diff --git a/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.cpp b/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.cpp
index d54953fe7d02..91ce4f5ef5d1 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.cpp
@@ -369,30 +369,33 @@ QString QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::createCompositionXml( const QList<ComponentLa
       georeferencing.appendChild( srs );
     }
 
-    /* Define the viewport where georeferenced coordinates are available.
-      If not specified, the extent of BoundingPolygon will be used instead.
-      If none of BoundingBox and BoundingPolygon are specified,
-      the whole PDF page will be assumed to be georeferenced.
-      */
-    QDomElement boundingBox = doc.createElement( QStringLiteral( "BoundingBox" ) );
-    boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "x1" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.xMinimum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
-    boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "y1" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.yMinimum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
-    boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "x2" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.xMaximum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
-    boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "y2" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.yMaximum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
-    georeferencing.appendChild( boundingBox );
-
-#if 0
-    /*
-      Define a polygon / neatline in PDF units into which the
-      Measure tool will display coordinates.
-      If not specified, BoundingBox will be used instead.
-      If none of BoundingBox and BoundingPolygon are specified,
-      the whole PDF page will be assumed to be georeferenced.
-     */
-    QDomElement boundingPolygon = doc.createElement( QStringLiteral( "BoundingPolygon" ) );
-    boundingPolygon.appendChild( doc.createTextNode( QStringLiteral( "POLYGON((1 1,9 1,9 14,1 14,1 1))" ) ) );
-    georeferencing.appendChild( boundingPolygon );
-#endif
+    if ( !section.pageBoundsPolygon.isEmpty() )
+    {
+      /*
+        Define a polygon / neatline in PDF units into which the
+        Measure tool will display coordinates.
+        If not specified, BoundingBox will be used instead.
+        If none of BoundingBox and BoundingPolygon are specified,
+        the whole PDF page will be assumed to be georeferenced.
+       */
+      QDomElement boundingPolygon = doc.createElement( QStringLiteral( "BoundingPolygon" ) );
+      boundingPolygon.appendChild( doc.createTextNode( section.pageBoundsPolygon.asWkt() ) );
+      georeferencing.appendChild( boundingPolygon );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      /* Define the viewport where georeferenced coordinates are available.
+        If not specified, the extent of BoundingPolygon will be used instead.
+        If none of BoundingBox and BoundingPolygon are specified,
+        the whole PDF page will be assumed to be georeferenced.
+        */
+      QDomElement boundingBox = doc.createElement( QStringLiteral( "BoundingBox" ) );
+      boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "x1" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.xMinimum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
+      boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "y1" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.yMinimum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
+      boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "x2" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.xMaximum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
+      boundingBox.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "y2" ), QString::number( section.pageBoundsMm.yMaximum() / 25.4 * 72 ) );
+      georeferencing.appendChild( boundingBox );
+    }
 
     for ( const ControlPoint &point : section.controlPoints )
     {
diff --git a/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h b/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h
index a7054ed6822f..d8150865b091 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <QDateTime>
 #include "qgsfeature.h"
 #include "qgsabstractmetadatabase.h"
+#include "qgspolygon.h"
 
 #define SIP_NO_FILE
 
@@ -153,9 +154,21 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter
 
     struct GeoReferencedSection
     {
-      //! Bounds of the georeferenced section on the page, in millimeters
+
+      /**
+       * Bounds of the georeferenced section on the page, in millimeters.
+       *
+       * \note if pageBoundsPolygon is specified then this setting is ignored.
+       */
       QgsRectangle pageBoundsMm;
 
+      /**
+       * Bounds of the georeferenced section on the page, in millimeters, as a free-form polygon.
+       *
+       * If specified, this will be used instead of pageBoundsMm.
+       */
+      QgsPolygon pageBoundsPolygon;
+
       //! Coordinate reference system for georeferenced section
       QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem crs;
 
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp
index 2740ffd07ec3..b08056c4f30a 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class TestQgsGeoPdfExport : public QObject
     void testComposition();
     void testMetadata();
     void testGeoref();
+    void testGeorefPolygon();
     void testGroups();
 
   private:
@@ -352,6 +353,51 @@ void TestQgsGeoPdfExport::testGeoref()
   QCOMPARE( cp1.attribute( QStringLiteral( "y" ) ), QStringLiteral( "-2.83465" ) );
 }
 
+void TestQgsGeoPdfExport::testGeorefPolygon()
+{
+  // test georeferencing a region using polygon bounds
+  TestGeoPdfExporter geoPdfExporter;
+
+  QList< QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ComponentLayerDetail > renderedLayers;
+  QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ExportDetails details;
+
+  // with points
+  QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::GeoReferencedSection section;
+  section.crs = QgsCoordinateReferenceSystem( QStringLiteral( "EPSG:4283" ) );
+  section.pageBoundsMm = QgsRectangle( 0, 0, 253.2, 222.25 );
+  QgsPolygon p;
+  p.fromWkt( QStringLiteral( "Polygon((30 5, 250 15, 240 200, 50 190, 30 5))" ) );
+  section.pageBoundsPolygon = p;
+  section.controlPoints.append( QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ControlPoint( QgsPointXY( 0, 0 ), QgsPointXY( -122.4, 53.6 ) ) );
+  section.controlPoints.append( QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ControlPoint( QgsPointXY( 253.2, 0 ), QgsPointXY( -78, 53.6 ) ) );
+  section.controlPoints.append( QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ControlPoint( QgsPointXY( 253.2, 222.25 ), QgsPointXY( -78, 14.6 ) ) );
+  section.controlPoints.append( QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ControlPoint( QgsPointXY( 0, 222.25 ), QgsPointXY( -122.4, 14.6 ) ) );
+  details.georeferencedSections << section;
+
+  QString composition = geoPdfExporter.createCompositionXml( renderedLayers, details );
+  QgsDebugMsg( composition );
+  QDomDocument doc;
+  doc.setContent( composition );
+  QCOMPARE( doc.elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "SRS" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().text(), QStringLiteral( "EPSG:4283" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( doc.elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "BoundingPolygon" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().text(), QStringLiteral( "Polygon ((30 5, 250 15, 240 200, 50 190, 30 5))" ) );
+
+  QDomNodeList cps = doc.elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "ControlPoint" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( cps.count(), 4 );
+  QDomElement cp1;
+  for ( int i = 0; i < 4; ++i )
+  {
+    if ( cps.at( i ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "GeoX" ) ) == QStringLiteral( "-122.4" )
+         && cps.at( i ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "GeoY" ) ) == QStringLiteral( "53.6" ) )
+    {
+      cp1 = cps.at( i ).toElement();
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  QVERIFY( !cp1.isNull() );
+  QCOMPARE( cp1.attribute( QStringLiteral( "x" ) ), QStringLiteral( "0" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( cp1.attribute( QStringLiteral( "y" ) ), QStringLiteral( "-2.83465" ) );
+}
+
 void TestQgsGeoPdfExport::testGroups()
 {
   TestGeoPdfExporter geoPdfExporter;