diff --git a/js/id/actions/circularize.js b/js/id/actions/circularize.js
index 4dcfc0a21..dc936d48f 100644
--- a/js/id/actions/circularize.js
+++ b/js/id/actions/circularize.js
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@ iD.actions.Circularize = function(wayId, projection, count) {
             radius = d3.median(points, function(p) {
                 return iD.geo.dist(centroid, p);
             }),
-            ids = [];
+            ids = [],
+            sign = d3.geom.polygon(points).area() > 0 ? -1 : 1;
 
         for (var i = 0; i < count; i++) {
             var node,
                 loc = projection.invert([
-                    centroid[0] + Math.cos((i / 12) * Math.PI * 2) * radius,
-                    centroid[1] + Math.sin((i / 12) * Math.PI * 2) * radius]);
+                    centroid[0] + Math.cos(sign * (i / 12) * Math.PI * 2) * radius,
+                    centroid[1] + Math.sin(sign * (i / 12) * Math.PI * 2) * radius]);
 
             if (nodes.length) {
                 var idx = closestIndex(nodes, loc);
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/circularize.js b/test/spec/actions/circularize.js
index 1b846c6f3..cb63f9ad6 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/circularize.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/circularize.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Circularize", function () {
 
         graph = iD.actions.Circularize('-', projection)(graph);
 
-        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes.slice(0, 4)).to.eql(['c', 'b', 'a', 'd']);
+        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes.slice(0, 4).sort()).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']);
     });
 
     it("deletes unused nodes that are not members of other ways", function () {
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Circularize", function () {
 
         graph = iD.actions.Circularize('-', projection, 3)(graph);
 
-        expect(graph.entity('d')).to.be.undefined;
+        expect(graph.entity('a')).to.be.undefined;
     });
 
     it("reconnects unused nodes that are members of other ways", function () {
@@ -51,12 +51,48 @@ describe("iD.actions.Circularize", function () {
                 'd': iD.Node({id: 'd', loc: [0, 2]}),
                 'e': iD.Node({id: 'e', loc: [1, 1]}),
                 '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'a']}),
-                '=': iD.Way({id: '=', nodes: ['d']})
+                '=': iD.Way({id: '=', nodes: ['a']})
             });
 
         graph = iD.actions.Circularize('-', projection, 3)(graph);
 
-        expect(graph.entity('d')).to.be.undefined;
+        expect(graph.entity('a')).to.be.undefined;
         expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['c']);
     });
+
+    function area(id, graph) {
+        return d3.geom.polygon(_.pluck(graph.childNodes(graph.entity(id)), 'loc')).area();
+    }
+
+    it("leaves clockwise ways clockwise", function () {
+        var graph = iD.Graph({
+                'a': iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: [0, 0]}),
+                'b': iD.Node({id: 'b', loc: [2, 0]}),
+                'c': iD.Node({id: 'c', loc: [2, 2]}),
+                'd': iD.Node({id: 'd', loc: [0, 2]}),
+                '+': iD.Way({id: '+', nodes: ['a', 'd', 'c', 'b', 'a']})
+            });
+
+        expect(area('+', graph)).to.be.gt(0);
+
+        graph = iD.actions.Circularize('+', projection)(graph);
+
+        expect(area('+', graph)).to.be.gt(0);
+    });
+
+    it("leaves counter-clockwise ways counter-clockwise", function () {
+        var graph = iD.Graph({
+                'a': iD.Node({id: 'a', loc: [0, 0]}),
+                'b': iD.Node({id: 'b', loc: [2, 0]}),
+                'c': iD.Node({id: 'c', loc: [2, 2]}),
+                'd': iD.Node({id: 'd', loc: [0, 2]}),
+                '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'a']})
+            });
+
+        expect(area('-', graph)).to.be.lt(0);
+
+        graph = iD.actions.Circularize('-', projection)(graph);
+
+        expect(area('-', graph)).to.be.lt(0);
+    });
 });