diff --git a/src/ol/layer/WebGLPoints.js b/src/ol/layer/WebGLPoints.js
index 74fa63b039..7c9327e234 100644
--- a/src/ol/layer/WebGLPoints.js
+++ b/src/ol/layer/WebGLPoints.js
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ class WebGLPointsLayer extends Layer {
     return new WebGLPointsLayerRenderer(this, {
       vertexShader: this.parseResult_.builder.getSymbolVertexShader(),
       fragmentShader: this.parseResult_.builder.getSymbolFragmentShader(),
+      hitVertexShader: this.parseResult_.builder.getSymbolVertexShader(true),
+      hitFragmentShader: this.parseResult_.builder.getSymbolFragmentShader(true),
       uniforms: this.parseResult_.uniforms,
       attributes: this.parseResult_.attributes
     });
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/webgl/PointsLayer.js b/src/ol/renderer/webgl/PointsLayer.js
index 71788a373c..45eb8e30b0 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/webgl/PointsLayer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/webgl/PointsLayer.js
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ class WebGLPointsLayerRenderer extends WebGLLayerRenderer {
       options.hitVertexShader
     );
 
+    if (this.getShaderCompileErrors()) {
+      throw new Error(this.getShaderCompileErrors());
+    }
+
     const customAttributes = options.attributes ?
       options.attributes.map(function(attribute) {
         return {
diff --git a/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js b/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js
index 666c76d3cd..adcd1b6d22 100644
--- a/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js
+++ b/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js
@@ -248,13 +248,27 @@ export class ShaderBuilder {
    * The following varyings are hardcoded and gives the coordinate of the pixel both in the quad and on the texture:
    * `vec2 v_quadCoord`, `vec2 v_texCoord`
    *
+   * @param {boolean} [forHitDetection] If true, the shader will be modified to include hit detection variables
+   * (namely, hit color with encoded feature id).
    * @returns {string} The full shader as a string.
    */
-  getSymbolVertexShader() {
+  getSymbolVertexShader(forHitDetection) {
     const offsetMatrix = this.rotateWithView ?
       'u_offsetScaleMatrix * u_offsetRotateMatrix' :
       'u_offsetScaleMatrix';
 
+    let attributes = this.attributes;
+    let varyings = this.varyings;
+
+    if (forHitDetection) {
+      attributes = attributes.concat('vec4 a_hitColor');
+      varyings = varyings.concat({
+        name: 'v_hitColor',
+        type: 'vec4',
+        expression: 'a_hitColor'
+      });
+    }
+
     return `precision mediump float;
 uniform mat4 u_projectionMatrix;
 uniform mat4 u_offsetScaleMatrix;
@@ -265,12 +279,12 @@ ${this.uniforms.map(function(uniform) {
   }).join('\n')}
 attribute vec2 a_position;
 attribute float a_index;
-${this.attributes.map(function(attribute) {
+${attributes.map(function(attribute) {
     return 'attribute ' + attribute + ';';
   }).join('\n')}
 varying vec2 v_texCoord;
 varying vec2 v_quadCoord;
-${this.varyings.map(function(varying) {
+${varyings.map(function(varying) {
     return 'varying ' + varying.type + ' ' + varying.name + ';';
   }).join('\n')}
 void main(void) {
@@ -288,7 +302,7 @@ void main(void) {
   u = a_index == 0.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? 0.0 : 1.0;
   v = a_index == 2.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? 0.0 : 1.0;
   v_quadCoord = vec2(u, v);
-${this.varyings.map(function(varying) {
+${varyings.map(function(varying) {
     return '  ' + varying.name + ' = ' + varying.expression + ';';
   }).join('\n')}
 }`;
@@ -301,9 +315,24 @@ ${this.varyings.map(function(varying) {
    * Expects the following varyings to be transmitted by the vertex shader:
    * `vec2 v_quadCoord`, `vec2 v_texCoord`
    *
+   * @param {boolean} [forHitDetection] If true, the shader will be modified to include hit detection variables
+   * (namely, hit color with encoded feature id).
    * @returns {string} The full shader as a string.
    */
-  getSymbolFragmentShader() {
+  getSymbolFragmentShader(forHitDetection) {
+    const hitDetectionBypass = forHitDetection ?
+      '  if (gl_FragColor.a < 0.1) { discard; } gl_FragColor = v_hitColor;' : '';
+
+    let varyings = this.varyings;
+
+    if (forHitDetection) {
+      varyings = varyings.concat({
+        name: 'v_hitColor',
+        type: 'vec4',
+        expression: 'a_hitColor'
+      });
+    }
+
     return `precision mediump float;
 uniform float u_time;
 ${this.uniforms.map(function(uniform) {
@@ -311,13 +340,14 @@ ${this.uniforms.map(function(uniform) {
   }).join('\n')}
 varying vec2 v_texCoord;
 varying vec2 v_quadCoord;
-${this.varyings.map(function(varying) {
+${varyings.map(function(varying) {
     return 'varying ' + varying.type + ' ' + varying.name + ';';
   }).join('\n')}
 void main(void) {
   if (${this.discardExpression}) { discard; }
   gl_FragColor = ${this.colorExpression};
   gl_FragColor.rgb *= gl_FragColor.a;
+${hitDetectionBypass}
 }`;
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js b/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js
index f6a7eafb25..92a459688c 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js
@@ -120,6 +120,39 @@ void main(void) {
   v = a_index == 2.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? 0.0 : 1.0;
   v_quadCoord = vec2(u, v);
 
