diff --git a/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.cpp b/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.cpp
index 4e692d5b10..9d9872aa3b 100644
--- a/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.cpp
+++ b/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ namespace libvgcode {
 //|   2--0-------5--7   |
 //|    \ |       | /    |
 //|      3-------4      | 
-static constexpr const std::array<uint8_t, 24> VERTEX_DATA = {
+// The eight corners the vertex shader knows how to place. Each is sent once and
+// referenced by INDEX_DATA below, so the post-transform cache can reuse it across
+// the triangles that share it: the shader runs 8 times per segment instead of 24.
+static constexpr const std::array<uint8_t, 8> VERTEX_DATA = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 };
+
+static constexpr const std::array<uint8_t, 24> INDEX_DATA = {
     0, 1, 2, // front spike
     0, 2, 3, // front spike
     0, 3, 4, // right/bottom body 
@@ -31,7 +36,7 @@ void SegmentTemplate::init()
     if (m_vao_id != 0)
         return;
 
-    m_size_in_bytes_gpu += VERTEX_DATA.size() * sizeof(uint8_t);
+    m_size_in_bytes_gpu += (VERTEX_DATA.size() + INDEX_DATA.size()) * sizeof(uint8_t);
 
     int curr_vertex_array;
     glsafe(glGetIntegerv(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_BINDING, &curr_vertex_array));
@@ -51,12 +56,22 @@ void SegmentTemplate::init()
     glsafe(glVertexAttribIPointer(0, 1, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, 0, (const void*)0));
 #endif // ENABLE_OPENGL_ES
 
+    // The element buffer binding is part of the vao state, so it is left bound here
+    // and restored together with the vao.
+    glsafe(glGenBuffers(1, &m_ibo_id));
+    glsafe(glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, m_ibo_id));
+    glsafe(glBufferData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, INDEX_DATA.size() * sizeof(uint8_t), INDEX_DATA.data(), GL_STATIC_DRAW));
+
     glsafe(glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, curr_array_buffer));
     glsafe(glBindVertexArray(curr_vertex_array));
 }
 
 void SegmentTemplate::shutdown()
 {
+    if (m_ibo_id != 0) {
+        glsafe(glDeleteBuffers(1, &m_ibo_id));
+        m_ibo_id = 0;
+    }
     if (m_vbo_id != 0) {
         glsafe(glDeleteBuffers(1, &m_vbo_id));
         m_vbo_id = 0;
@@ -71,14 +86,15 @@ void SegmentTemplate::shutdown()
 
 void SegmentTemplate::render(size_t count)
 {
-    if (m_vao_id == 0 || m_vbo_id == 0 || count == 0)
+    if (m_vao_id == 0 || m_vbo_id == 0 || m_ibo_id == 0 || count == 0)
         return;
 
     int curr_vertex_array;
     glsafe(glGetIntegerv(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY_BINDING, &curr_vertex_array));
 
     glsafe(glBindVertexArray(m_vao_id));
-    glsafe(glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLES, 0, static_cast<GLsizei>(VERTEX_DATA.size()), static_cast<GLsizei>(count)));
+    glsafe(glDrawElementsInstanced(GL_TRIANGLES, static_cast<GLsizei>(INDEX_DATA.size()), GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,
+                                   nullptr, static_cast<GLsizei>(count)));
     glsafe(glBindVertexArray(curr_vertex_array));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.hpp b/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.hpp
index f104eef5d2..117ed2b678 100644
--- a/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.hpp
+++ b/src/libvgcode/src/SegmentTemplate.hpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ private:
     //
     unsigned int m_vao_id{ 0 };
     unsigned int m_vbo_id{ 0 };
+    unsigned int m_ibo_id{ 0 };
     //
     // Size of the data sent to gpu, in bytes.
     //