diff --git a/examples/webpack/config.js b/examples/webpack/config.js
index a7ea23a2a4..6121b4b66f 100644
--- a/examples/webpack/config.js
+++ b/examples/webpack/config.js
@@ -19,16 +19,25 @@ module.exports = {
   context: src,
   target: 'web',
   entry: entry,
+  stats: 'minimal',
   module: {
     rules: [{
+      test: /\.js$/,
       use: {
         loader: 'buble-loader'
       },
-      test: /\.js$/,
       include: [
         path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'src'),
         path.join(__dirname, '..')
       ]
+    }, {
+      test: /\.js$/,
+      use: {
+        loader: path.join(__dirname, './worker-loader.js')
+      },
+      include: [
+        path.join(__dirname, '../../src/ol/worker')
+      ]
     }]
   },
   optimization: {
diff --git a/examples/webpack/worker-loader.js b/examples/webpack/worker-loader.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8d10eae09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/webpack/worker-loader.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+const build = require('../../tasks/serialize-workers').build;
+
+function loader() {
+  const callback = this.async();
+
+  build(this.resource, {minify: false})
+    .then(chunk => {
+      for (const filePath in chunk.modules) {
+        this.addDependency(filePath);
+      }
+      callback(null, chunk.code);
+    })
+    .catch(callback);
+}
+
+module.exports = loader;
diff --git a/examples/worker.html b/examples/worker.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cc794a6a94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/worker.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+layout: example.html
+title: Worker
+shortdesc: This example should be deleted.
+docs: >
+  When you move the map, a message is sent to a worker.  In response, the woker sends a
+  message back with the version identifier.
+tags: "worker"
+---
+<div id="map" class="map"></div>
diff --git a/examples/worker.js b/examples/worker.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5324c040b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/worker.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
+
+import Map from '../src/ol/Map.js';
+import View from '../src/ol/View.js';
+import TileLayer from '../src/ol/layer/Tile.js';
+import OSM from '../src/ol/source/OSM.js';
+import {create as createVersionWorker} from '../src/ol/worker/version';
+
+
+const map = new Map({
+  layers: [
+    new TileLayer({
+      source: new OSM()
+    })
+  ],
+  target: 'map',
+  view: new View({
+    center: [0, 0],
+    zoom: 2
+  })
+});
+
+const worker = createVersionWorker();
+worker.addEventListener('error', function(error) {
+  console.error('worker error', error);
+});
+
+worker.addEventListener('message', function(event) {
+  console.log('message from worker:', event.data);
+});
+
+map.on('moveend', function(event) {
+  const state = event.frameState.viewState;
+  worker.postMessage({zoom: state.zoom, center: state.center});
+});
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ac8671fcc7..332aafd0f7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     "build-index": "npm run build-package && node tasks/generate-index",
     "build-legacy": "shx rm -rf build && npm run build-index && webpack --config config/webpack-config-legacy-build.js && cleancss --source-map src/ol/ol.css -o build/legacy/ol.css",
     "copy-css": "shx cp src/ol/ol.css build/ol/ol.css",
-    "transpile": "shx rm -rf build/ol && shx mkdir -p build/ol && shx cp -rf src/ol build/ol/src && tsc --project config/tsconfig-build.json",
+    "transpile": "shx rm -rf build/ol && shx mkdir -p build/ol && shx cp -rf src/ol build/ol/src && node tasks/serialize-workers && tsc --project config/tsconfig-build.json",
     "typecheck": "tsc --pretty",
     "apidoc": "jsdoc -R config/jsdoc/api/index.md -c config/jsdoc/api/conf.json -P package.json -d build/apidoc"
   },
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "^7.4.0",
-    "@babel/preset-env": "^7.4.2",
+    "@babel/preset-env": "^7.4.4",
     "@openlayers/eslint-plugin": "^4.0.0-beta.2",
     "@types/arcgis-rest-api": "^10.4.4",
     "@types/geojson": "^7946.0.7",
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@
     "pngjs": "^3.4.0",
     "proj4": "2.5.0",
     "puppeteer": "~1.16.0",
+    "rollup": "^1.12.0",
+    "rollup-plugin-babel": "^4.3.2",
+    "rollup-plugin-commonjs": "^10.0.0",
+    "rollup-plugin-node-resolve": "^5.0.0",
+    "rollup-plugin-terser": "^4.0.4",
     "serve-static": "^1.14.0",
     "shx": "^0.3.2",
     "sinon": "^7.3.2",
diff --git a/src/ol/worker/version.js b/src/ol/worker/version.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..71abc3857f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ol/worker/version.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/**
+ * @module ol/worker/version
+ * A worker that responds to messages by posting a message with the version identifer.
