diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3d2389d..298dbe5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -311,7 +311,16 @@ Default: `False`
 ### rotation
 
 Whether to create a scale bar based on the x-axis (default) or y-axis.
-*rotation* can either be `horizontal` or `vertical`.
+*rotation* can either be `horizontal`, `vertical`, `horizontal-only`, or
+`vertical-only`.
+
+By default, matplotlib_scalebar checks whether the axes have equal aspect ratio
+(so that the scale bar applies both for the x and the y directions), and emits
+a warning if this is not the case.  This warning can be suppressed by setting
+*rotation* to `horizontal-only` ("the colorbar only applies to the horizontal
+direction") or `vertical-only` ("the colorbar only applies to the vertical
+direction").
+
 Note you might have to adjust *scale_loc* and *label_loc* to achieve desired layout.
 Default: `None`, value from matplotlibrc or `horizontal`.
 
diff --git a/matplotlib_scalebar/scalebar.py b/matplotlib_scalebar/scalebar.py
index 92382b1..17f17fb 100644
--- a/matplotlib_scalebar/scalebar.py
+++ b/matplotlib_scalebar/scalebar.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
     "label_loc", _VALID_LABEL_LOCATIONS, ignorecase=True
 )
 
-_VALID_ROTATIONS = ["horizontal", "vertical"]
+_VALID_ROTATIONS = ["horizontal", "horizontal-only", "vertical", "vertical-only"]
 _validate_rotation = ValidateInStrings("rotation", _VALID_ROTATIONS, ignorecase=True)
 
 
@@ -298,8 +298,11 @@ def __init__(
         :arg animated: animation state (default: ``False``)
         :type animated: :class`bool`
 
-        :arg rotation: either ``horizontal`` or ``vertical``
-            (default: rcParams['scalebar.rotation'] or ``horizontal``)
+        :arg rotation: ``horizontal``, ``vertical``, ``horizontal-only``, or ``vertical-only``
+            (default: rcParams['scalebar.rotation'] or ``horizontal``).
+            By default, ScaleBar checks that it is getting drawn on an axes
+            with equal aspect ratio and emits a warning if this is not the case.
+            The -only variants suppress that check.
         :type rotation: :class:`str`
 
         :arg bbox_to_anchor: box that is used to position the scalebar
@@ -426,6 +429,14 @@ def _get_value(attr, default):
         fixed_value = self.fixed_value
         fixed_units = self.fixed_units or self.units
         rotation = _get_value("rotation", "horizontal").lower()
+        if rotation.endswith("-only"):
+            rotation = rotation[:-5]
+        else:  # Check aspect ratio.
+            if self.axes.get_aspect() != 1:
+                warnings.warn(
+                    f"Drawing scalebar on axes with unequal aspect ratio; "
+                    f"either call ax.set_aspect(1) or suppress the warning with "
+                    f"rotation='{rotation}-only'.")
         label = self.label
 
         # Create text properties
diff --git a/matplotlib_scalebar/test_scalebar.py b/matplotlib_scalebar/test_scalebar.py
index 0abb906..0a93791 100644
--- a/matplotlib_scalebar/test_scalebar.py
+++ b/matplotlib_scalebar/test_scalebar.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 # Standard library modules.
 
+import warnings
+
 # Third party modules.
 import matplotlib
 
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ def scalebar():
 
     yield scalebar
 
-    plt.draw()
+    plt.close(fig)
 
 
 def test_mpl_rcParams_update():
@@ -298,7 +300,8 @@ def test_label_formatter(scalebar):
         assert scalebar.label_formatter(value, units) == "m 5"
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("rotation", ["horizontal", "vertical"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("rotation", [
+    "horizontal", "vertical", "horizontal-only", "vertical-only"])
 def test_rotation(scalebar, rotation):
     assert scalebar.get_rotation() is None
     assert scalebar.rotation is None
@@ -311,6 +314,33 @@ def test_rotation(scalebar, rotation):
         scalebar.set_rotation("h")
 
 
+def test_rotation_checks_aspect():
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    sb = ScaleBar(0.5)
+    ax.add_artist(sb)
+
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        warnings.simplefilter("error")
+
+        for aspect in ["auto", 2]:
+            ax.set_aspect(aspect)  # Warns if not using the -only variants.
+            for rotation in ["horizontal", "vertical"]:
+                sb.rotation = rotation
+                with pytest.warns():
+                    fig.canvas.draw()
+                sb.rotation = rotation + "-only"
+                fig.canvas.draw()
+
+        ax.set_aspect("equal")  # Never warn.
+        for rotation in ["horizontal", "vertical"]:
+            sb.rotation = rotation
+            fig.canvas.draw()
+            sb.rotation = rotation + "-only"
+            fig.canvas.draw()
+
+    plt.close(fig)
+
+
 def test_bbox_to_anchor(scalebar):
     assert scalebar.get_bbox_to_anchor() is None
     assert scalebar.bbox_to_anchor is None