diff --git a/src/util/ajax.js b/src/util/ajax.js
index 72e6439837f..f581cfc0c1e 100644
--- a/src/util/ajax.js
+++ b/src/util/ajax.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {isMapboxHTTPURL, hasCacheDefeatingSku} from './mapbox';
 import config from './config';
 import assert from 'assert';
 import {cacheGet, cachePut} from './tile_request_cache';
+import webpSupported from './webp_supported';
 
 import type {Callback} from '../types/callback';
 import type {Cancelable} from '../types/cancelable';
@@ -266,6 +267,13 @@ export const resetImageRequestQueue = () => {
 resetImageRequestQueue();
 
 export const getImage = function(requestParameters: RequestParameters, callback: Callback<HTMLImageElement>): Cancelable {
+    if (webpSupported.supported) {
+        if (!requestParameters.headers) {
+            requestParameters.headers = {};
+        }
+        requestParameters.headers.accept = 'image/webp,*/*';
+    }
+
     // limit concurrent image loads to help with raster sources performance on big screens
     if (numImageRequests >= config.MAX_PARALLEL_IMAGE_REQUESTS) {
         const queued = {
diff --git a/test/unit/util/ajax.test.js b/test/unit/util/ajax.test.js
index f7e5e5133a2..c206088ef22 100644
--- a/test/unit/util/ajax.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/util/ajax.test.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../../src/util/ajax';
 import window from '../../../src/util/window';
 import config from '../../../src/util/config';
+import webpSupported from '../../../src/util/webp_supported';
 
 test('ajax', (t) => {
     t.beforeEach(callback => {
@@ -185,5 +186,28 @@ test('ajax', (t) => {
         t.end();
     });
 
+    t.test('getImage sends accept/webp when supported', (t) => {
+        resetImageRequestQueue();
+
+        window.server.respondWith((request) => {
+            t.ok(request.requestHeaders.accept.includes('image/webp'), 'accepts header contains image/webp');
+            request.respond(200, {'Content-Type': 'image/webp'}, '');
+        });
+
+        // mock webp support
+        webpSupported.supported = true;
+
+        // jsdom doesn't call image onload; fake it https://github.com/jsdom/jsdom/issues/1816
+        window.Image = class {
+            set src(src) {
+                setTimeout(() => this.onload());
+            }
+        };
+
+        getImage({url: ''}, () => { t.end(); });
+
+        window.server.respond();
+    });
+
     t.end();
 });