diff --git a/src/user/user_mesh.cc b/src/user/user_mesh.cc
index 20244116..ad350223 100644
--- a/src/user/user_mesh.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_mesh.cc
@@ -647,19 +647,6 @@ void mjCMesh::LoadFromDecoder(mjResource* resource, bool remove_repeated) {
       facenormal_.assign(src_mesh->userfacenormal->begin(), src_mesh->userfacenormal->end());
       facetexcoord_.assign(src_mesh->userfacetexcoord->begin(), src_mesh->userfacetexcoord->end());
 
-      // correct winding order for left-handed coordinate systems
-      bool righthand = scale[0] * scale[1] * scale[2] > 0;
-      if (!righthand) {
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < face_.size(); i += 3) {
-          std::swap(face_[i + 1], face_[i + 2]);
-        }
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < facenormal_.size(); i += 3) {
-          std::swap(facenormal_[i + 1], facenormal_[i + 2]);
-        }
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < facetexcoord_.size(); i += 3) {
-          std::swap(facetexcoord_[i + 1], facetexcoord_[i + 2]);
-        }
-      }
 
       std::vector<float> vert(src_mesh->uservert->begin(), src_mesh->uservert->end());
       mj_deleteSpec(mesh_spec);
@@ -1434,6 +1421,20 @@ void mjCMesh::Process() {
     polygon_map_.resize(nvert());
   }
 
+  // correct winding order for left-handed coordinate systems
+  bool righthand = scale[0] * scale[1] * scale[2] > 0;
+  if (!righthand) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < face_.size(); i += 3) {
+      std::swap(face_[i + 1], face_[i + 2]);
+    }
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < facenormal_.size(); i += 3) {
+      std::swap(facenormal_[i + 1], facenormal_[i + 2]);
+    }
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < facetexcoord_.size(); i += 3) {
+      std::swap(facetexcoord_[i + 1], facetexcoord_[i + 2]);
+    }
+  }
+
   // user offset, rotation, scaling
   ApplyTransformations();
 
diff --git a/test/user/user_mesh_test.cc b/test/user/user_mesh_test.cc
index 80eb76ef..1618b789 100644
--- a/test/user/user_mesh_test.cc
+++ b/test/user/user_mesh_test.cc
@@ -1086,6 +1086,71 @@ TEST_F(MjCMeshTest, MeshScale) {
   mj_deleteModel(model);
 }
 
+TEST_F(MjCMeshTest, NegativeScaleUserMeshCompiles) {
+  static constexpr char xml[] = R"(
+  <mujoco>
+    <asset>
+      <mesh name="example_mesh" scale="-1 1 1" inertia="exact"
+        vertex="0 0 0  1 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 1"
+        face="0 2 1  0 3 2  1 3 0  1 2 3" />
+    </asset>
+    <worldbody>
+      <geom type="mesh" mesh="example_mesh"/>
+    </worldbody>
+  </mujoco>
+  )";
+  char error[1024];
+  mjModel* model = LoadModelFromString(xml, error, sizeof(error));
+  ASSERT_THAT(model, NotNull()) << error;
+  mj_deleteModel(model);
+}
+
+TEST_F(MjCMeshTest, NegativeScaleUserMeshMatchesPositiveScale) {
+  static constexpr char pos_xml[] = R"(
+  <mujoco>
+    <asset>
+      <mesh name="pos_mesh"
+        vertex="0 0 0  1 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 1"
+        face="0 2 1  0 3 2  1 3 0  1 2 3" />
+    </asset>
+    <worldbody>
+      <geom type="mesh" mesh="pos_mesh"/>
+    </worldbody>
+  </mujoco>
+  )";
+
+  static constexpr char neg_xml[] = R"(
+  <mujoco>
+    <asset>
+      <mesh name="neg_mesh" scale="-1 1 1"
+        vertex="0 0 0  1 0 0  0 1 0  0 0 1"
+        face="0 2 1  0 3 2  1 3 0  1 2 3" />
+    </asset>
+    <worldbody>
+      <geom type="mesh" mesh="neg_mesh"/>
+    </worldbody>
+  </mujoco>
+  )";
+
+  char error[1024];
+  mjModel* pos_model = LoadModelFromString(pos_xml, error, sizeof(error));
+  ASSERT_THAT(pos_model, NotNull()) << error;
+
+  mjModel* neg_model = LoadModelFromString(neg_xml, error, sizeof(error));
+  ASSERT_THAT(neg_model, NotNull()) << error;
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(pos_model->nmeshface, neg_model->nmeshface);
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < pos_model->nmeshface; i++) {
+    EXPECT_EQ(pos_model->mesh_face[3*i + 0], neg_model->mesh_face[3*i + 0]);
+    EXPECT_EQ(pos_model->mesh_face[3*i + 1], neg_model->mesh_face[3*i + 2]);
+    EXPECT_EQ(pos_model->mesh_face[3*i + 2], neg_model->mesh_face[3*i + 1]);
+  }
+
+  mj_deleteModel(pos_model);
+  mj_deleteModel(neg_model);
+}
+
 TEST_F(MjCMeshTest, ShellInertiaTest) {
   static constexpr char xml[] = R"(
   <mujoco>