null,
diff --git a/lib/timeline/Timeline.js b/lib/timeline/Timeline.js
index ef27b5e5..e4b25613 100644
--- a/lib/timeline/Timeline.js
+++ b/lib/timeline/Timeline.js
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ function Timeline (container, items, groups, options) {
 
     autoResize: true,
 
-    orientation: 'bottom',  // axis orientation: 'bottom', 'top', or 'both'
+    orientation: {
+      axis: 'bottom',   // axis orientation: 'bottom', 'top', or 'both'
+      item: 'bottom'    // not relevant
+    },
+
     width: null,
     height: null,
     maxHeight: null,
