diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ae8edb861e..5082780085 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ master
 - add vips__worker_exit(): enables fast threadpool shutdown
 - larger mmap windows on 64-bit machines improve random access mode for many
   file formats
+- pdfload: control region to be rendered via `page_box` [lovell]
 
 7/7/25 8.17.1
 
diff --git a/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h b/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
index 58da46420d..745070a433 100644
--- a/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
+++ b/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
@@ -4860,6 +4860,7 @@ class VImage : public VObject {
 	 *   - **scale** -- Factor to scale by, double.
 	 *   - **background** -- Background colour, std::vector<double>.
 	 *   - **password** -- Password to decrypt with, const char *.
+	 *   - **page_box** -- The region of the page to render, VipsForeignPdfPageBox.
 	 *   - **memory** -- Force open via memory, bool.
 	 *   - **access** -- Required access pattern for this file, VipsAccess.
 	 *   - **fail_on** -- Error level to fail on, VipsFailOn.
@@ -4881,6 +4882,7 @@ class VImage : public VObject {
 	 *   - **scale** -- Factor to scale by, double.
 	 *   - **background** -- Background colour, std::vector<double>.
 	 *   - **password** -- Password to decrypt with, const char *.
+	 *   - **page_box** -- The region of the page to render, VipsForeignPdfPageBox.
 	 *   - **memory** -- Force open via memory, bool.
 	 *   - **access** -- Required access pattern for this file, VipsAccess.
 	 *   - **fail_on** -- Error level to fail on, VipsFailOn.
@@ -4902,6 +4904,7 @@ class VImage : public VObject {
 	 *   - **scale** -- Factor to scale by, double.
 	 *   - **background** -- Background colour, std::vector<double>.
 	 *   - **password** -- Password to decrypt with, const char *.
+	 *   - **page_box** -- The region of the page to render, VipsForeignPdfPageBox.
 	 *   - **memory** -- Force open via memory, bool.
 	 *   - **access** -- Required access pattern for this file, VipsAccess.
 	 *   - **fail_on** -- Error level to fail on, VipsFailOn.
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
index 17f147903c..60a049f58c 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
@@ -2721,6 +2721,9 @@ vips_jxlsave_target(VipsImage *in, VipsTarget *target, ...)
  *
  * Use @password to supply a decryption password.
  *
+ * When using pdfium, the region of a page to render can be selected with
+ * @page_box, defaulting to the crop box.
+ *
  * The operation fills a number of header fields with metadata, for example
  * "pdf-author". They may be useful.
  *
@@ -2733,6 +2736,7 @@ vips_jxlsave_target(VipsImage *in, VipsTarget *target, ...)
  *     * @dpi: `gdouble`, render at this DPI
  *     * @scale: `gdouble`, scale render by this factor
  *     * @background: [struct@ArrayDouble], background colour
+ *     * @page_box: [enum@ForeignPdfPageBox], use this page box (pdfium only)
  *
  * ::: seealso
  *     [ctor@Image.new_from_file], [ctor@Image.magickload].
@@ -2771,6 +2775,7 @@ vips_pdfload(const char *filename, VipsImage **out, ...)
  *     * @dpi: `gdouble`, render at this DPI
  *     * @scale: `gdouble`, scale render by this factor
  *     * @background: [struct@ArrayDouble], background colour
+ *     * @page_box: [enum@ForeignPdfPageBox], use this page box (pdfium only)
  *
  * ::: seealso
  *     [ctor@Image.pdfload].
@@ -2811,6 +2816,7 @@ vips_pdfload_buffer(void *buf, size_t len, VipsImage **out, ...)
  *     * @dpi: `gdouble`, render at this DPI
  *     * @scale: `gdouble`, scale render by this factor
  *     * @background: [struct@ArrayDouble], background colour
+ *     * @page_box: [enum@ForeignPdfPageBox], use this page box (pdfium only)
  *
  * ::: seealso
  *     [ctor@Image.pdfload]
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/pdfiumload.c b/libvips/foreign/pdfiumload.c
index e3637d147f..49adc4db33 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/pdfiumload.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/pdfiumload.c
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ EOF
 #include <fpdf_doc.h>
 #include <fpdf_edit.h>
 #include <fpdf_formfill.h>
+#include <fpdf_transformpage.h>
 
 #define TILE_SIZE (4000)
 
@@ -165,6 +166,10 @@ typedef struct _VipsForeignLoadPdf {
 	 */
 	VipsPel *ink;
 
