diff --git a/src/unittest/test_irr_matrix4.cpp b/src/unittest/test_irr_matrix4.cpp
index 823166636..b89ebdc56 100644
--- a/src/unittest/test_irr_matrix4.cpp
+++ b/src/unittest/test_irr_matrix4.cpp
@@ -113,7 +113,9 @@ SECTION("getScale") {
 }
 
 SECTION("getRotationRadians") {
-	auto test_rotation_degrees = [](v3f rad, v3f scale) {
+	// Test that we can correctly extract a previously set rotation,
+	// even after applying a scale, with reasonable precision.
+	auto test_rotation_radians = [](v3f rad, v3f scale) {
 		matrix4 S;
 		S.setScale(scale);
 		matrix4 R;
@@ -121,12 +123,23 @@ SECTION("getRotationRadians") {
 		v3f rot = (R * S).getRotationRadians();
 		matrix4 B;
 		B.setRotationRadians(rot);
-		// TODO we would like to use a lower tolerance here, but that makes the test likely to fail.
-		f32 tol = 0.001f;
-		CHECK(matrix_equals(R, B, tol));
+		// Decrease the precision when the angles are close to gimbal lock, as
+		// that breaks the expectations of precision with Tait-Bryan angles.
+		// Gimbal lock happens when pitch (the angle applied second) is 90 deg
+		if (std::abs(std::abs(rot.Y) - QUARTER_TURN) < 0.01f) {
+			f32 tol = 0.001f;
+			CHECK(matrix_equals(R, B, tol));
+		} else {
+			CHECK(matrix_equals(R, B));
+		}
 	};
 	SECTION("returns a rotation equivalent to the original rotation") {
-		test_rotation_degrees({1.0f, 2.0f, 3.0f}, v3f(1));
+		test_rotation_radians({1.0f, 2.0f, 3.0f}, v3f(1));
+		// Test cases at or near gimbal lock. These cases fail when using a
+		// smaller tolerance.
+		test_rotation_radians({1.0f, QUARTER_TURN, 3.0f}, v3f(10.f));
+		test_rotation_radians({1.0f, QUARTER_TURN + 0.01001f, 3.0f}, v3f(10.f));
+		test_rotation_radians({1.0f, QUARTER_TURN + 0.00999f, 3.0f}, v3f(10.f));
 		Catch::Generators::RandomFloatingGenerator<f32> gen_angle(0.0f, 2 * core::PI, Catch::getSeed());
 		Catch::Generators::RandomFloatingGenerator<f32> gen_scale(0.1f, 10, Catch::getSeed());
 		auto draw = [](auto &gen) {
@@ -138,13 +151,13 @@ SECTION("getRotationRadians") {
 			return v3f{draw(gen), draw(gen), draw(gen)};
 		};
 		for (int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i)
-			test_rotation_degrees(draw_v3f(gen_angle), draw_v3f(gen_scale));
+			test_rotation_radians(draw_v3f(gen_angle), draw_v3f(gen_scale));
 		for (f32 i = 0; i < 4; ++i)
 		for (f32 j = 0; j < 4; ++j)
 		for (f32 k = 0; k < 4; ++k) {
 			v3f rad = core::PI / 4.0f * v3f(i, j, k);
 			for (int l = 0; l < 100; ++l) {
-				test_rotation_degrees(rad, draw_v3f(gen_scale));
+				test_rotation_radians(rad, draw_v3f(gen_scale));
 			}
 		}
 	}