diff --git a/xesmf/backend.py b/xesmf/backend.py
index db1c10ba..6b891fb2 100644
--- a/xesmf/backend.py
+++ b/xesmf/backend.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def warn_lat_range(lat):
 
 class Grid(ESMF.Grid):
     @classmethod
-    def from_xarray(cls, lon, lat, periodic=False, mask=None):
+    def from_xarray(cls, lon, lat, periodic=False, mask=None, pole_kind=None):
         """
         Create an ESMF.Grid object, for constructing ESMF.Field and ESMF.Regrid.
 
@@ -83,6 +83,17 @@ def from_xarray(cls, lon, lat, periodic=False, mask=None):
             Shape should be ``(Nlon, Nlat)`` for rectilinear grid,
             or ``(Nx, Ny)`` for general quadrilateral grid.
 
+        pole_kind : [int, int] or None
+            Two item list which specifies the type of connection which occurs at the pole.
+            The first value specifies the connection that occurs at the minimum end of the
+            pole dimension. The second value specifies the connection that occurs at the
+            maximum end of the pole dimension. Options are 0 (no connections at pole),
+            1 (monopole, this edge is connected to itself. Given that the edge is n elements long,
+            then element i is connected to element i+n/2), and 2 (bipole, this edge is connected
+            to itself. Given that the edge is n elements long, element i is connected to element n-i-1.
+            If None, defaults to [1,1] for monopole connections. See :attr:`ESMF.api.constants.PoleKind`.
+            Requires ESMF >= 8.0.1
+
         Returns
         -------
         grid : ESMF.Grid object
@@ -107,6 +118,12 @@ def from_xarray(cls, lon, lat, periodic=False, mask=None):
         else:
             num_peri_dims = None
 
+        # `pole_kind` option supported since 8.0.1
+        if ESMF.__version__ < '8.0.1':
+            if pole_kind is not None:
+                raise ValueError('The `pole_kind` option requires esmpy >= 8.0.1')
+            pole_kind = None
+
         # ESMPy documentation claims that if staggerloc and coord_sys are None,
         # they will be set to default values (CENTER and SPH_DEG).
         # However, they actually need to be set explicitly,
@@ -116,6 +133,7 @@ def from_xarray(cls, lon, lat, periodic=False, mask=None):
             staggerloc=staggerloc,
             coord_sys=ESMF.CoordSys.SPH_DEG,
             num_peri_dims=num_peri_dims,
+            pole_kind=pole_kind,
         )
 
         # The grid object points to the underlying Fortran arrays in ESMF.
diff --git a/xesmf/frontend.py b/xesmf/frontend.py
index 989662a9..27632aae 100644
--- a/xesmf/frontend.py
+++ b/xesmf/frontend.py
@@ -157,11 +157,16 @@ def ds_to_ESMFgrid(ds, need_bounds=False, periodic=None, append=None):
     else:
         mask = None
 
+    if 'pole_kind' in ds:
+        pole_kind = np.asarray(ds['pole_kind'])
+    else:
+        pole_kind = None
+
     # tranpose the arrays so they become Fortran-ordered
     if mask is not None:
-        grid = Grid.from_xarray(lon.T, lat.T, periodic=periodic, mask=mask.T)
+        grid = Grid.from_xarray(lon.T, lat.T, periodic=periodic, mask=mask.T, pole_kind=pole_kind)
     else:
-        grid = Grid.from_xarray(lon.T, lat.T, periodic=periodic, mask=None)
+        grid = Grid.from_xarray(lon.T, lat.T, periodic=periodic, mask=None, pole_kind=pole_kind)
 
     if need_bounds:
         lon_b, lat_b = _get_lon_lat_bounds(ds)
diff --git a/xesmf/tests/test_frontend.py b/xesmf/tests/test_frontend.py
index 4a5a595c..aa109751 100644
--- a/xesmf/tests/test_frontend.py
+++ b/xesmf/tests/test_frontend.py
@@ -1007,3 +1007,66 @@ def test_densify_polys():
     poly = Polygon([(-80, -40), (80, -40), (80, 40), (-80, 40)])  # Large poly
     with pytest.warns(UserWarning):
         xe.SpatialAverager(ds_in, [poly])
+
+
+def test_regrid_polekind():
+
+    import pathlib
+    import tarfile
+    import urllib.request
+
+    # get file from figshare with sample OM4 (tripolar) data
+    url_om4_sample = 'https://figshare.com/ndownloader/files/52228691'
+    fname = 'xesmf_testing_OM4.tar.gz'
+    urllib.request.urlretrieve(url_om4_sample, fname)
+
+    # extract and read data
+    tar = tarfile.open(fname, 'r:gz')
+    tar.extractall()
+    tar.close()
+
+    ds_in = xr.open_dataset('OM4_sample_sst.nc')
+
+    # Open output grid specification
+    ds_out = xe.util.grid_global(1, 1, cf=False, lon1=180)
+
+    # Create regridder without specifying pole kind
+    base_regrid = xe.Regridder(ds_in, ds_out, 'bilinear', ignore_degenerate=True, periodic=True)
+    base_result = base_regrid(ds_in['sst'])
+
+    # Add monopole grid information. 1 denotes monopole, 2 bipole
+    ds_in['pole_kind'] = np.array([1, 1])
+    ds_out['pole_kind'] = np.array([1, 1])
+
+    monopole_regrid = xe.Regridder(ds_in, ds_out, 'bilinear', ignore_degenerate=True, periodic=True)
+    monopole_result = monopole_regrid(ds_in['sst'])
+
+    # Check behavior unchanged
+    assert monopole_result.equals(base_result)
+
+    # Add bipole grid information
+    ds_in['pole_kind'] = np.array([1, 2], np.int32)
+
+    bipole_regrid = xe.Regridder(ds_in, ds_out, 'bilinear', ignore_degenerate=True, periodic=True)
+    bipole_result = bipole_regrid(ds_in['sst'])
+
+    # Confirm results have changed
+    assert not bipole_result.equals(monopole_result)
+
+    # Confirm results are better with bipolar option
+    # without proper pole_kinds there are discontinuities close to the northfold
+    # easily visible on the northernmost rows
+    grad_monopole = np.gradient(monopole_result.isel(y=-2))
+    grad_bipole = np.gradient(bipole_result.isel(y=-2))
+
+    rms_grad_monopole = (grad_monopole * grad_monopole).sum()
+    rms_grad_bipole = (grad_bipole * grad_bipole).sum()
+
+    assert rms_grad_bipole < rms_grad_monopole
+
+    # Clean up files
+    file_to_rem = pathlib.Path('OM4_sample_sst.nc')
+    file_to_rem.unlink()
+    file_to_rem = pathlib.Path('xesmf_testing_OM4.tar.gz')
+    file_to_rem.unlink()
+    return None