+	/* Render this page box.
+	 */
+	VipsForeignPdfPageBox page_box;
+
 } VipsForeignLoadPdf;
 
 typedef VipsForeignLoadClass VipsForeignLoadPdfClass;
@@ -448,6 +453,49 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_set_image(VipsForeignLoadPdf *pdf, VipsImage *out)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void
+vips_foreign_load_pdf_apply_page_box(FPDF_PAGE page, VipsForeignPdfPageBox box)
+{
+	float left, bottom, right, top;
+
+	/* Avoid locking when no change in region to render.
+	 */
+	if (box == VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP)
+		return;
+
+	g_mutex_lock(&vips_pdfium_mutex);
+	switch (box) {
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_MEDIA:
+		if (FPDFPage_GetMediaBox(page, &left, &bottom, &right, &top))
+			FPDFPage_SetCropBox(page, left, bottom, right, top);
+		else
+			g_warning("missing media box, using default crop box");
+		break;
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_TRIM:
+		if (FPDFPage_GetTrimBox(page, &left, &bottom, &right, &top))
+			FPDFPage_SetCropBox(page, left, bottom, right, top);
+		else
+			g_warning("missing trim box, using default crop box");
+		break;
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_BLEED:
+		if (FPDFPage_GetBleedBox(page, &left, &bottom, &right, &top))
+			FPDFPage_SetCropBox(page, left, bottom, right, top);
+		else
+			g_warning("missing bleed box, using default crop box");
+		break;
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_ART:
+		if (FPDFPage_GetArtBox(page, &left, &bottom, &right, &top))
+			FPDFPage_SetCropBox(page, left, bottom, right, top);
+		else
+			g_warning("missing art box, using default crop box");
+		break;
+	case VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP:
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+	g_mutex_unlock(&vips_pdfium_mutex);
+}
+
 static int
 vips_foreign_load_pdf_header(VipsForeignLoad *load)
 {
@@ -492,6 +540,12 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_header(VipsForeignLoad *load)
 			return -1;
 		pdf->pages[i].left = 0;
 		pdf->pages[i].top = top;
+
+		/* Attempt to apply selected page box using the page coordinate
+		 * system (bottom left) before calculating render dimensions
+		 * using the client coordinate system (top left). */
+		vips_foreign_load_pdf_apply_page_box(pdf->page, pdf->page_box);
+
 		/* We do round to nearest, in the same way that vips_resize()
 		 * does round to nearest. Without this, things like
 		 * shrink-on-load will break.
@@ -736,6 +790,14 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_class_init(VipsForeignLoadPdfClass *class)
 		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
 		G_STRUCT_OFFSET(VipsForeignLoadPdf, password),
 		NULL);
+
+	VIPS_ARG_ENUM(class, "page_box", 26,
+		_("Page box"),
+		_("The region of the page to render"),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET(VipsForeignLoadPdf, page_box),
+		VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX,
+		VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -746,6 +808,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_init(VipsForeignLoadPdf *pdf)
 	pdf->n = 1;
 	pdf->current_page = -1;
 	pdf->background = vips_array_double_newv(1, 255.0);
+	pdf->page_box = VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP;
 }
 
 typedef struct _VipsForeignLoadPdfFile {
@@ -804,7 +867,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_file_class_init(
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	object_class->nickname = "pdfload";
-	object_class->description = _("load PDF from file");
+	object_class->description = _("load PDF from file (pdfium)");
 	object_class->build = vips_foreign_load_pdf_file_build;
 
 	foreign_class->suffs = vips__pdf_suffs;
@@ -867,7 +930,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_buffer_class_init(
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	object_class->nickname = "pdfload_buffer";
-	object_class->description = _("load PDF from buffer");
+	object_class->description = _("load PDF from buffer (pdfium)");
 	object_class->build = vips_foreign_load_pdf_buffer_build;
 
 	load_class->is_a_buffer = vips__pdf_is_a_buffer;
@@ -925,7 +988,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_source_class_init(
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	object_class->nickname = "pdfload_source";
-	object_class->description = _("load PDF from source");
+	object_class->description = _("load PDF from source (pdfium)");
 	object_class->build = vips_foreign_load_pdf_source_build;
 
 	operation_class->flags |= VIPS_OPERATION_NOCACHE;
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/popplerload.c b/libvips/foreign/popplerload.c
index 160b3a2b58..64e0089b91 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/popplerload.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/popplerload.c
@@ -158,6 +158,10 @@ typedef struct _VipsForeignLoadPdf {
 	 */
 	VipsPel *ink;
 
+	/* Render this page box, currently only crop is supported.
+	 */
+	VipsForeignPdfPageBox page_box;
+
 } VipsForeignLoadPdf;
 
 typedef struct _VipsForeignLoadPdfClass {
@@ -337,6 +341,9 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_header(VipsForeignLoad *load)
 	if (!(pdf->pages = VIPS_ARRAY(pdf, pdf->n, VipsRect)))
 		return -1;
 
