diff --git a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h
index 41ed3d50f..b36dda98a 100644
--- a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h
+++ b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ EXTERN_CVAR(Int, gl_ssao)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Int, gl_ssao_portals)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_strength)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Int, gl_ssao_debug)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, gl_shownormals)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_bias)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_radius)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_blur_amount)
diff --git a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess.cpp b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess.cpp
index 63a695bef..784a1aefc 100644
--- a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess.cpp
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ void PPAmbientOcclusion::UpdateTextures(int width, int height)
 
 void PPAmbientOcclusion::Render(PPRenderState *renderstate, float m5, int sceneWidth, int sceneHeight)
 {
-	if (gl_ssao == 0 || sceneWidth == 0 || sceneHeight == 0)
+	if ((gl_ssao == 0 && !gl_shownormals) || sceneWidth == 0 || sceneHeight == 0)
 	{
 		return;
 	}
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ void PPAmbientOcclusion::Render(PPRenderState *renderstate, float m5, int sceneW
 	renderstate->Draw();
 
 	// Blur SSAO texture
-	if (gl_ssao_debug < 2)
+	if (gl_ssao_debug < 2 && !gl_shownormals)
 	{
 		renderstate->Clear();
 		renderstate->Shader = &BlurHorizontal;
@@ -840,12 +840,12 @@ void PPAmbientOcclusion::Render(PPRenderState *renderstate, float m5, int sceneW
 	renderstate->Uniforms.Set(combineUniforms);
 	renderstate->Viewport = screen->mSceneViewport;
 	renderstate->SetInputTexture(0, &Ambient0, PPFilterMode::Linear);
-	if (gl_ssao_debug < 4)
+	if (gl_ssao_debug < 4 && !gl_shownormals)
 		renderstate->SetInputSceneFog(1);
 	else
 		renderstate->SetInputSceneNormal(1, PPFilterMode::Linear);
 	renderstate->SetOutputSceneColor();
-	if (gl_ssao_debug != 0)
+	if (gl_ssao_debug != 0 || gl_shownormals)
 		renderstate->SetNoBlend();
 	else
 		renderstate->SetAlphaBlend();
diff --git a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess_cvars.cpp b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess_cvars.cpp
index 4f6334a12..d2dec62a5 100644
--- a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess_cvars.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/postprocessing/hw_postprocess_cvars.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, gl_ssao_portals, 1, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 
 CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_strength, 0.7f, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR(Int, gl_ssao_debug, 0, 0)
+CVAR(Bool, gl_shownormals, false, 0)
 CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_bias, 0.2f, 0)
 CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_radius, 80.0f, 0)
 CUSTOM_CVAR(Float, gl_ssao_blur, 16.0f, 0)
diff --git a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/hw_entrypoint.cpp b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/hw_entrypoint.cpp
index 810a4ebd5..8e7c363a1 100644
--- a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/hw_entrypoint.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/hw_entrypoint.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ sector_t* RenderViewpoint(FRenderViewpoint& mainvp, AActor* camera, IntRect* bou
 
 		if (mainview) // Bind the scene frame buffer and turn on draw buffers used by ssao
 		{
-			bool useSSAO = (gl_ssao != 0);
+			bool useSSAO = (gl_ssao != 0 || gl_shownormals);
 			screen->SetSceneRenderTarget(useSSAO);
 			RenderState.SetPassType(useSSAO ? GBUFFER_PASS : NORMAL_PASS);
 			RenderState.EnableDrawBuffers(RenderState.GetPassDrawBufferCount(), true);