diff --git a/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts b/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts
index 83dd0306f..61721aef7 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright/testing-settings.spec.ts
@@ -896,4 +896,53 @@ test.describe('Testing settings', () => {
       })
     }
   )
+
+  test(`Change inline units setting`, async ({
+    page,
+    homePage,
+    context,
+    editor,
+  }) => {
+    const initialInlineUnits = 'yd'
+    const editedInlineUnits = { short: 'mm', long: 'Millimeters' }
+    const inlineSettingsString = (s: string) =>
+      `@settings(defaultLengthUnit = ${s})`
+    const unitsIndicator = page.getByRole('button', {
+      name: 'Current units are:',
+    })
+    const unitsChangeButton = (name: string) =>
+      page.getByRole('button', { name, exact: true })
+
+    await context.folderSetupFn(async (dir) => {
+      const bracketDir = join(dir, 'project-000')
+      await fsp.mkdir(bracketDir, { recursive: true })
+      await fsp.copyFile(
+        executorInputPath('cube.kcl'),
+        join(bracketDir, 'main.kcl')
+      )
+    })
+
+    await test.step(`Initial units from settings`, async () => {
+      await homePage.openProject('project-000')
+      await expect(unitsIndicator).toHaveText('Current units are: in')
+    })
+
+    await test.step(`Manually write inline settings`, async () => {
+      await editor.openPane()
+      await editor.replaceCode(
+        `fn cube`,
+        `${inlineSettingsString(initialInlineUnits)}
+fn cube`
+      )
+      await expect(unitsIndicator).toContainText(initialInlineUnits)
+    })
+
+    await test.step(`Change units setting via lower-right control`, async () => {
+      await unitsIndicator.click()
+      await unitsChangeButton(editedInlineUnits.long).click()
+      await expect(
+        page.getByText(`Updated per-file units to ${editedInlineUnits.short}`)
+      ).toBeVisible()
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/components/UnitsMenu.tsx b/src/components/UnitsMenu.tsx
index 4b9c7f41d..01d28b8bb 100644
--- a/src/components/UnitsMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/components/UnitsMenu.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,31 @@
 import { Popover } from '@headlessui/react'
 import { useSettingsAuthContext } from 'hooks/useSettingsAuthContext'
+import { changeKclSettings, unitLengthToUnitLen } from 'lang/wasm'
 import { baseUnitLabels, baseUnitsUnion } from 'lib/settings/settingsTypes'
+import { codeManager, kclManager } from 'lib/singletons'
+import { err, reportRejection } from 'lib/trap'
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import toast from 'react-hot-toast'
 
