X-ray diffraction contrast tomography ͑DCT͒ is a technique for mapping grain shape and orientation in plastically undeformed polycrystals. In this paper, we describe a modified DCT data acquisition strategy which permits the incorporation of an innovative Friedel pair method for analyzing diffraction data. Diffraction spots are acquired during a 360°rotation of the sample and are analyzed in terms of the Friedel pairs ͑͑hkl͒ and ͑hkl͒ reflections, observed 180°apart in rotation͒. The resulting increase in the accuracy with which the diffraction vectors are determined allows the use of improved algorithms for grain indexing ͑assigning diffraction spots to the grains from which they arise͒ and reconstruction. The accuracy of the resulting grain maps is quantified with reference to synchrotron microtomography data for a specimen made from a beta titanium system in which a second phase can be precipitated at grain boundaries, thereby revealing the grain shapes. The simple changes introduced to the DCT methodology are equally applicable to other variants of grain mapping.