diff --git a/src/cairo-path-stroke.c b/src/cairo-path-stroke.c
index 5c4f4fc7b..272045a87 100644
--- a/src/cairo-path-stroke.c
+++ b/src/cairo-path-stroke.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ typedef struct _cairo_stroker_dash {
 
     double dash_offset;
     const double *dashes;
+    double approximate_dashes[2];
     unsigned int num_dashes;
 } cairo_stroker_dash_t;
 
@@ -137,15 +138,25 @@ _cairo_stroker_dash_step (cairo_stroker_dash_t *dash, double step)
 
 static void
 _cairo_stroker_dash_init (cairo_stroker_dash_t *dash,
-			  const cairo_stroke_style_t *style)
+			  const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
+			  const cairo_matrix_t *ctm,
+			  double tolerance)
 {
     dash->dashed = style->dash != NULL;
     if (! dash->dashed)
 	return;
 
-    dash->dashes = style->dash;
-    dash->num_dashes = style->num_dashes;
-    dash->dash_offset = style->dash_offset;
+    if (_cairo_stroke_style_dash_can_approximate (style, ctm, tolerance)) {
+	_cairo_stroke_style_dash_approximate (style, ctm, tolerance,
+					      &dash->dash_offset,
+					      dash->approximate_dashes,
+					      &dash->num_dashes);
+	dash->dashes = dash->approximate_dashes;
+    } else {
+	dash->dashes = style->dash;
+	dash->num_dashes = style->num_dashes;
+	dash->dash_offset = style->dash_offset;
+    }
 
     _cairo_stroker_dash_start (dash);
 }
@@ -179,7 +190,7 @@ _cairo_stroker_init (cairo_stroker_t		*stroker,
     stroker->has_first_face = FALSE;
     stroker->has_initial_sub_path = FALSE;
 
-    _cairo_stroker_dash_init (&stroker->dash, stroke_style);
+    _cairo_stroker_dash_init (&stroker->dash, stroke_style, ctm, tolerance);
 
     stroker->add_external_edge = NULL;
 
@@ -1490,7 +1501,8 @@ _cairo_rectilinear_stroker_init (cairo_rectilinear_stroker_t	*stroker,
     stroker->segments_size = ARRAY_LENGTH (stroker->segments_embedded);
     stroker->num_segments = 0;
 
-    _cairo_stroker_dash_init (&stroker->dash, stroke_style);
+    /* Assume 2*EPSILON tolerance */
+    _cairo_stroker_dash_init (&stroker->dash, stroke_style, ctm, _cairo_fixed_to_double (2 * CAIRO_FIXED_EPSILON));
 
