diff --git a/src/components/notification/notification.js b/src/components/notification/notification.js
index c786f2cc..4dea63bb 100644
--- a/src/components/notification/notification.js
+++ b/src/components/notification/notification.js
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ import { highlightClass, highlightStyle } from '../../services/user_highlighter/
 const Notification = {
   data () {
     return {
-      userExpanded: false
+      userExpanded: false,
+      betterShadow: this.$store.state.interface.browserSupport.cssFilter
     }
   },
   props: [
diff --git a/src/components/notification/notification.vue b/src/components/notification/notification.vue
index 72c1ca69..f98afbe0 100644
--- a/src/components/notification/notification.vue
+++ b/src/components/notification/notification.vue
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   <status v-if="notification.type === 'mention'" :compact="true" :statusoid="notification.status"></status>
   <div class="non-mention" :class="[userClass, { highlighted: userStyle }]" :style="[ userStyle ]"v-else>
     <a class='avatar-container' :href="notification.action.user.statusnet_profile_url" @click.stop.prevent.capture="toggleUserExpanded">
-      <StillImage class='avatar-compact' :src="notification.action.user.profile_image_url_original"/>
+      <StillImage class='avatar-compact' :class="{'better-shadow': betterShadow}" :src="notification.action.user.profile_image_url_original"/>
     </a>
     <div class='notification-right'>
       <div class="usercard notification-usercard" v-if="userExpanded">
diff --git a/src/components/notifications/notifications.scss b/src/components/notifications/notifications.scss
index 87c89f6a..d17ae25d 100644
--- a/src/components/notifications/notifications.scss
+++ b/src/components/notifications/notifications.scss
@@ -49,11 +49,17 @@
   .avatar-compact {
     width: 32px;
     height: 32px;
+    box-shadow: var(--avatarStatusShadow);
     border-radius: $fallback--avatarAltRadius;
     border-radius: var(--avatarAltRadius, $fallback--avatarAltRadius);
     overflow: hidden;
     line-height: 0;
 
+    &.better-shadow {
+      box-shadow: none;
+      filter: drop-shadow(var(--avatarStatusShadowFilter))
+    }
+
     &.animated::before {
       display: none;
     }
diff --git a/src/components/status/status.js b/src/components/status/status.js
index 10716583..725bc3f8 100644
--- a/src/components/status/status.js
+++ b/src/components/status/status.js
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ const Status = {
       showingTall: false,
       expandingSubject: typeof this.$store.state.config.collapseMessageWithSubject === 'undefined'
         ? !this.$store.state.instance.collapseMessageWithSubject
-        : !this.$store.state.config.collapseMessageWithSubject
+        : !this.$store.state.config.collapseMessageWithSubject,
+      betterShadow: this.$store.state.interface.browserSupport.cssFilter
     }
   },
   computed: {
diff --git a/src/components/status/status.vue b/src/components/status/status.vue
index 4541c560..26be335c 100644
--- a/src/components/status/status.vue
+++ b/src/components/status/status.vue
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
       <div :class="[userClass, { highlighted: userStyle, 'is-retweet': retweet }]" :style="[ userStyle ]" class="media status">
         <div v-if="!noHeading" class="media-left">
           <a :href="status.user.statusnet_profile_url" @click.stop.prevent.capture="toggleUserExpanded">
-            <StillImage class='avatar' :class="{'avatar-compact': compact}"  :src="status.user.profile_image_url_original"/>
+            <StillImage class='avatar' :class="{'avatar-compact': compact, 'better-shadow': betterShadow}"  :src="status.user.profile_image_url_original"/>
           </a>
         </div>
         <div class="status-body">
@@ -464,8 +464,14 @@
 .status .avatar-compact {
   width: 32px;
   height: 32px;
+  box-shadow: var(--avatarStatusShadow);
   border-radius: $fallback--avatarAltRadius;
   border-radius: var(--avatarAltRadius, $fallback--avatarAltRadius);
+
+  &.better-shadow {
+    box-shadow: none;
+    filter: drop-shadow(var(--avatarStatusShadowFilter))
+  }
 }
 
 .avatar {
@@ -477,6 +483,11 @@
   overflow: hidden;
   position: relative;
 
