diff --git a/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/layer/GpxLayer.java b/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/layer/GpxLayer.java
index 1443089..a19ecb3 100644
--- a/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/layer/GpxLayer.java
+++ b/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/layer/GpxLayer.java
@@ -310,6 +310,13 @@ public class GpxLayer extends Layer {
         }
     }
 
+    private static Color[] colors_cyclic = new Color[256];
+    static {
+        for (int i = 0; i < colors_cyclic.length; i++) {
+            colors_cyclic[i] = Color.getHSBColor(i / 256.0f, 1, 1);
+        }
+    }
+
     // lookup array to draw arrows without doing any math
     private static int ll0 = 9;
     private static int sl4 = 5;
@@ -321,7 +328,7 @@ public class GpxLayer extends Layer {
 
     // the different color modes
     enum colorModes {
-        none, velocity, dilution
+        none, velocity, dilution, direction
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -429,6 +436,18 @@ public class GpxLayer extends Layer {
                                 }
                                 break;
 
+                            case direction:
+                                // unfortunately "heading" misses a cos-factor in the
+                                // longitudes to account for the convergence of meridians
+                                double dirColor = oldWp.getCoor().heading(trkPnt.getCoor()) / (2.0 * Math.PI) * 255;
+                                // Bad case first
+                                if (dirColor != dirColor || dirColor < 0.0 || dirColor >= 256.0) {
+                                    trkPnt.customColoring = colors_cyclic[0];
+                                } else {
+                                    trkPnt.customColoring = colors_cyclic[(int) (dirColor)];
+                                }
+                                break;
+
                             case dilution:
                                 if (trkPnt.attr.get("hdop") != null) {
                                     float hdop = ((Float) trkPnt.attr.get("hdop")).floatValue();
diff --git a/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/DrawingPreference.java b/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/DrawingPreference.java
index 785026d..69fdd14 100644
--- a/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/DrawingPreference.java
+++ b/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/DrawingPreference.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public class DrawingPreference implements PreferenceSetting {
     private JCheckBox hdopCircleGpsPoints = new JCheckBox(tr("Draw a circle form HDOP value."));
     private ButtonGroup colorGroup;
     private JRadioButton colorTypeVelocity = new JRadioButton(tr("Velocity (red = slow, green = fast)"));
+    private JRadioButton colorTypeDirection = new JRadioButton(tr("Direction (red = north, purple = west)"));
     private JRadioButton colorTypeDilution = new JRadioButton(tr("Dilution of Position (red = high, green = low, if available)"));
     private JRadioButton colorTypeNone = new JRadioButton(tr("Single Color (can be customized for named layers)"));
     private JComboBox colorTypeVelocityTune = new JComboBox(new String[] {tr("Car"), tr("Bicycle"), tr("Foot")});
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ public class DrawingPreference implements PreferenceSetting {
         colorGroup = new ButtonGroup();
         colorGroup.add(colorTypeNone);
         colorGroup.add(colorTypeVelocity);
+        colorGroup.add(colorTypeDirection);
         colorGroup.add(colorTypeDilution);
 
         colorTypeVelocity.addChangeListener(new ChangeListener(){
@@ -187,10 +189,14 @@ public class DrawingPreference implements PreferenceSetting {
         case 2:
             colorTypeDilution.setSelected(true);
             break;
+        case 3:
+            colorTypeDirection.setSelected(true);
+            break;
         }
 
         colorTypeNone.setToolTipText(tr("All points and track segments will have the same color. Can be customized in Layer Manager."));
         colorTypeVelocity.setToolTipText(tr("Colors points and track segments by velocity."));
+        colorTypeDirection.setToolTipText(tr("Colors points and track segments by direction."));
         colorTypeDilution.setToolTipText(tr("Colors points and track segments by dilution of position (HDOP). Your capture device needs to log that information."));
 
         // color Tracks by Velocity Tune
@@ -205,6 +211,7 @@ public class DrawingPreference implements PreferenceSetting {
         panel.add(colorTypeNone, GBC.eol().insets(40,0,0,0));
         panel.add(colorTypeVelocity, GBC.std().insets(40,0,0,0));
         panel.add(colorTypeVelocityTune, GBC.eop().insets(5,0,0,5));
+        panel.add(colorTypeDirection, GBC.eol().insets(40,0,0,0));
         panel.add(colorTypeDilution, GBC.eol().insets(40,0,0,0));
 
         // waypointLabel
@@ -299,6 +306,8 @@ public class DrawingPreference implements PreferenceSetting {
             Main.pref.putInteger("draw.rawgps.colors", 1);
         } else if(colorTypeDilution.isSelected()) {
             Main.pref.putInteger("draw.rawgps.colors", 2);
+        } else if(colorTypeDirection.isSelected()) {
+            Main.pref.putInteger("draw.rawgps.colors", 3);
         } else {
             Main.pref.putInteger("draw.rawgps.colors", 0);
         }