     stroker->has_bounds = FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/src/cairo-stroke-style.c b/src/cairo-stroke-style.c
index 38518838c..2d1cfe4b4 100644
--- a/src/cairo-stroke-style.c
+++ b/src/cairo-stroke-style.c
@@ -120,3 +120,122 @@ _cairo_stroke_style_max_distance_from_path (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
     *dx = style_expansion * hypot (ctm->xx, ctm->xy);
     *dy = style_expansion * hypot (ctm->yy, ctm->yx);
 }
+
+/*
+ * Computes the period of a dashed stroke style.
+ * Returns 0 for non-dashed styles.
+ */
+double
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_period (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style)
+{
+    double period;
+    unsigned int i;
+
+    period = 0.0;
+    for (i = 0; i < style->num_dashes; i++)
+	period += style->dash[i];
+
+    if (style->num_dashes & 1)
+	period *= 2.0;
+
+    return period;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Coefficient of the linear approximation (minimizing square difference)
+ * of the surface covered by round caps
+ */
+#define ROUND_MINSQ_APPROXIMATION (9*M_PI/32)
+
+/*
+ * Computes the length of the "on" part of a dashed stroke style,
+ * taking into account also line caps.
+ * Returns 0 for non-dashed styles.
+ */
+double
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_stroked (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style)
+{
+    double stroked, cap_scale;
+    unsigned int i;
+
+    switch (style->line_cap) {
+    default: ASSERT_NOT_REACHED;
+    case CAIRO_LINE_CAP_BUTT:   cap_scale = 0.0; break;
+    case CAIRO_LINE_CAP_ROUND:  cap_scale = ROUND_MINSQ_APPROXIMATION; break;
+    case CAIRO_LINE_CAP_SQUARE: cap_scale = 1.0; break;
+    }
+
+    stroked = 0.0;
+    if (style->num_dashes & 1) {
+        /* Each dash element is used both as on and as off. The order in which they are summed is
+	 * irrelevant, so sum the coverage of one dash element, taken both on and off at each iteration */
+	for (i = 0; i < style->num_dashes; i++)
+	    stroked += style->dash[i] + cap_scale * MIN (style->dash[i], style->line_width);
+    } else {
+        /* Even (0, 2, ...) dashes are on and simply counted for the coverage, odd dashes are off, thus
+	 * their coverage is approximated based on the area covered by the caps of adjacent on dases. */
+	for (i = 0; i < style->num_dashes; i+=2)
+	    stroked += style->dash[i] + cap_scale * MIN (style->dash[i+1], style->line_width);
+    }
+
+    return stroked;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Verifies if _cairo_stroke_style_dash_approximate should be used to generate
+ * an approximation of the dash pattern in the specified style, when used for
+ * stroking a path with the given CTM and tolerance.
+ * Always FALSE for non-dashed styles.
+ */
+cairo_bool_t
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_can_approximate (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
+					  const cairo_matrix_t *ctm,
+					  double tolerance)
+{
+    double period;
+
+    if (! style->num_dashes)
+        return FALSE;
+
+    period = _cairo_stroke_style_dash_period (style);
+    return _cairo_matrix_transformed_circle_major_axis (ctm, period) < tolerance;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Create a 2-dashes approximation of a dashed style, by making the "on" and "off"
+ * parts respect the original ratio.
+ */
+void
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_approximate (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
+				      const cairo_matrix_t *ctm,
+				      double tolerance,
+				      double *dash_offset,
+				      double *dashes,
+				      unsigned int *num_dashes)
+{
+    double coverage, scale, offset;
+    cairo_bool_t on = TRUE;
+    unsigned int i = 0;
+
+    coverage = _cairo_stroke_style_dash_stroked (style) / _cairo_stroke_style_dash_period (style);
+    coverage = MIN (coverage, 1.0);
+    scale = tolerance / _cairo_matrix_transformed_circle_major_axis (ctm, 1.0);
+
+    /* We stop searching for a starting point as soon as the
+       offset reaches zero.  Otherwise when an initial dash
+       segment shrinks to zero it will be skipped over. */
+    offset = style->dash_offset;
+    while (offset > 0.0 && offset >= style->dash[i]) {
+	offset -= style->dash[i];
+	on = !on;
+	if (++i == style->num_dashes)
+	    i = 0;
+    }
+
+    *num_dashes = 2;
+
+    dashes[0] = scale * coverage;
+    dashes[1] = scale * (1.0 - coverage);
+
+    *dash_offset = on ? 0.0 : dashes[0];
+}
diff --git a/src/cairoint.h b/src/cairoint.h
index 5912173ff..14a9491d0 100644
--- a/src/cairoint.h
+++ b/src/cairoint.h
@@ -1749,6 +1749,26 @@ _cairo_stroke_style_max_distance_from_path (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
                                             const cairo_matrix_t *ctm,
                                             double *dx, double *dy);
 
+cairo_private double
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_period (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style);
+
+cairo_private double
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_stroked (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style);
+
+cairo_private cairo_bool_t
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_can_approximate (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
+					  const cairo_matrix_t *ctm,
+					  double tolerance);
+
+cairo_private void
+_cairo_stroke_style_dash_approximate (const cairo_stroke_style_t *style,
+				      const cairo_matrix_t *ctm,
+				      double tolerance,
+				      double *dash_offset,
+				      double *dashes,
+				      unsigned int *num_dashes);
+
+
 /* cairo-surface.c */
 
 cairo_private cairo_surface_t *