diff --git a/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp b/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp
index 464880895..bdd0867b9 100644
--- a/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp
+++ b/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp
@@ -106,8 +106,7 @@ bool FRenderState::ApplyShader()
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		// todo: check how performance is affected by using 'discard' in a shader and if necessary create a separate set of discard-less shaders.
-		activeShader = GLRenderer->mShaderManager->Get(mTextureEnabled ? mEffectState : 4);
+		activeShader = GLRenderer->mShaderManager->Get(mTextureEnabled ? mEffectState : 4, mAlphaThreshold >= 0.f);
 		activeShader->Bind();
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp b/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp
index 7cd6ead74..26a1b3159 100644
--- a/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp
+++ b/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp
@@ -387,6 +387,8 @@ void FShaderManager::CompileShaders()
 {
 	mActiveShader = NULL;
 
+	mTextureEffects.Clear();
+	mTextureEffectsNAT.Clear();
 	for (int i = 0; i < MAX_EFFECTS; i++)
 	{
 		mEffectShaders[i] = NULL;
@@ -396,6 +398,11 @@ void FShaderManager::CompileShaders()
 	{
 		FShader *shc = Compile(defaultshaders[i].ShaderName, defaultshaders[i].gettexelfunc, true);
 		mTextureEffects.Push(shc);
+		if (i <= 3)
+		{
+			FShader *shc = Compile(defaultshaders[i].ShaderName, defaultshaders[i].gettexelfunc, false);
+			mTextureEffectsNAT.Push(shc);
+		}
 	}
 
 	for(unsigned i = 0; i < usershaders.Size(); i++)
@@ -430,6 +437,10 @@ void FShaderManager::Clean()
 	glUseProgram(0);
 	mActiveShader = NULL;
 
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < mTextureEffectsNAT.Size(); i++)
+	{
+		if (mTextureEffectsNAT[i] != NULL) delete mTextureEffectsNAT[i];
+	}
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < mTextureEffects.Size(); i++)
 	{
 		if (mTextureEffects[i] != NULL) delete mTextureEffects[i];
@@ -440,6 +451,7 @@ void FShaderManager::Clean()
 		mEffectShaders[i] = NULL;
 	}
 	mTextureEffects.Clear();
+	mTextureEffectsNAT.Clear();
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
@@ -504,10 +516,12 @@ EXTERN_CVAR(Int, gl_fuzztype)
 
 void FShaderManager::ApplyMatrices(VSMatrix *proj, VSMatrix *view)
 {
-	for (int i = 0; i <= 4; i++)
+	for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
 	{
 		mTextureEffects[i]->ApplyMatrices(proj, view);
+		mTextureEffectsNAT[i]->ApplyMatrices(proj, view);
 	}
+	mTextureEffects[4]->ApplyMatrices(proj, view);
 	if (gl_fuzztype != 0)
 	{
 		mTextureEffects[4+gl_fuzztype]->ApplyMatrices(proj, view);
diff --git a/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.h b/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.h
index e100e9bf1..92ef221af 100644
--- a/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.h
+++ b/src/gl/shaders/gl_shader.h
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ public:
 class FShaderManager
 {
 	TArray<FShader*> mTextureEffects;
+	TArray<FShader*> mTextureEffectsNAT;
 	FShader *mActiveShader;
 	FShader *mEffectShaders[MAX_EFFECTS];
 
@@ -268,9 +269,13 @@ public:
 		return mActiveShader;
 	}
 
-	FShader *Get(unsigned int eff)
+	FShader *Get(unsigned int eff, bool alphateston)
 	{
 		// indices 0-2 match the warping modes, 3 is brightmap, 4 no texture, the following are custom
+		if (!alphateston && eff <= 3)
+		{
+			return mTextureEffectsNAT[eff];	// Non-alphatest shaders are only created for default, warp1+2 and brightmap. The rest won't get used anyway
+		}
 		if (eff < mTextureEffects.Size())
 		{
 			return mTextureEffects[eff];