diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e48dbe9..6f95fba 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ Undocumented APIs should be considered internal and may change without warning.
 
 -   `springValue`/`useSpring`: Improved performance when retargeting spring.
 
+### Fixed
+
+-   `rotateZ` is no longer dropped from elements with a layout or shared layout animation.
+
 ## [13.2.0] 2026-09-03
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/__tests__/mix-values.test.ts b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/__tests__/mix-values.test.ts
index 7c98a2b..9e05082 100644
--- a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/__tests__/mix-values.test.ts
+++ b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/__tests__/mix-values.test.ts
@@ -97,4 +97,20 @@ describe("mixValues", () => {
 
         expect(output).toEqual({ borderTopLeftRadius: "10px" })
     })
+
+    test("mixes rotate", () => {
+        const output = {}
+
+        mixValues(output, { rotate: 0 }, { rotate: 90 }, 0.5, false, false)
+
+        expect(output).toEqual({ rotate: 45 })
+    })
+
+    test("mixes rotateZ", () => {
+        const output = {}
+
+        mixValues(output, { rotateZ: 0 }, { rotateZ: 90 }, 0.5, false, false)
+
+        expect(output).toEqual({ rotateZ: 45 })
+    })
 })
diff --git a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/mix-values.ts b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/mix-values.ts
index 11f550d..3a38b97 100644
--- a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/mix-values.ts
+++ b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/animation/mix-values.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,15 @@ export function mixValues(
             progress
         )
     }
+
+    // `rotateZ` is a synonym of `rotate` but arrives as its own value.
+    if (follow.rotateZ || lead.rotateZ) {
+        target.rotateZ = mixNumber(
+            (follow.rotateZ as number) || 0,
+            (lead.rotateZ as number) || 0,
+            progress
+        )
+    }
 }
 
 function getRadius(values: ResolvedValues, radiusName: string) {
diff --git a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/__tests__/transform.test.ts b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/__tests__/transform.test.ts
index ca4b0f5..3f4669e 100644
--- a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/__tests__/transform.test.ts
+++ b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/__tests__/transform.test.ts
@@ -102,4 +102,35 @@ describe("buildProjectionTransform", () => {
             buildProjectionTransform(delta, { x: 1, y: 1 }, { rotate: 10 })
         ).toEqual("translate3d(100px, 100px, 0px) rotate(10deg) scale(2, 4)")
     })
+
+    it("Applies rotateZ", () => {
+        const delta = {
+            x: {
+                translate: 100,
+                scale: 2,
+                origin: 0.5,
+                originPoint: 100,
+            },
+            y: {
+                translate: 100,
+                scale: 4,
+                origin: 0.5,
+                originPoint: 100,
+            },
+        }
+
+        expect(
+            buildProjectionTransform(delta, { x: 1, y: 1 }, { rotateZ: 10 })
+        ).toEqual("translate3d(100px, 100px, 0px) rotateZ(10deg) scale(2, 4)")
+
+        expect(
+            buildProjectionTransform(
+                delta,
+                { x: 1, y: 1 },
+                { rotate: 45, rotateX: 20, rotateY: 30, rotateZ: 10 }
+            )
+        ).toEqual(
+            "translate3d(100px, 100px, 0px) rotate(45deg) rotateX(20deg) rotateY(30deg) rotateZ(10deg) scale(2, 4)"
+        )
+    })
 })
diff --git a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/transform.ts b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/transform.ts
index c6d76bb..b72b3aa 100644
--- a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/transform.ts
+++ b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/styles/transform.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export function buildProjectionTransform(
             pathRotation,
             rotateX,
             rotateY,
+            rotateZ,
             skewX,
             skewY,
         } = latestTransform
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ export function buildProjectionTransform(
         if (pathRotation) transform += `rotate(${pathRotation}deg) `
         if (rotateX) transform += `rotateX(${rotateX}deg) `
         if (rotateY) transform += `rotateY(${rotateY}deg) `
+        if (rotateZ) transform += `rotateZ(${rotateZ}deg) `
         if (skewX) transform += `skewX(${skewX}deg) `
         if (skewY) transform += `skewY(${skewY}deg) `
     }
diff --git a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/__tests__/has-transform.test.ts b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/__tests__/has-transform.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfec291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/__tests__/has-transform.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { hasTransform } from "../has-transform"
+
+describe("hasTransform", () => {
+    test("returns false when no transform is set", () => {
+        expect(hasTransform({})).toBeFalsy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ scale: 1, scaleX: 1, scaleY: 1 })).toBeFalsy()
+    })
+
+    test("detects every distorting transform", () => {
+        expect(hasTransform({ scale: 2 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ x: 100 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ z: 100 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ rotate: 45 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ rotateX: 45 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ rotateY: 45 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ rotateZ: 45 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ skewX: 45 })).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(hasTransform({ skewY: 45 })).toBeTruthy()
+    })
+})
diff --git a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/has-transform.ts b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/has-transform.ts
index e76432b..b2ec3b7 100644
--- a/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/has-transform.ts
+++ b/packages/motion-dom/src/projection/utils/has-transform.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export function hasTransform(values: ResolvedValues) {
         values.rotate ||
         values.rotateX ||
         values.rotateY ||
+        values.rotateZ ||
         values.skewX ||
         values.skewY
     )