 export function UnitsMenu() {
   const { settings } = useSettingsAuthContext()
+  const [hasPerFileLengthUnit, setHasPerFileLengthUnit] = useState(
+    Boolean(kclManager.fileSettings.defaultLengthUnit)
+  )
+  const [lengthSetting, setLengthSetting] = useState(
+    kclManager.fileSettings.defaultLengthUnit ||
+      settings.context.modeling.defaultUnit.current
+  )
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setHasPerFileLengthUnit(Boolean(kclManager.fileSettings.defaultLengthUnit))
+    setLengthSetting(
+      kclManager.fileSettings.defaultLengthUnit ||
+        settings.context.modeling.defaultUnit.current
+    )
+  }, [
+    kclManager.fileSettings.defaultLengthUnit,
+    settings.context.modeling.defaultUnit.current,
+  ])
   return (
     <Popover className="relative pointer-events-auto">
       {({ close }) => (
@@ -18,7 +40,7 @@ export function UnitsMenu() {
               <div className="absolute w-[1px] h-[1em] bg-primary right-0 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2"></div>
             </div>
             <span className="sr-only">Current units are:&nbsp;</span>
-            {settings.context.modeling.defaultUnit.current}
+            {lengthSetting}
           </Popover.Button>
           <Popover.Panel
             className={`absolute bottom-full right-0 mb-2 w-48 bg-chalkboard-10 dark:bg-chalkboard-90
@@ -31,18 +53,40 @@ export function UnitsMenu() {
                   <button
                     className="flex items-center gap-2 m-0 py-1.5 px-2 cursor-pointer hover:bg-chalkboard-20 dark:hover:bg-chalkboard-80 border-none text-left"
                     onClick={() => {
-                      settings.send({
-                        type: 'set.modeling.defaultUnit',
-                        data: {
-                          level: 'project',
-                          value: unit,
-                        },
-                      })
+                      if (hasPerFileLengthUnit) {
+                        const newCode = changeKclSettings(codeManager.code, {
+                          defaultLengthUnits: unitLengthToUnitLen(unit),
+                          defaultAngleUnits: { type: 'Degrees' },
+                        })
+                        if (err(newCode)) {
+                          toast.error(
+                            `Failed to set per-file units: ${newCode.message}`
+                          )
+                        } else {
+                          codeManager.updateCodeStateEditor(newCode)
+                          Promise.all([
+                            codeManager.writeToFile(),
+                            kclManager.executeCode(),
+                          ])
+                            .then(() => {
+                              toast.success(`Updated per-file units to ${unit}`)
+                            })
+                            .catch(reportRejection)
+                        }
+                      } else {
+                        settings.send({
+                          type: 'set.modeling.defaultUnit',
+                          data: {
+                            level: 'project',
+                            value: unit,
+                          },
+                        })
+                      }
                       close()
                     }}
                   >
                     <span className="flex-1">{baseUnitLabels[unit]}</span>
-                    {unit === settings.context.modeling.defaultUnit.current && (
+                    {unit === lengthSetting && (
                       <span className="text-chalkboard-60">current</span>
                     )}
                   </button>
diff --git a/src/lang/KclSingleton.ts b/src/lang/KclSingleton.ts
index 0a06ef1b8..d834eca5c 100644
--- a/src/lang/KclSingleton.ts
+++ b/src/lang/KclSingleton.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import {
   SourceRange,
   topLevelRange,
 } from 'lang/wasm'
-import { getNodeFromPath } from './queryAst'
+import { getNodeFromPath, getSettingsAnnotation } from './queryAst'
 import { codeManager, editorManager, sceneInfra } from 'lib/singletons'
 import { Diagnostic } from '@codemirror/lint'
 import { markOnce } from 'lib/performance'
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import {
   ModelingCmdReq_type,
 } from '@kittycad/lib/dist/types/src/models'
 import { Operation } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/Operation'
+import { KclSettingsAnnotation } from 'lib/settings/settingsTypes'
 
 interface ExecuteArgs {
   ast?: Node<Program>
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ export class KclManager {
   private _wasmInitFailed = true
   private _hasErrors = false
   private _switchedFiles = false
+  private _fileSettings: KclSettingsAnnotation = {}
 
   engineCommandManager: EngineCommandManager
 
@@ -368,6 +370,13 @@ export class KclManager {
       await this.disableSketchMode()
     }
 
+    let fileSettings = getSettingsAnnotation(ast)
+    if (err(fileSettings)) {
+      console.error(fileSettings)
+      fileSettings = {}
+    }
+    this.fileSettings = fileSettings
+
     this.logs = logs
     this.errors = errors
     // Do not add the errors since the program was interrupted and the error is not a real KCL error
@@ -699,6 +708,14 @@ export class KclManager {
   _isAstEmpty(ast: Node<Program>) {
     return ast.start === 0 && ast.end === 0 && ast.body.length === 0
   }
+
+  get fileSettings() {
+    return this._fileSettings
+  }
+
+  set fileSettings(settings: KclSettingsAnnotation) {
+    this._fileSettings = settings
+  }
 }
 
 const defaultSelectionFilter: EntityType_type[] = [
diff --git a/src/lang/queryAst.ts b/src/lang/queryAst.ts
index e22363867..64b918b6f 100644
--- a/src/lang/queryAst.ts
+++ b/src/lang/queryAst.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import {
   VariableDeclaration,
   VariableDeclarator,
   recast,
+  kclSettings,
+  unitLenToUnitLength,
+  unitAngToUnitAngle,
 } from './wasm'
 import { getNodePathFromSourceRange } from 'lang/queryAstNodePathUtils'
 import { createIdentifier, splitPathAtLastIndex } from './modifyAst'
@@ -38,6 +41,7 @@ import { ImportStatement } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/ImportStatement'
 import { Node } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/Node'
 import { findKwArg } from './util'
 import { codeRefFromRange } from './std/artifactGraph'
+import { KclSettingsAnnotation } from 'lib/settings/settingsTypes'
 