+}`);
+    });
+    it('generates a symbol vertex shader for hitDetection', function() {
+      const builder = new ShaderBuilder();
+
+      expect(builder.getSymbolVertexShader(true)).to.eql(`precision mediump float;
+uniform mat4 u_projectionMatrix;
+uniform mat4 u_offsetScaleMatrix;
+uniform mat4 u_offsetRotateMatrix;
+uniform float u_time;
+
+attribute vec2 a_position;
+attribute float a_index;
+attribute vec4 a_hitColor;
+varying vec2 v_texCoord;
+varying vec2 v_quadCoord;
+varying vec4 v_hitColor;
+void main(void) {
+  mat4 offsetMatrix = u_offsetScaleMatrix;
+  vec2 size = vec2(1.0);
+  vec2 offset = vec2(0.0);
+  float offsetX = a_index == 0.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? offset.x - size.x / 2.0 : offset.x + size.x / 2.0;
+  float offsetY = a_index == 0.0 || a_index == 1.0 ? offset.y - size.y / 2.0 : offset.y + size.y / 2.0;
+  vec4 offsets = offsetMatrix * vec4(offsetX, offsetY, 0.0, 0.0);
+  gl_Position = u_projectionMatrix * vec4(a_position, 0.0, 1.0) + offsets;
+  vec4 texCoord = vec4(0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 1.0);
+  float u = a_index == 0.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? texCoord.s : texCoord.p;
+  float v = a_index == 2.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? texCoord.t : texCoord.q;
+  v_texCoord = vec2(u, v);
+  u = a_index == 0.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? 0.0 : 1.0;
+  v = a_index == 2.0 || a_index == 3.0 ? 0.0 : 1.0;
+  v_quadCoord = vec2(u, v);
+  v_hitColor = a_hitColor;
 }`);
     });
   });
@@ -145,6 +178,7 @@ void main(void) {
   if (false) { discard; }
   gl_FragColor = vec4(0.3137254901960784, 0.0, 1.0, 1.0);
   gl_FragColor.rgb *= gl_FragColor.a;
+
 }`);
     });
     it('generates a symbol fragment shader (with uniforms)', function() {
@@ -168,6 +202,23 @@ void main(void) {
   if (u_myUniform > 0.5) { discard; }
   gl_FragColor = vec4(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0);
   gl_FragColor.rgb *= gl_FragColor.a;
+
+}`);
+    });
+    it('generates a symbol fragment shader for hit detection', function() {
+      const builder = new ShaderBuilder();
+
+      expect(builder.getSymbolFragmentShader(true)).to.eql(`precision mediump float;
+uniform float u_time;
+
+varying vec2 v_texCoord;
+varying vec2 v_quadCoord;
+varying vec4 v_hitColor;
+void main(void) {
+  if (false) { discard; }
+  gl_FragColor = vec4(1.0);
+  gl_FragColor.rgb *= gl_FragColor.a;
+  if (gl_FragColor.a < 0.1) { discard; } gl_FragColor = v_hitColor;
 }`);
     });
   });