+	if (pdf->page_box != VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP)
+		g_warning("only crop page box is supported");
+
 	top = 0;
 	pdf->image.left = 0;
 	pdf->image.top = 0;
@@ -580,6 +587,14 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_class_init(VipsForeignLoadPdfClass *class)
 		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
 		G_STRUCT_OFFSET(VipsForeignLoadPdf, password),
 		NULL);
+
+	VIPS_ARG_ENUM(class, "page_box", 26,
+		_("Page box"),
+		_("The region of the page to render, only crop is supported"),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET(VipsForeignLoadPdf, page_box),
+		VIPS_TYPE_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX,
+		VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -590,6 +605,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_init(VipsForeignLoadPdf *pdf)
 	pdf->n = 1;
 	pdf->current_page = -1;
 	pdf->background = vips_array_double_newv(1, 255.0);
+	pdf->page_box = VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP;
 }
 
 typedef struct _VipsForeignLoadPdfFile {
@@ -675,7 +691,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_file_class_init(
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	object_class->nickname = "pdfload";
-	object_class->description = _("load PDF from file");
+	object_class->description = _("load PDF from file (poppler)");
 	object_class->build = vips_foreign_load_pdf_file_build;
 
 	foreign_class->suffs = vips__pdf_suffs;
@@ -738,7 +754,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_buffer_class_init(
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	object_class->nickname = "pdfload_buffer";
-	object_class->description = _("load PDF from buffer");
+	object_class->description = _("load PDF from buffer (poppler)");
 	object_class->build = vips_foreign_load_pdf_buffer_build;
 
 	load_class->is_a_buffer = vips__pdf_is_a_buffer;
@@ -796,7 +812,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_pdf_source_class_init(
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	object_class->nickname = "pdfload_source";
-	object_class->description = _("load PDF from source");
+	object_class->description = _("load PDF from source (poppler)");
 	object_class->build = vips_foreign_load_pdf_source_build;
 
 	operation_class->flags |= VIPS_OPERATION_NOCACHE;
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
index a7635e3ad4..1780e80e8e 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/foreign.h
@@ -835,6 +835,29 @@ VIPS_API
 int vips_radsave_target(VipsImage *in, VipsTarget *target, ...)
 	G_GNUC_NULL_TERMINATED;
 
+/**
+ * VipsForeignPdfPageBox:
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_MEDIA
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_TRIM
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_BLEED
+ * @VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_ART
+ *
+ * Each page of a PDF document can contain multiple page boxes,
+ * also known as boundary boxes or print marks.
+ *
+ * Each page box defines a region of the complete page that
+ * should be rendered. The default region is the crop box.
+ */
+typedef enum {
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_MEDIA,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_CROP,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_TRIM,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_BLEED,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_ART,
+	VIPS_FOREIGN_PDF_PAGE_BOX_LAST /*< skip >*/
+} VipsForeignPdfPageBox;
+
 VIPS_API
 int vips_pdfload(const char *filename, VipsImage **out, ...)
 	G_GNUC_NULL_TERMINATED;
diff --git a/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py b/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py
index 82e318d4a2..8f98c12be6 100644
--- a/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py
+++ b/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 FITS_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "WFPC2u5780205r_c0fx.fits")
 OPENSLIDE_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "CMU-1-Small-Region.svs")
 PDF_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "ISO_12233-reschart.pdf")
+PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "page-box.pdf")
 CMYK_PDF_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "cmyktest.pdf")
 SVG_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "logo.svg")
 SVGZ_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "logo.svgz")
diff --git a/test/test-suite/images/page-box.pdf b/test/test-suite/images/page-box.pdf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f2e93282a
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/test-suite/images/page-box.pdf differ
diff --git a/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py b/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
index 24450422b8..1cef2b44b5 100644
--- a/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
+++ b/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
@@ -1100,6 +1100,46 @@ def pdf_valid(im):
         assert abs(im.width * 2 - x.width) < 2
         assert abs(im.height * 2 - x.height) < 2
 
+        im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE)
+        assert im.width == 709
+        assert im.height == 955
+        assert im.get("pdf-creator") == "Adobe InDesign 20.4 (Windows)"
+        assert im.get("pdf-producer") == "Adobe PDF Library 17.0"
+
+        pdfloadOp = pyvips.Operation.new_from_name("pdfload").get_description()
+
+        if "poppler" in pdfloadOp:
+            # only crop is implemented, ignore requested page box
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_FILE, page_box="art")
+            assert im.width == 1134
+            assert im.height == 680
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE, page_box="art")
+            assert im.width == 709
+            assert im.height == 955
+
+        if "pdfium" in pdfloadOp:
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_FILE, page_box="art")
+            assert im.width == 1121
+            assert im.height == 680
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_FILE, page_box="trim") # missing, will fallback to crop
+            assert im.width == 1134
+            assert im.height == 680
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE, page_box="media")
+            assert im.width == 822
+            assert im.height == 1069
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE, page_box="crop")
+            assert im.width == 709
+            assert im.height == 955
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE, page_box="bleed")
+            assert im.width == 652
+            assert im.height == 899
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE, page_box="trim")
+            assert im.width == 595
+            assert im.height == 842
+            im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(PDF_PAGE_BOX_FILE, page_box="art")
+            assert im.width == 539
+            assert im.height == 785
+
     @skip_if_no("gifload")
     def test_gifload(self):
         def gif_valid(im):

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