diff --git a/src/app/update/viewport.rs b/src/app/update/viewport.rs
index 1996ba6e8..7a63147ad 100644
--- a/src/app/update/viewport.rs
+++ b/src/app/update/viewport.rs
@@ -1436,9 +1436,13 @@ impl OpenCADStudio {
                         if sel.orbit.pivot.is_none() {
                             let scene = &self.tabs[i].scene;
                             let bounds = scene.active_model_tile_bounds(vp_size.0, vp_size.1);
+                            // The surface under the pointer where the drag
+                            // began, so the model turns about what is grabbed.
+                            let grabbed = iced::Point::new(last.x - bounds.x, last.y - bounds.y);
                             sel.orbit.pivot = Some(
                                 scene
                                     .orbit_pivot()
+                                    .or_else(|| scene.surface_pivot_at(bounds, grabbed))
                                     .or_else(|| scene.view_center_surface_pivot(bounds))
                                     .unwrap_or_else(|| scene.camera.borrow().target),
                             );
diff --git a/src/scene/mod.rs b/src/scene/mod.rs
index 47f988779..2f173a262 100644
--- a/src/scene/mod.rs
+++ b/src/scene/mod.rs
@@ -11322,14 +11322,22 @@ impl Scene {
     }
 
     pub fn view_center_surface_pivot(&self, bounds: iced::Rectangle) -> Option<glam::DVec3> {
+        self.surface_pivot_at(bounds, iced::Point::new(bounds.width * 0.5, bounds.height * 0.5))
+    }
+
+    /// The nearest solid or mesh surface under `local` (relative to `bounds`).
+    pub fn surface_pivot_at(
+        &self,
+        bounds: iced::Rectangle,
+        local: iced::Point,
+    ) -> Option<glam::DVec3> {
         let camera = self.camera.borrow();
         let view_rot = camera.view_proj_rte(bounds);
         let eye = camera.eye();
         drop(camera);
         let meshes = self.interaction_meshes_arc();
-        let center = iced::Point::new(bounds.width * 0.5, bounds.height * 0.5);
         pick::hit_test::mesh_click_point(
-            center,
+            local,
             meshes.iter().filter_map(|set| {
                 let handle = set.entity_handle()?;
                 let mesh = set.geometry_lods().first()?;