@nook_nerd
Thank you for the tests results. Could you try something in addition?
After you close/exit the first time the ksm message,
- press "read rotate-value" and make a note of the result
- press "set read value again"
- press "ksm message"
If this time the message window is in the correct orientation, try
- repeating several times "close/exit" - "set read value again" - "ksm message" (repeating makes only sense when after the first repetition the rotation is still ok.)