diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
index 55e56ae503..ad358709c2 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ const AnimPose& AnimSkeleton::getAbsoluteDefaultPose(int jointIndex) const {
     return _absoluteDefaultPoses[jointIndex];
 }
 
+const glm::quat AnimSkeleton::getPreRotation(int jointIndex) const {
+    return _joints[jointIndex].preRotation;
+}
+
 int AnimSkeleton::getParentIndex(int jointIndex) const {
     return _joints[jointIndex].parentIndex;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
index 0e0b07a8fd..5e0a80d077 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ public:
     const AnimPose& getAbsoluteDefaultPose(int jointIndex) const;
     const AnimPoseVec& getAbsoluteDefaultPoses() const { return _absoluteDefaultPoses; }
 
+    // get pre-rotation aka Maya's joint orientation.
+    const glm::quat getPreRotation(int jointIndex) const;
+
     int getParentIndex(int jointIndex) const;
 
     AnimPose getAbsolutePose(int jointIndex, const AnimPoseVec& poses) const;