diff --git a/frontend/main.c b/frontend/main.c
index 32f44e1ab..b1fdc4daa 100644
--- a/frontend/main.c
+++ b/frontend/main.c
@@ -4217,6 +4217,7 @@ load_headless_backend(struct weston_compositor *c,
 	bool force_gl;
 	bool force_vulkan;
 	bool no_outputs = false;
+	bool output_straight_alpha;
 	char *transform = NULL;
 
 	struct wet_output_config *parsed_options = wet_init_parsed_options(c);
@@ -4232,6 +4233,8 @@ load_headless_backend(struct weston_compositor *c,
 				       false);
 	weston_config_section_get_bool(section, "output-decorations", &config.decorate,
 				       false);
+	weston_config_section_get_bool(section, "output-straight-alpha", &output_straight_alpha,
+				       false);
 
 	const struct weston_option options[] = {
 		{ WESTON_OPTION_INTEGER, "width", 0, &parsed_options->width },
@@ -4265,6 +4268,9 @@ load_headless_backend(struct weston_compositor *c,
 		config.renderer = renderer;
 	}
 
+	config.output_fb_alpha_encoding = output_straight_alpha ?
+		WESTON_OUTPUT_FB_ALPHA_STRAIGHT : WESTON_OUTPUT_FB_ALPHA_PREMULT;
+
 	if (transform) {
 		if (weston_parse_transform(transform, &parsed_options->transform) < 0) {
 			weston_log("Invalid transform \"%s\"\n", transform);
diff --git a/include/libweston/backend-headless.h b/include/libweston/backend-headless.h
index ce5ec9f3f..648d9001e 100644
--- a/include/libweston/backend-headless.h
+++ b/include/libweston/backend-headless.h
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ struct weston_headless_backend_config {
 	 * The default is not to create a wl_seat.
 	 */
 	bool fake_seat;
+
+	/** Defines if renderers must produce straight or premultiplied alpha
+	 * framebuffers for headless-backend outputs.
+	 */
+	enum weston_output_fb_alpha_encoding output_fb_alpha_encoding;
 };
 
 #ifdef  __cplusplus
diff --git a/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
index d454381ae..a666fb920 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-headless/headless.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct headless_backend {
 
 	int refresh;
 	bool repaint_only_on_capture;
+	enum weston_output_fb_alpha_encoding output_fb_alpha_encoding;
 
 	bool use_fake_seat;
 };
@@ -547,6 +548,7 @@ headless_output_create(struct weston_backend *backend, const char *name)
 	output->base.enable = headless_output_enable;
 	output->base.attach_head = NULL;
 	output->base.repaint_only_on_capture = b->repaint_only_on_capture;
+	output->base.fb_alpha_encoding = b->output_fb_alpha_encoding;
 
 	output->backend = b;
 
@@ -680,6 +682,7 @@ headless_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	b->base.create_output = headless_output_create;
 
 	b->decorate = config->decorate;
+	b->output_fb_alpha_encoding = config->output_fb_alpha_encoding;
 	if (b->decorate) {
 		b->theme = theme_create();
 		if (!b->theme) {
@@ -786,6 +789,7 @@ config_init_to_defaults(struct weston_headless_backend_config *config)
 {
 	config->refresh = DEFAULT_OUTPUT_REPAINT_REFRESH;
 	config->fake_seat = false;
+	config->output_fb_alpha_encoding = WESTON_OUTPUT_FB_ALPHA_PREMULT;
 }
 
 WL_EXPORT int
diff --git a/man/weston.ini.man b/man/weston.ini.man
index 43b2657c2..f3b2bec39 100644
--- a/man/weston.ini.man
+++ b/man/weston.ini.man
@@ -237,6 +237,11 @@ Boolean, defaults to
 These decorations cannot normally be screenshot. This option is useful for
 the Weston test suite only.
 .TP 7
+.BI "output-straight-alpha=" true
+Require straight alpha framebuffers from renderers for outputs. Only supported
+by the headless backend. Boolean, defaults to
+.BR false .
+.TP 7
 .BI "placeholder-color=" 0xRRGGBB
 sets the color of the placeholder (unsigned integer). The hexadecimal digit
 pairs are in order red, green, and blue. This placeholder is used for