diff --git a/libs/renderengine/gl/ProgramCache.cpp b/libs/renderengine/gl/ProgramCache.cpp
index 7fc0499..5ff9240 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/gl/ProgramCache.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/gl/ProgramCache.cpp
@@ -740,15 +740,6 @@
         if (needs.isOpaque()) {
             fs << "gl_FragColor.a = 1.0;";
         }
-        if (needs.hasAlpha()) {
-            // modulate the current alpha value with alpha set
-            if (needs.isPremultiplied()) {
-                // ... and the color too if we're premultiplied
-                fs << "gl_FragColor *= color.a;";
-            } else {
-                fs << "gl_FragColor.a *= color.a;";
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     if (needs.hasTransformMatrix() || (needs.getInputTF() != needs.getOutputTF()) ||
@@ -768,6 +759,23 @@
         }
     }
 
+    /*
+     * Whether applying layer alpha before or after color transform doesn't matter,
+     * as long as we can undo premultiplication. But we cannot un-premultiply
+     * for color transform if the layer alpha = 0, e.g. 0 / (0 + 0.0019) = 0.
+     */
+    if (!needs.drawShadows()) {
+        if (needs.hasAlpha()) {
+            // modulate the current alpha value with alpha set
+            if (needs.isPremultiplied()) {
+                // ... and the color too if we're premultiplied
+                fs << "gl_FragColor *= color.a;";
+            } else {
+                fs << "gl_FragColor.a *= color.a;";
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     if (needs.hasRoundedCorners()) {
         if (needs.isPremultiplied()) {
             fs << "gl_FragColor *= vec4(applyCornerRadius(outCropCoords));";
diff --git a/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp b/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp
index 712e5e2..d9dfd8c 100644
--- a/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp
+++ b/libs/renderengine/tests/RenderEngineTest.cpp
@@ -406,6 +406,12 @@
     void fillBufferColorTransform();
 
     template <typename SourceVariant>
+    void fillBufferWithColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha();
+
+    template <typename SourceVariant>
+    void fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha();
+
+    template <typename SourceVariant>
     void fillRedBufferWithRoundedCorners();
 
     template <typename SourceVariant>
@@ -765,6 +771,36 @@
 }
 
 template <typename SourceVariant>
+void RenderEngineTest::fillBufferWithColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha() {
+    renderengine::DisplaySettings settings;
+    settings.physicalDisplay = fullscreenRect();
+    settings.clip = Rect(1, 1);
+
+    std::vector<const renderengine::LayerSettings*> layers;
+
+    renderengine::LayerSettings layer;
+    layer.geometry.boundaries = Rect(1, 1).toFloatRect();
+    SourceVariant::fillColor(layer, 0.5f, 0.25f, 0.125f, this);
+    layer.alpha = 0;
+
+    // construct a fake color matrix
+    // simple inverse color
+    settings.colorTransform = mat4(-1, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 0, 0, 0, 0, -1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1);
+
+    layer.geometry.boundaries = Rect(1, 1).toFloatRect();
+
+    layers.push_back(&layer);
+
+    invokeDraw(settings, layers, mBuffer);
+}
+
+template <typename SourceVariant>
+void RenderEngineTest::fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha() {
+    fillBufferWithColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha<SourceVariant>();
+    expectBufferColor(fullscreenRect(), 0, 0, 0, 0);
+}
+
+template <typename SourceVariant>
 void RenderEngineTest::fillRedBufferWithRoundedCorners() {
     renderengine::DisplaySettings settings;
     settings.physicalDisplay = fullscreenRect();
@@ -1240,6 +1276,13 @@
     fillBufferWithRoundedCorners<ColorSourceVariant>();
 }
 
+TEST_P(RenderEngineTest, drawLayers_fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha_colorSource) {
+    const auto& renderEngineFactory = GetParam();
+    mRE = renderEngineFactory->createRenderEngine();
+
+    fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha<ColorSourceVariant>();
+}
+
 TEST_P(RenderEngineTest, drawLayers_fillBufferAndBlurBackground_colorSource) {
     const auto& renderEngineFactory = GetParam();
     mRE = renderEngineFactory->createRenderEngine();
@@ -1337,6 +1380,12 @@
 
     fillBufferWithRoundedCorners<BufferSourceVariant<ForceOpaqueBufferVariant>>();
 }
+TEST_P(RenderEngineTest, drawLayers_fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha_opaqueBufferSource) {
+    const auto& renderEngineFactory = GetParam();
+    mRE = renderEngineFactory->createRenderEngine();
+
+    fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha<BufferSourceVariant<ForceOpaqueBufferVariant>>();
+}
 
 TEST_P(RenderEngineTest, drawLayers_fillBufferAndBlurBackground_opaqueBufferSource) {
     const auto& renderEngineFactory = GetParam();
@@ -1436,6 +1485,13 @@
     fillBufferWithRoundedCorners<BufferSourceVariant<RelaxOpaqueBufferVariant>>();
 }
 
+TEST_P(RenderEngineTest, drawLayers_fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha_bufferSource) {
+    const auto& renderEngineFactory = GetParam();
+    mRE = renderEngineFactory->createRenderEngine();
+
+    fillBufferColorTransformZeroLayerAlpha<BufferSourceVariant<RelaxOpaqueBufferVariant>>();
+}
+
 TEST_P(RenderEngineTest, drawLayers_fillBufferAndBlurBackground_bufferSource) {
     const auto& renderEngineFactory = GetParam();
     mRE = renderEngineFactory->createRenderEngine();