diff --git a/libvips/foreign/vips2webp.c b/libvips/foreign/vips2webp.c
index 3c60f0c6..e7186b68 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/vips2webp.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/vips2webp.c
@@ -55,10 +55,13 @@ typedef size_t (*webp_encoder)( const uint8_t *rgb,
 	int width, int height, int stride, 
 	float quality_factor, uint8_t **output );
 
+typedef size_t (*webp_encoder_lossless)( const uint8_t *rgb, 
+	int width, int height, int stride, uint8_t **output );
+
 int
-vips__webp_write_file( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, int Q )
+vips__webp_write_file( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, 
+	int Q, gboolean lossless )
 {
-	webp_encoder encoder;
 	size_t len;
 	uint8_t *buffer;
 	FILE *fp;
@@ -66,17 +69,39 @@ vips__webp_write_file( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, int Q )
 	if( vips_image_wio_input( in ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
-	if( in->Bands == 4 )
-		encoder = WebPEncodeRGBA;
-	else
-		encoder = WebPEncodeRGB;
+	if( lossless ) {
+		webp_encoder_lossless encoder;
 
-	if( !(len = encoder( VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( in, 0, 0 ), 
-		in->Xsize, in->Ysize, 
-		VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_LINE( in ),
-		Q, &buffer )) ) {
-		vips_error( "vips2webp", "%s", _( "unable to encode" ) ); 
-		return( -1 );
+		if( in->Bands == 4 )
+			encoder = WebPEncodeLosslessRGBA;
+		else
+			encoder = WebPEncodeLosslessRGB;
+
+		if( !(len = encoder( VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( in, 0, 0 ), 
+			in->Xsize, in->Ysize, 
+			VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_LINE( in ),
+			&buffer )) ) {
+			vips_error( "vips2webp", 
+				"%s", _( "unable to encode" ) ); 
+			return( -1 );
+		}
+	}
+	else {
+		webp_encoder encoder;
+
+		if( in->Bands == 4 )
+			encoder = WebPEncodeRGBA;
+		else
+			encoder = WebPEncodeRGB;
+
+		if( !(len = encoder( VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( in, 0, 0 ), 
+			in->Xsize, in->Ysize, 
+			VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_LINE( in ),
+			Q, &buffer )) ) {
+			vips_error( "vips2webp", 
+				"%s", _( "unable to encode" ) ); 
+			return( -1 );
+		}
 	}
 
 	if( !(fp = vips__file_open_write( filename, FALSE )) ) {
@@ -97,7 +122,8 @@ vips__webp_write_file( VipsImage *in, const char *filename, int Q )
 }
 
 int
-vips__webp_write_buffer( VipsImage *in, void **obuf, size_t *olen, int Q )
+vips__webp_write_buffer( VipsImage *in, void **obuf, size_t *olen, 
+	int Q, gboolean lossless )
 {
 	webp_encoder encoder;
 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/webp.h b/libvips/foreign/webp.h
index e5b7f8a4..7441b893 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/webp.h
+++ b/libvips/foreign/webp.h
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ int vips__webp_read_file( const char *name, VipsImage *out );
 int vips__webp_read_buffer_header( void *buf, size_t len, VipsImage *out ); 
 int vips__webp_read_buffer( void *buf, size_t len, VipsImage *out ); 
 
-int vips__webp_write_file( VipsImage *out, const char *filename, int Q );
-int vips__webp_write_buffer( VipsImage *out, void **buf, size_t *len, int Q );
+int vips__webp_write_file( VipsImage *out, const char *filename, 
+	int Q, gboolean lossless );
+int vips__webp_write_buffer( VipsImage *out, void **buf, size_t *len, 
+	int Q, gboolean lossless );
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/webpsave.c b/libvips/foreign/webpsave.c
index 0f0c5cc8..432e6e96 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/webpsave.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/webpsave.c
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ typedef struct _VipsForeignSaveWebp {
 	 */
 	int Q;
 
+	/* Turn on lossless encode.
+	 */
+	gboolean lossless;
+
 } VipsForeignSaveWebp;
 
 typedef VipsForeignSaveClass VipsForeignSaveWebpClass;
@@ -95,6 +99,13 @@ vips_foreign_save_webp_class_init( VipsForeignSaveWebpClass *class )
 		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsForeignSaveWebp, Q ),
 		1, 100, 75 );
 
+	VIPS_ARG_BOOL( class, "lossless", 11, 
+		_( "lossless" ), 
+		_( "enable lossless compression" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsForeignSaveWebp, lossless ),
+		FALSE ); 
+
 }
 
 static void
@@ -128,7 +139,8 @@ vips_foreign_save_webp_file_build( VipsObject *object )
 		build( object ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
-	if( vips__webp_write_file( save->ready, file->filename, webp->Q ) )
+	if( vips__webp_write_file( save->ready, file->filename, 
+		webp->Q, webp->lossless ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
 	return( 0 );
@@ -192,7 +204,8 @@ vips_foreign_save_webp_buffer_build( VipsObject *object )
 		build( object ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
-	if( vips__webp_write_buffer( save->ready, &obuf, &olen, webp->Q ) )
+	if( vips__webp_write_buffer( save->ready, &obuf, &olen, 
+		webp->Q, webp->lossless ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
 	area = vips_area_new_blob( (VipsCallbackFn) vips_free, obuf, olen );
@@ -252,7 +265,8 @@ vips_foreign_save_webp_mime_build( VipsObject *object )
 		build( object ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
-	if( vips__webp_write_buffer( save->ready, &obuf, &olen, webp->Q ) )
+	if( vips__webp_write_buffer( save->ready, &obuf, &olen, 
+		webp->Q, webp->lossless ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
 	printf( "Content-length: %zd\r\n", olen );