 export const LABELED_ARG_FIELD = 'LabeledArg -> Arg'
 export const ARG_INDEX_FIELD = 'arg index'
@@ -866,3 +870,24 @@ export function getObjExprProperty(
   if (index === -1) return null
   return { expr: node.properties[index].value, index }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Given KCL, returns the settings annotation object if it exists.
+ */
+export function getSettingsAnnotation(
+  kcl: string | Node<Program>
+): KclSettingsAnnotation | Error {
+  const metaSettings = kclSettings(kcl)
+  if (err(metaSettings)) return metaSettings
+
+  const settings: KclSettingsAnnotation = {}
+  // No settings in the KCL.
+  if (!metaSettings) return settings
+
+  settings.defaultLengthUnit = unitLenToUnitLength(
+    metaSettings.defaultLengthUnits
+  )
+  settings.defaultAngleUnit = unitAngToUnitAngle(metaSettings.defaultAngleUnits)
+
+  return settings
+}
diff --git a/src/lang/wasm.ts b/src/lang/wasm.ts
index 5586121cb..b99f09e12 100644
--- a/src/lang/wasm.ts
+++ b/src/lang/wasm.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   default_project_settings,
   base64_decode,
   clear_scene_and_bust_cache,
+  kcl_settings,
   change_kcl_settings,
   reloadModule,
 } from 'lib/wasm_lib_wrapper'
@@ -58,6 +59,9 @@ import { Artifact } from './std/artifactGraph'
 import { getNodePathFromSourceRange } from 'lang/queryAstNodePathUtils'
 import { NumericSuffix } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/NumericSuffix'
 import { MetaSettings } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/MetaSettings'
+import { UnitAngle, UnitLength } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/ModelingCmd'
+import { UnitLen } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/UnitLen'
+import { UnitAngle as UnitAng } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/UnitAngle'
 
 export type { Artifact } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/Artifact'
 export type { ArtifactCommand } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/Artifact'
@@ -857,8 +861,35 @@ export function base64Decode(base64: string): ArrayBuffer | Error {
   }
 }
 
-/// Change the meta settings for the kcl file.
-/// Returns the new kcl string with the updated settings.
+/**
+ * Get the meta settings for the KCL.  If no settings were set in the file,
+ * returns null.
+ */
+export function kclSettings(
+  kcl: string | Node<Program>
+): MetaSettings | null | Error {
+  let program: Node<Program>
+  if (typeof kcl === 'string') {
+    const parseResult = parse(kcl)
+    if (err(parseResult)) return parseResult
+    if (!resultIsOk(parseResult)) {
+      return new Error(`parse result had errors`, { cause: parseResult })
+    }
+    program = parseResult.program
+  } else {
+    program = kcl
+  }
+  try {
+    return kcl_settings(JSON.stringify(program))
+  } catch (e) {
+    return new Error('Caught error getting kcl settings', { cause: e })
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Change the meta settings for the kcl file.
+ * @returns the new kcl string with the updated settings.
+ */
 export function changeKclSettings(
   kcl: string,
   settings: MetaSettings
@@ -866,7 +897,59 @@ export function changeKclSettings(
   try {
     return change_kcl_settings(kcl, JSON.stringify(settings))
   } catch (e) {
-    console.error('Caught error changing kcl settings: ' + e)
-    return new Error('Caught error changing kcl settings: ' + e)
+    console.error('Caught error changing kcl settings', e)
+    return new Error('Caught error changing kcl settings', { cause: e })
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert a `UnitLength_type` to a `UnitLen`
+ */
+export function unitLengthToUnitLen(input: UnitLength): UnitLen {
+  switch (input) {
+    case 'm':
+      return { type: 'M' }
+    case 'cm':
+      return { type: 'Cm' }
+    case 'yd':
+      return { type: 'Yards' }
+    case 'ft':
+      return { type: 'Feet' }
+    case 'in':
+      return { type: 'Inches' }
+    default:
+      return { type: 'Mm' }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert `UnitLen` to `UnitLength_type`.
+ */
+export function unitLenToUnitLength(input: UnitLen): UnitLength {
+  switch (input.type) {
+    case 'M':
+      return 'm'
+    case 'Cm':
+      return 'cm'
+    case 'Yards':
+      return 'yd'
+    case 'Feet':
+      return 'ft'
+    case 'Inches':
+      return 'in'
+    default:
+      return 'mm'
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert `UnitAngle` to `UnitAngle_type`.
+ */
+export function unitAngToUnitAngle(input: UnitAng): UnitAngle {
+  switch (input.type) {
+    case 'Radians':
+      return 'radians'
+    default:
+      return 'degrees'
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/settings/settingsTypes.ts b/src/lib/settings/settingsTypes.ts
index a9de440eb..755ef0cde 100644
--- a/src/lib/settings/settingsTypes.ts
+++ b/src/lib/settings/settingsTypes.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import { AtLeast, PathValue, Paths } from 'lib/types'
 import { CommandArgumentConfig } from 'lib/commandTypes'
 import { Themes } from 'lib/theme'
 import { CameraProjectionType } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/CameraProjectionType'
+import {
+  UnitAngle_type,
+  UnitLength_type,
+} from '@kittycad/lib/dist/types/src/models'
 import { CameraOrbitType } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/CameraOrbitType'
 