+  &.better-shadow {
+    box-shadow: none;
+    filter: drop-shadow(var(--avatarStatusShadowFilter))
+  }
+
   img {
     width: 100%;
     height: 100%;
diff --git a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue
index fa173b98..66fe0f6b 100644
--- a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue
+++ b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue
@@ -278,6 +278,18 @@
           <button class="btn" @click="clearShadows">{{$t('settings.style.switcher.clear_all')}}</button>
         </div>
         <shadow-control :ready="!!currentShadowFallback" :fallback="currentShadowFallback" v-model="currentShadow"/>
+        <div v-if="shadowSelected === 'avatar' || shadowSelected === 'avatarStatus'">
+          <i18n path="settings.style.shadows.filter_hint.always_drop_shadow" tag="p">
+            <code>filter: drop-shadow()</code>
+          </i18n>
+          <i18n path="settings.style.shadows.filter_hint.text" tag="p">
+            <code>drop-shadow</code>
+            <code>spread-radius</code>
+            <code>inset</code>
+          </i18n>
+          <p>{{$t('settings.style.shadows.filter_hint.inset_ignored')}}</p>
+          <p>{{$t('settings.style.shadows.filter_hint.spread_zero')}}</p>
+        </div>
       </div>
       <div :label="$t('settings.style.fonts._tab_label')" class="fonts-container">
         <div class="tab-header">
diff --git a/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.js b/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.js
index 254d1666..97cd4983 100644
--- a/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.js
+++ b/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ export default {
     return {
       hideUserStatsLocal: typeof this.$store.state.config.hideUserStats === 'undefined'
         ? this.$store.state.instance.hideUserStats
-        : this.$store.state.config.hideUserStats
+        : this.$store.state.config.hideUserStats,
+      betterShadow: this.$store.state.interface.browserSupport.cssFilter
     }
   },
   computed: {
diff --git a/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.vue b/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.vue
index 5529948e..cca418ff 100644
--- a/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.vue
+++ b/src/components/user_card_content/user_card_content.vue
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       </a>
       <div class='container'>
         <router-link :to="{ name: 'user-profile', params: { id: user.id } }">
-          <StillImage class="avatar" :src="user.profile_image_url_original"/>
+          <StillImage class="avatar" :class='{ "better-shadow": betterShadow }' :src="user.profile_image_url_original"/>
         </router-link>
         <div class="name-and-screen-name">
           <div :title="user.name" class='user-name' v-if="user.name_html" v-html="user.name_html"></div>
@@ -159,6 +159,11 @@
       box-shadow: var(--avatarShadow);
       object-fit: cover;
 
+      &.better-shadow {
+        box-shadow: none;
+        filter: drop-shadow(var(--avatarStatusShadowFilter))
+      }
+
       &.animated::before {
         display: none;
       }
diff --git a/src/i18n/en.json b/src/i18n/en.json
index 8847b11e..7f5a2a4f 100644
--- a/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -236,6 +236,13 @@
         "spread": "Spread",
         "inset": "Inset",
         "hint": "For shadows you can also use --variable as a color value to use CSS3 variables. Please note that setting opacity won't work in this case.",
+        "filter_hint": {
+          "always_drop_shadow": "Warning, this shadow always uses {0} when browser supports it.",
+          "text": "Please note that {0} does not support {1} parameter and {2} keyword.",
+          "spread_zero": "Shadows with spread > 0 will appear as if it was set to zero",
+          "inset_ignored": "Inset shadows using will be ignored",
+          "inset_substituted": "Inset shadows will be substituted with {1} equivalent"
+        },
         "components": {
           "panel": "Panel",
           "panelHeader": "Panel header",
diff --git a/src/modules/interface.js b/src/modules/interface.js
index 07489685..132fb08d 100644
--- a/src/modules/interface.js
+++ b/src/modules/interface.js
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ const defaultState = {
   settings: {
     currentSaveStateNotice: null,
     noticeClearTimeout: null
+  },
+  browserSupport: {
+    cssFilter: window.CSS && window.CSS.supports && (
+      window.CSS.supports('filter', 'drop-shadow(0 0)') ||
+        window.CSS.supports('-webkit-filter', 'drop-shadow(0 0)')
+    )
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js b/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
index 7c375206..cff81c40 100644
--- a/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
+++ b/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
@@ -110,6 +110,24 @@ const getCssShadow = (input) => {
   ]).join(' ')).join(', ')
 }
 
+const getCssShadowFilter = (input) => {
+  if (input.length === 0) {
+    return 'none'
+  }
+
+  return input
+  // drop-shadow doesn't support inset or spread
+    .filter((shad) => console.log(shad) || !shad.inset && Number(shad.spread) === 0)
+    .map((shad) => [
+      shad.x,
+      shad.y,
+      // drop-shadow's blur is twice as strong compared to box-shadow
+      shad.blur / 2
+    ].map(_ => _ + 'px').concat([
+      getCssColor(shad.color, shad.alpha)
+    ]).join(' ')).join(', ')
+}
+
 const getCssColor = (input, a) => {
   let rgb = {}
   if (typeof input === 'object') {
@@ -384,7 +402,12 @@ const generateShadows = (input) => {
 
   return {
     rules: {
-      shadows: Object.entries(shadows).map(([k, v]) => `--${k}Shadow: ${getCssShadow(v)}`).join(';')
+      shadows: Object
+        .entries(shadows)
+      // TODO for v2.1: if shadow doesn't have non-inset shadows with spread > 0 - optionally
+      // convert all non-inset shadows into filter: drop-shadow() to boost performance
+        .map(([k, v]) => `--${k}Shadow: ${getCssShadow(v)}; --${k}ShadowFilter: ${getCssShadowFilter(v)}`)
+        .join(';')
     },
     theme: {
       shadows
@@ -467,5 +490,6 @@ export {
   generateFonts,
   generatePreset,
   composePreset,
-  getCssShadow
+  getCssShadow,
+  getCssShadowFilter
 }