diff --git a/src/ol/browserfeature.js b/src/ol/browserfeature.js
index b8b9614ea8..4d82cd436a 100644
--- a/src/ol/browserfeature.js
+++ b/src/ol/browserfeature.js
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ ol.ENABLE_CANVAS = true;
 ol.ENABLE_DOM = true;
 
 
+/**
+ * @define {boolean} Whether to enable rendering of image layers.
+ */
+ol.ENABLE_IMAGE = true;
+
+
 /**
  * @define {boolean} Whether to enable WebGL.
  */
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js
index d4d4dc2404..4aedf17c9d 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ goog.inherits(ol.renderer.canvas.Map, ol.renderer.Map);
  * @inheritDoc
  */
 ol.renderer.canvas.Map.prototype.createLayerRenderer = function(layer) {
-  if (layer instanceof ol.layer.Image) {
+  if (ol.ENABLE_IMAGE && layer instanceof ol.layer.Image) {
     return new ol.renderer.canvas.ImageLayer(this, layer);
   } else if (layer instanceof ol.layer.Tile) {
     return new ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer(this, layer);
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/dom/dommaprenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/dom/dommaprenderer.js
index 08cbfd33e7..d9d764e8c3 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/dom/dommaprenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/dom/dommaprenderer.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ goog.inherits(ol.renderer.dom.Map, ol.renderer.Map);
  */
 ol.renderer.dom.Map.prototype.createLayerRenderer = function(layer) {
   var layerRenderer;
-  if (layer instanceof ol.layer.Image) {
+  if (ol.ENABLE_IMAGE && layer instanceof ol.layer.Image) {
     layerRenderer = new ol.renderer.dom.ImageLayer(this, layer);
   } else if (layer instanceof ol.layer.Tile) {
     layerRenderer = new ol.renderer.dom.TileLayer(this, layer);
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webglmaprenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webglmaprenderer.js
index ef78d312b2..d92bee38fb 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webglmaprenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/webgl/webglmaprenderer.js
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ ol.renderer.webgl.Map.prototype.bindTileTexture =
  * @inheritDoc
  */
 ol.renderer.webgl.Map.prototype.createLayerRenderer = function(layer) {
-  if (layer instanceof ol.layer.Image) {
+  if (ol.ENABLE_IMAGE && layer instanceof ol.layer.Image) {
     return new ol.renderer.webgl.ImageLayer(this, layer);
   } else if (layer instanceof ol.layer.Tile) {
     return new ol.renderer.webgl.TileLayer(this, layer);