diff --git a/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js b/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js
index afb5315669..376833e604 100644
--- a/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js
+++ b/src/ol/webgl/ShaderBuilder.js
@@ -162,6 +162,12 @@ export class ShaderBuilder {
      */
     this.texCoordExpression = 'vec4(0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 1.0)';
 
+    /**
+     * @type {string}
+     * @private
+     */
+    this.discardExpression = 'false';
+
     /**
      * @type {boolean}
      * @private
@@ -257,6 +263,20 @@ export class ShaderBuilder {
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sets an expression to determine whether a fragment (pixel) should be discarded,
+   * i.e. not drawn at all.
+   * This expression can use all the uniforms, varyings and attributes available
+   * in the fragment shader, and should evaluate to a `bool` value (it will be
+   * used in an `if` statement)
+   * @param {string} expression Fragment discard expression
+   * @return {ShaderBuilder} the builder object
+   */
+  setFragmentDiscardExpression(expression) {
+    this.texCoordExpression = expression;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Sets whether the symbols should rotate with the view or stay aligned with the map.
    * Note: will only be used for point geometry shaders.
@@ -296,6 +316,13 @@ export class ShaderBuilder {
     return this.texCoordExpression;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @returns {string} Previously set fragment discard expression
+   */
+  getFragmentDiscardExpression() {
+    return this.discardExpression;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Generates a symbol vertex shader from the builder parameters,
    * intended to be used on point geometries.
@@ -374,6 +401,7 @@ ${this.varyings.map(function(varying) {
     return 'varying ' + varying.type + ' ' + varying.name + ';';
   }).join('\n')}
 void main(void) {
+  if (${this.discardExpression}) { discard; }
   gl_FragColor = ${this.colorExpression};
   gl_FragColor.rgb *= gl_FragColor.a;
 }`;
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js b/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js
index 402eda8ae5..a26c2df3ef 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/webgl/shaderbuilder.test.js
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ varying vec2 v_quadCoord;
 varying float v_opacity;
 varying vec3 v_test;
 void main(void) {
+  if (false) { discard; }
   gl_FragColor = vec4(0.3137254901960784, 0.0, 1.0, v_opacity);
   gl_FragColor.rgb *= gl_FragColor.a;
 }`);
@@ -178,6 +179,7 @@ void main(void) {
       builder.setSymbolOffsetExpression('vec2(' + formatArray([5, -7]) + ')');
       builder.setColorExpression('vec4(' + formatColor([255, 255, 255, 1]) + ')');
       builder.setTextureCoordinateExpression('vec4(' + formatArray([0, 0.5, 0.5, 1]) + ')');
+      builder.setFragmentDiscardExpression('u_myUniform > 0.5');
 
       expect(builder.getSymbolFragmentShader()).to.eql(`precision mediump float;
 uniform float u_myUniform;
@@ -186,6 +188,7 @@ varying vec2 v_texCoord;
 varying vec2 v_quadCoord;
 
 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;
 }`);