diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 371349d02..25622925e 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 
 * Order of arguments in `wb_add_conditional_formatting()` changed, because previously overlooked `dims` argument was added. [642](https://github.com/JanMarvin/openxlsx2/pull/642)
 
+* New argument `gradientFill` was added to `create_dxfs_style()`. [651](https://github.com/JanMarvin/openxlsx2/pull/6501
+
 
 ***************************************************************************
 
diff --git a/R/wb_styles.R b/R/wb_styles.R
index d059a9e86..43fe2469e 100644
--- a/R/wb_styles.R
+++ b/R/wb_styles.R
@@ -667,6 +667,7 @@ get_cell_styles <- function(wb, sheet, cell) {
 #' @param border_style "thin"
 #' @param bgFill Cell background fill color.
 #' @param fgColor Cell foreground fill color.
+#' @param gradientFill An xml string beginning with <gradientFill> ...
 #' @param text_bold bold
 #' @param text_strike strikeout
 #' @param text_italic italic
@@ -706,6 +707,7 @@ create_dxfs_style <- function(
     border_style   = getOption("openxlsx2.borderStyle", "thin"),
     bgFill         = NULL,
     fgColor        = NULL,
+    gradientFill   = NULL,
     text_bold      = NULL,
     text_strike    = NULL,
     text_italic    = NULL,
@@ -742,8 +744,14 @@ create_dxfs_style <- function(
     patternType <- "solid"
   }
 
-  if (!is.null(bgFill) && !all(bgFill == "")) {
-    fill <- create_fill(patternType = patternType, bgColor = bgFill, fgColor = fgColor)
+  if (!is.null(bgFill) && !all(bgFill == "") || !is.null(gradientFill)) {
+    if (is.null(gradientFill)) {
+      # gradientFill is an xml string
+      gradientFill <- ""
+    } else {
+      patternType  <- ""
+    }
+    fill <- create_fill(patternType = patternType, bgColor = bgFill, fgColor = fgColor, gradientFill = gradientFill)
   } else {
     fill <- NULL
   }
diff --git a/man/create_dxfs_style.Rd b/man/create_dxfs_style.Rd
index 5793a42f0..b6f6ba7ef 100644
--- a/man/create_dxfs_style.Rd
+++ b/man/create_dxfs_style.Rd
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ create_dxfs_style(
   border_style = getOption("openxlsx2.borderStyle", "thin"),
   bgFill = NULL,
   fgColor = NULL,
+  gradientFill = NULL,
   text_bold = NULL,
   text_strike = NULL,
   text_italic = NULL,
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ or one of colors(). If fontColor is NULL, the workbook base font colors is used.
 
 \item{fgColor}{Cell foreground fill color.}
 
+\item{gradientFill}{An xml string beginning with \if{html}{\out{<gradientFill>}} ...}
+
 \item{text_bold}{bold}
 
 \item{text_strike}{strikeout}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-conditional_formatting.R b/tests/testthat/test-conditional_formatting.R
index 7385dbfb4..c627caf9a 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-conditional_formatting.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-conditional_formatting.R
@@ -767,3 +767,26 @@ test_that("un_list works", {
   expect_equal(pre_save, post_save)
 
 })
+
+test_that("conditional formatting with gradientFill works", {
+
+  gf <- read_xml(
+    "<gradientFill degree=\"45\">
+      <stop position=\"0\"><color rgb=\"FFFFC000\"/></stop>
+      <stop position=\"1\"><color rgb=\"FF00B0F0\"/></stop>
+   </gradientFill>",
+    pointer = FALSE)
+
+  gf_style <- create_dxfs_style(gradientFill = gf)
+
+  wb <- wb_workbook()$
+    add_worksheet()$
+    add_data(x = 1)$
+    add_conditional_formatting(cols = 1, rows = 1, rule = "==1", style = "gf_style")$
+    add_style(gf_style)
+
+  exp <- "<dxf><fill><gradientFill degree=\"45\"><stop position=\"0\"><color rgb=\"FFFFC000\"/></stop><stop position=\"1\"><color rgb=\"FF00B0F0\"/></stop></gradientFill></fill></dxf>"
+  got <- wb$styles_mgr$styles$dxfs
+  expect_equal(exp, got)
+
+})