+ */
+import {VERSION} from '../util';
+
+onmessage = event => {
+  console.log('version worker received message:', event.data); // eslint-disable-line
+  postMessage(`version: ${VERSION}`);
+};
+
+export let create;
diff --git a/tasks/serialize-workers.js b/tasks/serialize-workers.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dbf7e12c1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/serialize-workers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+const path = require('path');
+const babel = require('rollup-plugin-babel');
+const resolve = require('rollup-plugin-node-resolve');
+const common = require('rollup-plugin-commonjs');
+const rollup = require('rollup');
+const terser = require('rollup-plugin-terser').terser;
+const fse = require('fs-extra');
+
+async function build(input, {minify = true} = {}) {
+  const plugins = [
+    {
+      name: 'remove export let create',
+      transform(code, id) {
+        if (id !== input) {
+          return null;
+        }
+        return code.replace('export let create;\n', '');
+      }
+    },
+    common(),
+    resolve(),
+    babel({
+      'presets': [
+        [
+          '@babel/preset-env',
+          {
+            'modules': false,
+            'targets': 'last 2 version, not dead'
+          }
+        ]
+      ]
+    }),
+    {
+      name: 'serialize worker and export create function',
+      renderChunk(code) {
+        return `
+          const source = ${JSON.stringify(code)};
+          const blob = new Blob([source], {type: 'application/javascript'});
+          const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
+          export function create() {
+            return new Worker(url);
+          }
+        `;
+      }
+    }
+  ];
+
+  if (minify) {
+    plugins.push(terser());
+  }
+
+  const bundle = await rollup.rollup({input, plugins});
+  const {output} = await bundle.generate({format: 'es'});
+
+  if (output.length !== 1) {
+    throw new Error(`Unexpected output length: ${output.length}`);
+  }
+
+  const chunk = output[0];
+  if (chunk.isAsset) {
+    throw new Error('Expected a chunk, got an asset');
+  }
+
+  return chunk;
+}
+
+exports.build = build;
+
+
+/**
+ * Creates modules with inlined versions of the worker sources.  These modules
+ * export a `create` function for creating a worker.
+ */
+async function main() {
+  const inputDir = path.join(__dirname, '../src/ol/worker');
+  const outputDir = path.join(__dirname, '../build/ol/src/worker');
+
+  await fse.ensureDir(outputDir);
+
+  const entries = await fse.readdir(inputDir);
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    if (!entry.endsWith('.js')) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const chunk = await build(path.join(inputDir, entry));
+    await fse.writeFile(path.join(outputDir, entry), chunk.code);
+  }
+}
+
+if (require.main === module) {
+  main().catch(err => {
+    process.stderr.write(`${err.stack}\n`);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/karma.config.js b/test/karma.config.js
index e1be311201..fbb0fb011f 100644
--- a/test/karma.config.js
+++ b/test/karma.config.js
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ module.exports = function(karma) {
             },
             include: path.resolve('src/ol/'),
             exclude: path.resolve('node_modules/')
+          }, {
+            test: /\.js$/,
+            use: {
+              loader: path.join(__dirname, '../examples/webpack/worker-loader.js')
+            },
+            include: [
+              path.join(__dirname, '../src/ol/worker')
+            ]
           }
         ]
       }
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/worker/version.test.js b/test/spec/ol/worker/version.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2dab618dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/ol/worker/version.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import {create} from '../../../../src/ol/worker/version.js';
+import {VERSION} from '../../../../src/ol/util.js';
+
+
+describe('ol/worker/version', function() {
+
+  let worker;
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    worker = create();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function() {
+    if (worker) {
+      worker.terminate();
+    }
+    worker = null;
+  });
+
+  describe('messaging', function() {
+    it('responds with the version', function(done) {
+      worker.addEventListener('error', done);
+
+      worker.addEventListener('message', function(event) {
+        expect(event.data).to.equal('version: ' + VERSION);
+        done();
+      });
+
+      worker.postMessage('test message');
+    });
+  });
+
+});
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index 4de40de1b2..6e378a37be 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     /* Basic Options */
     "target": "ES2017",                       /* Specify ECMAScript target version: 'ES3' (default), 'ES5', 'ES2015', 'ES2016', 'ES2017','ES2018' or 'ESNEXT'. */
     "module": "commonjs",                     /* Specify module code generation: 'none', 'commonjs', 'amd', 'system', 'umd', 'es2015', or 'ESNext'. */
-    "lib": ["es2017", "dom"],                        /* Specify library files to be included in the compilation. */
+    "lib": ["es2017", "dom", "webworker"],    /* Specify library files to be included in the compilation. */
     "allowJs": true,                          /* Allow javascript files to be compiled. */
     "checkJs": true,                          /* Report errors in .js files. */
     // "jsx": "preserve",                     /* Specify JSX code generation: 'preserve', 'react-native', or 'react'. */