diff --git a/render/vulkan/pass.c b/render/vulkan/pass.c
index 42bd6b4e1..6aa45baa7 100644
--- a/render/vulkan/pass.c
+++ b/render/vulkan/pass.c
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ static float color_to_linear(float non_linear) {
 		non_linear / 12.92;
 }
 
+static float color_to_linear_premult(float non_linear, float alpha) {
+	return (alpha == 0) ? 0 : color_to_linear(non_linear / alpha) * alpha;
+}
+
 static void mat3_to_mat4(const float mat3[9], float mat4[4][4]) {
 	memset(mat4, 0, sizeof(float) * 16);
 	mat4[0][0] = mat3[0];
@@ -439,9 +443,9 @@ static void render_pass_add_rect(struct wlr_render_pass *wlr_pass,
 	// colors in linear space as well (and vulkan then automatically
 	// does the conversion for out sRGB render targets).
 	float linear_color[] = {
-		color_to_linear(options->color.r),
-		color_to_linear(options->color.g),
-		color_to_linear(options->color.b),
+		color_to_linear_premult(options->color.r, options->color.a),
+		color_to_linear_premult(options->color.g, options->color.a),
+		color_to_linear_premult(options->color.b, options->color.a),
 		options->color.a, // no conversion for alpha
 	};
 
diff --git a/render/vulkan/renderer.c b/render/vulkan/renderer.c
index d07c7c41d..7059c4972 100644
--- a/render/vulkan/renderer.c
+++ b/render/vulkan/renderer.c
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ static float color_to_linear(float non_linear) {
 		non_linear / 12.92;
 }
 
+static float color_to_linear_premult(float non_linear, float alpha) {
+	return (alpha == 0) ? 0 : color_to_linear(non_linear / alpha) * alpha;
+}
+
 static void mat3_to_mat4(const float mat3[9], float mat4[4][4]) {
 	memset(mat4, 0, sizeof(float) * 16);
 	mat4[0][0] = mat3[0];
@@ -1475,9 +1479,9 @@ static void vulkan_clear(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer,
 		// But in other parts of wlroots we just always assume
 		// srgb so that's why we have to convert here.
 		.clearValue.color.float32 = {
-			color_to_linear(color[0]),
-			color_to_linear(color[1]),
-			color_to_linear(color[2]),
+			color_to_linear_premult(color[0], color[3]),
+			color_to_linear_premult(color[1], color[3]),
+			color_to_linear_premult(color[2], color[3]),
 			color[3], // no conversion for alpha
 		},
 	};
@@ -1553,9 +1557,9 @@ static void vulkan_render_quad_with_matrix(struct wlr_renderer *wlr_renderer,
 	// But in other parts of wlroots we just always assume
 	// srgb so that's why we have to convert here.
 	float linear_color[4];
-	linear_color[0] = color_to_linear(color[0]);
-	linear_color[1] = color_to_linear(color[1]);
-	linear_color[2] = color_to_linear(color[2]);
+	linear_color[0] = color_to_linear_premult(color[0], color[3]);
+	linear_color[1] = color_to_linear_premult(color[1], color[3]);
+	linear_color[2] = color_to_linear_premult(color[2], color[3]);
 	linear_color[3] = color[3]; // no conversion for alpha
 
 	vkCmdPushConstants(cb, pipe->layout->vk,