diff --git a/src/geo/transform.js b/src/geo/transform.js
index 51570d54446..bc8cb1af5cb 100644
--- a/src/geo/transform.js
+++ b/src/geo/transform.js
@@ -264,7 +264,10 @@ class Transform {
         return new Point(this.width, this.height);
     }
 
-    _getBearingOffset(lngLat): number {
+    // calculates the angle between a vector pointing north in
+    // Mercator and a vector pointing north in the projection
+    // and converts the angle from radians to degrees
+    _getBearingOffset(lngLat?: LngLat): number {
         const {lng, lat} = lngLat || this.center;
         const north = {lng, lat: lat + 0.0001};
         const projectedCenter = this.projection.project(lng, lat);
@@ -889,7 +892,7 @@ class Transform {
 
                     if (!minmax) { minmax = {min: minRange, max: maxRange}; }
 
-                    // TODO: ensure that we want `this.rotation` instead of `this.bearing` here
+                    // ensure that we want `this.rotation` instead of `this.bearing` here
                     const cornerFar = furthestTileCorner(this.rotation);
 
                     const farX = cornerFar[0] * EXTENT;
diff --git a/src/ui/camera.js b/src/ui/camera.js
index 02863b977ec..7087194e2ab 100644
--- a/src/ui/camera.js
+++ b/src/ui/camera.js
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ class Camera extends Evented {
         return {
             center: tr.center,
             zoom: tr.zoom,
-            bearing: tr.rotation,
+            bearing: tr.bearing,
             pitch: tr.pitch
         };
     }
@@ -909,9 +909,9 @@ class Camera extends Evented {
             tr.center = LngLat.convert(options.center);
         }
 
-        if ('bearing' in options && tr.rotation !== +options.bearing) {
+        if ('bearing' in options && tr.bearing !== +options.bearing) {
             bearingChanged = true;
-            tr.rotation = +options.bearing;
+            tr.bearing = +options.bearing;
         }
 
         if ('pitch' in options && tr.pitch !== +options.pitch) {
@@ -986,13 +986,13 @@ class Camera extends Evented {
         const tr = this.transform;
         const prevZoom = tr.zoom;
         const prevPitch = tr.pitch;
-        const prevBearing = tr.rotation;
+        const prevBearing = tr.bearing;
 
         tr.setFreeCameraOptions(options);
 
         const zoomChanged = prevZoom !== tr.zoom;
         const pitchChanged = prevPitch !== tr.pitch;
-        const bearingChanged = prevBearing !== tr.rotation;
+        const bearingChanged = prevBearing !== tr.bearing;
 
         this.fire(new Event('movestart', eventData))
             .fire(new Event('move', eventData));
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ class Camera extends Evented {
                 tr.zoom = interpolate(startZoom, zoom, k);
             }
             if (this._rotating) {
-                tr.rotation = interpolate(startBearing, bearing, k);
+                tr.bearing = interpolate(startBearing, bearing, k);
             }
             if (this._pitching) {
                 tr.pitch = interpolate(startPitch, pitch, k);
@@ -1394,7 +1394,7 @@ class Camera extends Evented {
             tr.zoom = k === 1 ? zoom : startZoom + tr.scaleZoom(scale);
 
             if (this._rotating) {
-                tr.rotation = interpolate(startBearing, bearing, k);
+                tr.bearing = interpolate(startBearing, bearing, k);
             }
             if (this._pitching) {
                 tr.pitch = interpolate(startPitch, pitch, k);
diff --git a/src/ui/handler_manager.js b/src/ui/handler_manager.js
index e53ae21b8f3..aa3dadf6018 100644
--- a/src/ui/handler_manager.js
+++ b/src/ui/handler_manager.js
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ class HandlerManager {
         map._stop(true);
 
         around = around || map.transform.centerPoint;
-        if (bearingDelta) tr.rotation += bearingDelta;
+        if (bearingDelta) tr.bearing += bearingDelta;
         if (pitchDelta) tr.pitch += pitchDelta;
         tr._updateCameraState();