diff --git a/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_imu_sensor.cpp b/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_imu_sensor.cpp
index 5e9a494dc..7757e252e 100644
--- a/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_imu_sensor.cpp
+++ b/gazebo_plugins/src/gazebo_ros_imu_sensor.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,26 @@ void GazeboRosImuSensor::Load(gazebo::sensors::SensorPtr _sensor, sdf::ElementPt
     return;
   }
 
+  bool initial_orientation_as_reference = false;
+  if (!_sdf->HasElement("initial_orientation_as_reference")) {
+    RCLCPP_INFO_STREAM(
+      impl_->ros_node_->get_logger(),
+      "<initial_orientation_as_reference> is unset, using default value of false "
+      "to comply with REP 145 (world as orientation reference)");
+  } else {
+    initial_orientation_as_reference = _sdf->Get<bool>("initial_orientation_as_reference");
+  }
+
+  if (initial_orientation_as_reference) {
+    RCLCPP_WARN_STREAM(
+      impl_->ros_node_->get_logger(),
+      "<initial_orientation_as_reference> set to true, this behavior is deprecated "
+      "as it does not comply with REP 145.");
+  } else {
+    // This complies with REP 145
+    impl_->sensor_->SetWorldToReferenceOrientation(ignition::math::Quaterniond::Identity);
+  }
+
   impl_->pub_ = impl_->ros_node_->create_publisher<sensor_msgs::msg::Imu>(
     "~/out", qos.get_publisher_qos("~/out", rclcpp::SensorDataQoS()));