diff --git a/pygsti/tools/su2tools.py b/pygsti/tools/su2tools.py
index 4eb718790..3716b8fb1 100644
--- a/pygsti/tools/su2tools.py
+++ b/pygsti/tools/su2tools.py
@@ -189,6 +189,13 @@ def axis_rotation_angle_from_2x2_unitaries(U):
         theta[theta < 0] += 2*np.pi
         theta[theta > np.pi] = 2*np.pi - theta[theta > np.pi] 
         return theta
+    
+    @staticmethod
+    def axis_rotation_angle_from_euler_angles(abg):
+        theta_by_2 = np.atleast_1d(np.arccos(np.cos(abg[1]/2)*np.cos((abg[0]+abg[2])/2)))
+        theta = 2*theta_by_2
+        theta[theta > np.pi] = 2*np.pi - theta[theta > np.pi]
+        return theta
 
     @classmethod
     def unitaries_from_angles(cls,alpha,beta,gamma):
@@ -254,20 +261,22 @@ def angles2irrepchars(cls, angles):
         angles = np.atleast_1d(angles)
         angles = np.atleast_2d(angles).T
         assert angles.shape == (3, angles.size // 3)
-        out = cls.characters_from_euler_angles(angles).T
+        out = cls.characters_from_euler_angles(angles)
         assert out.shape == (angles.size // 3, cls.irrep_labels.size)
         return out
     
     @classmethod
     def characters_from_euler_angles(cls,abg):
-        # Require that a,b,g = abg (so either it's an array of shape (3,) or (3,N) for some N)
-        theta_by_2 = np.arccos(np.cos(abg[1]/2)*np.cos((abg[0]+abg[2])/2))
-        theta = 2*theta_by_2
-        theta[theta > np.pi] = 2*np.pi - theta[theta > np.pi] 
+        # Input: 
+        #   Require that a,b,g = abg (so either it's an array of shape (3,) or (3,N) for some N)
+        # Output:
+        #   if abg.size == 3, then out.shape == (cls.num_irreps,)
+        #   else, out.shape == (abg.shape[1], )
+        theta = SU2.axis_rotation_angle_from_euler_angles(abg)
         theta_by_2 = theta / 2
         def char(_k):
             return np.sin((2*_k + 1)*theta_by_2)/np.sin(theta_by_2)
-        out = np.array([ char(_k) for _k in cls.irrep_labels])
+        out = np.array([ char(_k) for _k in cls.irrep_labels]).T
         return out
 
 
@@ -500,4 +509,5 @@ def all_characters_from_unitary(cls, U):
             out.append(np.sum(vec))
             idx += b_sz
         out = np.array(out)
-        return out
+        return out.reshape((1,-1))
+
diff --git a/test/unit/tools/test_su2tools.py b/test/unit/tools/test_su2tools.py
index 990cdf7d5..d09071ec3 100644
--- a/test/unit/tools/test_su2tools.py
+++ b/test/unit/tools/test_su2tools.py
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ def ref_handle(t):
             return la.expm(1j * t * su2class.Jy)
         self._test_matval_funcs_agree(self.thetas, our_handle, ref_handle)
         
-
     def _test_expmiJy_batch(self, su2class):
         actual = su2class.expm_iJy(self.thetas)
         expect = np.array([
@@ -204,6 +203,20 @@ def reference_from_paper(N: int):
         #TODO: run KS tests for each of the three angles, comparing against SU2.random_euler_angles.
         return
 
+    def test_rotation_axis_angles(self):
+        # compare angles extracted from unitaries and from Euler angles
+        np.random.seed(0)
+        eas = np.row_stack(SU2.random_euler_angles(5))
+        Us = SU2.unitaries_from_angles(*eas)
+        raas_from_eas = SU2.axis_rotation_angle_from_euler_angles(eas)
+        raas_from_us  = SU2.axis_rotation_angle_from_2x2_unitaries(Us)
+        for t_ea, t_u in zip(raas_from_eas, raas_from_us):
+            self.assertGreaterEqual(t_ea, 0.0)
+            self.assertGreaterEqual(t_u, 0.0)
+            self.assertLessEqual(t_ea, np.pi)
+            self.assertLessEqual(t_u, np.pi)
+            self.assertAlmostEqual(t_ea, t_u)
+        return
 
 class TestSpin72(BaseSU2Tests):
 
@@ -248,11 +261,11 @@ def test_characters_from_euler_angles(self):
         # be verified by testing a single random SU(2) element, and the diagonalizer's
         # unitarity can be checked cheaply.
         np.random.seed(0)
-        aa = np.column_stack(Spin72.random_euler_angles(5))
-        Us = Spin72.unitaries_from_angles(aa[:,0], aa[:,1], aa[:,2])
+        aa = np.row_stack(Spin72.random_euler_angles(5))
+        Us = Spin72.unitaries_from_angles(*aa)
         for i,U in enumerate(Us):
             expect = Spin72.all_characters_from_unitary(U)
-            actual = Spin72.characters_from_euler_angles(aa[i,:])
+            actual = Spin72.characters_from_euler_angles(aa[:,i])
             discrepency = la.norm(actual - expect)
             self.assertLessEqual(discrepency, 64*self.RELTOL)
         return