 export interface SettingsViaQueryString {
@@ -138,3 +142,12 @@ type RecursiveSettingsPayloads<T> = {
 }
 
 export type SaveSettingsPayload = RecursiveSettingsPayloads<typeof settings>
+
+/**
+ * Annotation names for default units are defined on rust side in
+ * src/wasm-lib/kcl/src/execution/annotations.rs
+ */
+export interface KclSettingsAnnotation {
+  defaultLengthUnit?: UnitLength_type
+  defaultAngleUnit?: UnitAngle_type
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/wasm_lib_wrapper.ts b/src/lib/wasm_lib_wrapper.ts
index 93d670e7f..e6b1b3800 100644
--- a/src/lib/wasm_lib_wrapper.ts
+++ b/src/lib/wasm_lib_wrapper.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   default_project_settings as DefaultProjectSettings,
   base64_decode as Base64Decode,
   clear_scene_and_bust_cache as ClearSceneAndBustCache,
+  kcl_settings as KclSettings,
   change_kcl_settings as ChangeKclSettings,
 } from '../wasm-lib/pkg/wasm_lib'
 
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ export const clear_scene_and_bust_cache: typeof ClearSceneAndBustCache = (
 ) => {
   return getModule().clear_scene_and_bust_cache(...args)
 }
+export const kcl_settings: typeof KclSettings = (...args) => {
+  return getModule().kcl_settings(...args)
+}
 export const change_kcl_settings: typeof ChangeKclSettings = (...args) => {
   return getModule().change_kcl_settings(...args)
 }
diff --git a/src/wasm-lib/kcl/src/lib.rs b/src/wasm-lib/kcl/src/lib.rs
index 02b75fe1c..8ac2981b6 100644
--- a/src/wasm-lib/kcl/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/wasm-lib/kcl/src/lib.rs
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ impl Program {
     }
 
     /// Get the meta settings for the kcl file from the annotations.
-    pub fn get_meta_settings(&self) -> Result<Option<crate::MetaSettings>, KclError> {
+    pub fn meta_settings(&self) -> Result<Option<crate::MetaSettings>, KclError> {
         self.ast.get_meta_settings()
     }
 
diff --git a/src/wasm-lib/src/wasm.rs b/src/wasm-lib/src/wasm.rs
index 48a7015b7..0fe2ca3bc 100644
--- a/src/wasm-lib/src/wasm.rs
+++ b/src/wasm-lib/src/wasm.rs
@@ -539,6 +539,18 @@ pub fn calculate_circle_from_3_points(ax: f64, ay: f64, bx: f64, by: f64, cx: f6
     }
 }
 
+/// Takes a parsed KCL program and returns the Meta settings.  If it's not
+/// found, null is returned.
+#[wasm_bindgen]
+pub fn kcl_settings(program_json: &str) -> Result<JsValue, String> {
+    console_error_panic_hook::set_once();
+
+    let program: Program = serde_json::from_str(program_json).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+    let settings = program.meta_settings().map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+
+    JsValue::from_serde(&settings).map_err(|e| e.to_string())
+}
+
 /// Takes a kcl string and Meta settings and changes the meta settings in the kcl string.
 #[wasm_bindgen]
 pub fn change_kcl_settings(code: &str, settings_str: &str) -> Result<String, String> {