diff --git a/src/libvgcode/src/Shaders.hpp b/src/libvgcode/src/Shaders.hpp
index 596b42df5c..9f546d6dc8 100644
--- a/src/libvgcode/src/Shaders.hpp
+++ b/src/libvgcode/src/Shaders.hpp
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ static const char* Segments_Vertex_Shader =
 // ORCA: 0 during the shadow caster pass - the bias below shifts eye_position but not
 // world_position, so the caster would write a depth the receiver never looks up.
 "uniform float bias_scale;\n"
+// draw the instances last to first, top layers before the ones they hide, so that early depth
+// rejection discards most of the hidden fragments; set when the camera looks down on the print
+"uniform int reverse_order;\n"
+"uniform int instance_count;\n"
 "in int vertex_id;\n"
 "out vec3 color;\n"
 "// ORCA: realistic view - the light the shadow map is able to block, kept apart from the\n"
@@ -59,7 +63,8 @@ static const char* Segments_Vertex_Shader =
 "  return top_diffuse + front_diffuse + top_specular;\n"
 "}\n"
 "void main() {\n"
-"  int id_a = int(texelFetch(segment_index_tex, gl_InstanceID).r);\n"
+"  int instance = (reverse_order != 0) ? instance_count - 1 - gl_InstanceID : gl_InstanceID;\n"
+"  int id_a = int(texelFetch(segment_index_tex, instance).r);\n"
 "  int id_b = id_a + 1;\n"
 "  vec3 pos_a = texelFetch(position_tex, id_a).xyz;\n"
 "  vec3 pos_b = texelFetch(position_tex, id_b).xyz;\n"
diff --git a/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.cpp b/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.cpp
index b1a7550b42..8212717931 100644
--- a/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.cpp
+++ b/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.cpp
@@ -763,6 +763,8 @@ void ViewerImpl::init(const std::string& opengl_context_version)
     m_uni_segments_height_width_angle_tex_id = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "height_width_angle_tex");
     m_uni_segments_colors_tex_id             = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "color_tex");
     m_uni_segments_segment_index_tex_id      = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "segment_index_tex");
+    m_uni_segments_reverse_order_id          = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "reverse_order");
+    m_uni_segments_instance_count_id         = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "instance_count");
     // ORCA: realistic view
     m_uni_segments_shadow_map_id             = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "shadow_map");
     m_uni_segments_shadow_light_vp_id        = glGetUniformLocation(m_segments_shader_id, "shadow_light_vp");
@@ -2090,6 +2092,15 @@ void ViewerImpl::render_segments(const Mat4x4& view_matrix, const Mat4x4& projec
     glsafe(glUniformMatrix4fv(m_uni_segments_view_matrix_id, 1, GL_FALSE, view_matrix.data()));
     glsafe(glUniformMatrix4fv(m_uni_segments_projection_matrix_id, 1, GL_FALSE, projection_matrix.data()));
     glsafe(glUniform3fv(m_uni_segments_camera_position_id, 1, camera_position.data()));
+    // The segments come in print order, bottom layer first. Seen from above, that is back to front,
+    // and every hidden fragment is shaded before the one that covers it. Drawing them last to first
+    // lets the depth test reject the hidden ones instead. The camera looks down when the world's
+    // up axis points towards it, which is the view matrix's (2, 2) entry being positive.
+    const bool top_down = !m_rendering_shadow_casters && view_matrix[10] > 0.0f;
+    glsafe(glUniform1i(m_uni_segments_reverse_order_id, top_down ? 1 : 0));
+#ifndef ENABLE_OPENGL_ES
+    glsafe(glUniform1i(m_uni_segments_instance_count_id, static_cast<int>(m_enabled_segments_count)));
+#endif // ENABLE_OPENGL_ES
     // ORCA: realistic view. The depth pass writes the map it would otherwise read, so it shades
     // with the lookup off.
     glsafe(glUniform1i(m_uni_segments_shadow_map_id, m_shadow_map_texture_unit));
diff --git a/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.hpp b/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.hpp
index c9d658beb1..707f0f6bb7 100644
--- a/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.hpp
+++ b/src/libvgcode/src/ViewerImpl.hpp
@@ -362,6 +362,8 @@ private:
     int m_uni_segments_height_width_angle_tex_id{ -1 };
     int m_uni_segments_colors_tex_id{ -1 };
     int m_uni_segments_segment_index_tex_id{ -1 };
+    int m_uni_segments_reverse_order_id{ -1 };
+    int m_uni_segments_instance_count_id{ -1 };
     int m_uni_segments_shadow_map_id{ -1 };
     int m_uni_segments_shadow_light_vp_id{ -1 };
     int m_uni_segments_shadow_intensity_id{ -1 };