diff --git a/quaternionic/converters.py b/quaternionic/converters.py
index bd3b8ee..b601a09 100644
--- a/quaternionic/converters.py
+++ b/quaternionic/converters.py
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def from_rotation_matrix(cls, rot, nonorthogonal=True):
                 if not shape:
                     q = np.empty((4,), dtype=rot.dtype)
                     eigvals, eigvecs = linalg.eigh(K3.T, subset_by_index=(3, 3))
-                    q[0] = eigvecs[-1]
+                    q[0] = eigvecs[-1, 0]
                     q[1:] = -eigvecs[:-1].flatten()
                     return cls(q)
                 else:
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ def from_rotation_matrix(cls, rot, nonorthogonal=True):
                     for flat_index in range(reduce(mul, shape)):
                         multi_index = np.unravel_index(flat_index, shape)
                         eigvals, eigvecs = linalg.eigh(K3[multi_index], subset_by_index=(3, 3))
-                        q[multi_index+(0,)] = eigvecs[-1]
+                        q[multi_index+(0,)] = eigvecs[-1, 0]
                         q[multi_index+(slice(1,None),)] = -eigvecs[:-1].flatten()
                     return cls(q)