diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/ContourMap/RimEclipseContourMapView.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/ContourMap/RimEclipseContourMapView.cpp
index d5baa3feb6..8765deea33 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/ContourMap/RimEclipseContourMapView.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/ContourMap/RimEclipseContourMapView.cpp
@@ -506,9 +506,18 @@ void RimEclipseContourMapView::updateViewFollowingCellFilterUpdates()
 void RimEclipseContourMapView::onLoadDataAndUpdate()
 {
     RimEclipseView::onLoadDataAndUpdate();
-    if ( nativeOrOverrideViewer() )
+    if ( auto viewer = nativeOrOverrideViewer() )
     {
-        nativeOrOverrideViewer()->setView( cvf::Vec3d( 0, 0, -1 ), cvf::Vec3d( 0, 1, 0 ) );
+        const cvf::Vec3d viewDirection( 0, 0, -1 );
+        const cvf::Vec3d upDirection( 0, 1, 0 );
+
+        // setView() moves the camera to look straight at the point of interest. Panning does not move the point of
+        // interest, so calling setView() will discard the panning restored from the project file. The camera is
+        // already oriented correctly for a contour map, unless the view has been rotated by a linked 3D view.
+        if ( !isCameraOriented( viewDirection, upDirection ) )
+        {
+            viewer->setView( viewDirection, upDirection );
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/GeoMech/RimGeoMechContourMapView.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/GeoMech/RimGeoMechContourMapView.cpp
index 499bbfddbc..f5468850d3 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/GeoMech/RimGeoMechContourMapView.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/GeoMech/RimGeoMechContourMapView.cpp
@@ -460,9 +460,18 @@ void RimGeoMechContourMapView::updateViewFollowingCellFilterUpdates()
 void RimGeoMechContourMapView::onLoadDataAndUpdate()
 {
     RimGeoMechView::onLoadDataAndUpdate();
-    if ( nativeOrOverrideViewer() )
+    if ( auto viewer = nativeOrOverrideViewer() )
     {
-        nativeOrOverrideViewer()->setView( cvf::Vec3d( 0, 0, -1 ), cvf::Vec3d( 0, 1, 0 ) );
+        const cvf::Vec3d viewDirection( 0, 0, -1 );
+        const cvf::Vec3d upDirection( 0, 1, 0 );
+
+        // setView() moves the camera to look straight at the point of interest. Panning does not move the point of
+        // interest, so calling setView() will discard the panning restored from the project file. The camera is
+        // already oriented correctly for a contour map, unless the view has been rotated by a linked 3D view.
+        if ( !isCameraOriented( viewDirection, upDirection ) )
+        {
+            viewer->setView( viewDirection, upDirection );
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.cpp
index f4a8574bb1..370778302b 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.cpp
@@ -1653,6 +1653,19 @@ cvf::Vec3d Rim3dView::cameraPointOfInterest() const
     return m_cameraPointOfInterest();
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/// Returns true if the camera is already oriented along the given view direction and up direction
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+bool Rim3dView::isCameraOriented( const cvf::Vec3d& viewDirection, const cvf::Vec3d& upDirection ) const
+{
+    auto viewer = nativeOrOverrideViewer();
+    if ( !viewer || !viewer->mainCamera() ) return false;
+
+    const double tolerance = 1.0e-6;
+    return ( viewer->mainCamera()->direction() - viewDirection ).length() < tolerance &&
+           ( viewer->mainCamera()->up() - upDirection ).length() < tolerance;
+}
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ///
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.h b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.h
index 4ddee74370..01e2d8e851 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/ProjectDataModel/Rim3dView.h
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ protected:
     virtual void setDefaultView();
     cvf::Mat4d   cameraPosition() const;
     cvf::Vec3d   cameraPointOfInterest() const;
+    bool         isCameraOriented( const cvf::Vec3d& viewDirection, const cvf::Vec3d& upDirection ) const;
 
     void disableGridBoxField();
     void disablePerspectiveProjectionField();