diff --git a/src/library/par.rs b/src/library/par.rs
index 67c2969b6..9d48ef057 100644
--- a/src/library/par.rs
+++ b/src/library/par.rs
@@ -15,17 +15,26 @@ pub fn par(ctx: &mut EvalContext, args: &mut Args) -> TypResult<Value> {
     let spacing = args.named("spacing")?;
     let leading = args.named("leading")?;
 
-    let mut dir = args.named::<EcoString>("lang")?.map(|iso| {
-        match iso.to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
-            "ar" | "he" | "fa" | "ur" | "ps" | "yi" => Dir::RTL,
-            "en" | "fr" | "de" => Dir::LTR,
-            _ => Dir::LTR,
-        }
-    });
+    let mut dir =
+        args.named("lang")?
+            .map(|iso: EcoString| match iso.to_lowercase().as_str() {
+                "ar" | "he" | "fa" | "ur" | "ps" | "yi" => Dir::RTL,
+                "en" | "fr" | "de" => Dir::LTR,
+                _ => Dir::LTR,
+            });
 
     if let Some(Spanned { v, span }) = args.named::<Spanned<Dir>>("dir")? {
         if v.axis() == SpecAxis::Horizontal {
-            dir = Some(v)
+            dir = Some(v);
+        } else {
+            bail!(span, "must be horizontal");
+        }
+    }
+
+    let mut align = None;
+    if let Some(Spanned { v, span }) = args.named::<Spanned<Align>>("align")? {
+        if matches!(v.axis(), None | Some(SpecAxis::Horizontal)) {
+            align = Some(v);
         } else {
             bail!(span, "must be horizontal");
         }
@@ -39,6 +48,10 @@ pub fn par(ctx: &mut EvalContext, args: &mut Args) -> TypResult<Value> {
             par.align = if dir == Dir::LTR { Align::Left } else { Align::Right };
         }
 
+        if let Some(align) = align {
+            par.align = align;
+        }
+
         if let Some(leading) = leading {
             par.leading = leading;
         }
diff --git a/tests/ref/text/par.png b/tests/ref/text/par.png
index fb493bd49..47f0ed959 100644
Binary files a/tests/ref/text/par.png and b/tests/ref/text/par.png differ
diff --git a/tests/typ/text/par.typ b/tests/typ/text/par.typ
index 4b2236849..9955b9939 100644
--- a/tests/typ/text/par.typ
+++ b/tests/typ/text/par.typ
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
 // Test configuring paragraph properties.
 
 ---
-#par(spacing: 100%, leading: 0pt)
+// Test ragged-left.
+#par(align: right)
+To the right! Where the sunlight peeks behind the mountain.
 
+---
+// Test weird metrics.
+#par(spacing: 100%, leading: 0pt)
 But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
 
 It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
+
+---
+// Error: 13-16 must be horizontal
+#par(align: top)