diff --git a/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip b/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip
index 4b5b4460fcf..c471917b7bf 100644
--- a/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip
+++ b/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip
@@ -746,6 +746,8 @@ class QgsComposerMap : QgsComposerItem
      * @note added in 2.6 */
     void requestedExtent( QgsRectangle& extent ) const;
 
+    virtual QgsExpressionContext* createExpressionContext() const;
+
   signals:
     void extentChanged();
 
diff --git a/python/core/qgsexpressioncontext.sip b/python/core/qgsexpressioncontext.sip
index 50ddfa34885..7282e94aa97 100644
--- a/python/core/qgsexpressioncontext.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgsexpressioncontext.sip
@@ -460,6 +460,11 @@ class QgsExpressionContextUtils
      */
     static void setLayerVariables( QgsMapLayer* layer, const QgsStringMap variables );
 
+    /** Creates a new scope which contains variables and functions relating to a QgsMapSettings object.
+     * For instance, map scale and rotation.
+     */
+    static QgsExpressionContextScope* mapSettingsScope( const QgsMapSettings &mapSettings ) /Factory/;
+
     /** Creates a new scope which contains variables and functions relating to a QgsComposition.
      * For instance, number of pages and page sizes.
      * @param composition source composition
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
index 2f0ecb4c6d1..1d7ab700130 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
@@ -2120,6 +2120,22 @@ void QgsComposerMap::requestedExtent( QgsRectangle& extent ) const
   }
 }
 
+QgsExpressionContext* QgsComposerMap::createExpressionContext() const
+{
+  QgsExpressionContext* context = QgsComposerItem::createExpressionContext();
+
+  //Can't utilise QgsExpressionContextUtils::mapSettingsScope as we don't always
+  //have a QgsMapSettings object available when the context is required, so we manually
+  //add the same variables here
+  QgsExpressionContextScope* scope = new QgsExpressionContextScope( tr( "Map Settings" ) );
+  scope->addVariable( QgsExpressionContextScope::StaticVariable( "map_id", QgsComposerItem::id(), true ) );
+  scope->addVariable( QgsExpressionContextScope::StaticVariable( "map_rotation", mMapRotation, true ) );
+  scope->addVariable( QgsExpressionContextScope::StaticVariable( "map_scale", scale(), true ) );
+  context->appendScope( scope );
+
+  return context;
+}
+
 double QgsComposerMap::mapUnitsToMM() const
 {
   double extentWidth = currentMapExtent()->width();
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h
index ca6e8515641..78b64dad634 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h
@@ -785,6 +785,8 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsComposerMap : public QgsComposerItem
      * @note added in 2.6 */
     void requestedExtent( QgsRectangle& extent ) const;
 
+    virtual QgsExpressionContext* createExpressionContext() const override;
+
   signals:
     void extentChanged();
 
diff --git a/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.cpp b/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.cpp
index d22be886544..3a9edef6977 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.cpp
@@ -631,6 +631,17 @@ void QgsExpressionContextUtils::setLayerVariables( QgsMapLayer* layer, const Qgs
   layer->setCustomProperty( "variableValues", variableValues );
 }
 
+QgsExpressionContextScope* QgsExpressionContextUtils::mapSettingsScope( const QgsMapSettings& mapSettings )
+{
+  QgsExpressionContextScope* scope = new QgsExpressionContextScope( QObject::tr( "Map Settings" ) );
+
+  //add known map settings context variables
+  scope->addVariable( QgsExpressionContextScope::StaticVariable( "map_rotation", mapSettings.rotation(), true ) );
+  scope->addVariable( QgsExpressionContextScope::StaticVariable( "map_scale", mapSettings.scale(), true ) );
+
+  return scope;
+}
+
 QgsExpressionContextScope *QgsExpressionContextUtils::compositionScope( const QgsComposition *composition )
 {
   QgsExpressionContextScope* scope = new QgsExpressionContextScope( QObject::tr( "Composition" ) );
diff --git a/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.h b/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.h
index 48be6a3ab21..68bb2578900 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsexpressioncontext.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class QgsMapLayer;
 class QgsComposition;
 class QgsComposerItem;
 class QgsAtlasComposition;
+class QgsMapSettings;
 
 /** \ingroup core
  * \class QgsScopedExpressionFunction
@@ -491,6 +492,11 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsExpressionContextUtils
      */
     static void setLayerVariables( QgsMapLayer* layer, const QgsStringMap variables );
 
+    /** Creates a new scope which contains variables and functions relating to a QgsMapSettings object.
+     * For instance, map scale and rotation.
+     */
+    static QgsExpressionContextScope* mapSettingsScope( const QgsMapSettings &mapSettings );
+
     /** Creates a new scope which contains variables and functions relating to a QgsComposition.
      * For instance, number of pages and page sizes.
      * @param composition source composition
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
index a8705ede696..7b081f38eef 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
@@ -666,6 +666,7 @@ void QgsMapCanvas::refreshMap()
   QgsExpressionContext expressionContext;
   expressionContext << QgsExpressionContextUtils::globalScope()
   << QgsExpressionContextUtils::projectScope()
+  << QgsExpressionContextUtils::mapSettingsScope( mSettings )
   << new QgsExpressionContextScope( mExpressionContextScope );
 
   mSettings.setExpressionContext( expressionContext );