diff --git a/Tests/test_file_webp_alpha.py b/Tests/test_file_webp_alpha.py
index dc82fb742..07df7a068 100644
--- a/Tests/test_file_webp_alpha.py
+++ b/Tests/test_file_webp_alpha.py
@@ -96,6 +96,40 @@ def test_write_rgba(tmp_path):
         else:
             assert_image_similar(image, pil_image, 1.0)
 
+def test_write_rgba_keep_transparent(tmp_path):
+    """
+    Can we write a RGBA mode file to WebP while preserving
+    the transparent RGB without error.
+    Does it have the bits we expect?
+    """
+
+    temp_output_file = str(tmp_path / "temp.webp")
+
+    input_image = hopper("RGB")
+    # make a copy of the image
+    output_image = input_image.copy()
+    # make a single channel image with the same size as input_image
+    new_alpha = Image.new("L", input_image.size, 255)
+    # make the left half transparent
+    new_alpha.paste((0,), (0, 0, new_alpha.size[0]//2, new_alpha.size[1]))
+    # putalpha on output_image
+    output_image.putalpha(new_alpha)
+
+    # now save with transparent area preserved.
+    output_image.save(temp_output_file, "WEBP", exact=True, lossless=True)
+    # even though it is lossless, if we don't put exact=True, the transparent
+    # area will be filled with black (or something more conducive to compression)
+
+    with Image.open(temp_output_file) as image:
+        image.load()
+
+        assert image.mode == "RGBA"
+        assert image.format == "WEBP"
+        image.load()
+        image = image.convert("RGB")
+        assert_image_similar(image, input_image, 1.0)
+
+
 
 def test_write_unsupported_mode_PA(tmp_path):
     """
diff --git a/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst b/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst
index 1e79db68b..ffc949148 100644
--- a/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst
+++ b/docs/handbook/image-file-formats.rst
@@ -1124,6 +1124,10 @@ The :py:meth:`~PIL.Image.Image.save` method supports the following options:
 **method**
     Quality/speed trade-off (0=fast, 6=slower-better). Defaults to 4.
 
+**exact**
+    If true, preserve the transparent RGB values. Otherwise, discard
+    invisible RGB values for better compression. Defaults to false.
+
 **icc_profile**
     The ICC Profile to include in the saved file. Only supported if
     the system WebP library was built with webpmux support.
diff --git a/src/PIL/WebPImagePlugin.py b/src/PIL/WebPImagePlugin.py
index 5eaeb10cc..c88f730a2 100644
--- a/src/PIL/WebPImagePlugin.py
+++ b/src/PIL/WebPImagePlugin.py
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ def _save(im, fp, filename):
         exif = exif[6:]
     xmp = im.encoderinfo.get("xmp", "")
     method = im.encoderinfo.get("method", 4)
+    exact = im.encoderinfo.get("exact", False)
 
     if im.mode not in _VALID_WEBP_LEGACY_MODES:
         alpha = (
@@ -336,6 +337,7 @@ def _save(im, fp, filename):
         im.mode,
         icc_profile,
         method,
+        1 if exact else 0,
         exif,
         xmp,
     )
diff --git a/src/_webp.c b/src/_webp.c
index fd99116cb..ec9425d36 100644
--- a/src/_webp.c
+++ b/src/_webp.c
@@ -576,6 +576,7 @@ WebPEncode_wrapper(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     int lossless;
     float quality_factor;
     int method;
+    int exact;
     uint8_t *rgb;
     uint8_t *icc_bytes;
     uint8_t *exif_bytes;
@@ -597,7 +598,7 @@ WebPEncode_wrapper(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(
             args,
-            "y#iiifss#is#s#",
+            "y#iiifss#iis#s#",
             (char **)&rgb,
             &size,
             &width,
@@ -608,6 +609,7 @@ WebPEncode_wrapper(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
             &icc_bytes,
             &icc_size,
             &method,
+            &exact,
             &exif_bytes,
             &exif_size,
             &xmp_bytes,
@@ -633,6 +635,7 @@ WebPEncode_wrapper(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     config.lossless = lossless;
     config.quality = quality_factor;
     config.method = method;
+    config.exact = exact;
 
     // Validate the config
     if (!WebPValidateConfig(&config)) {