diff --git a/filament/src/ShadowMap.cpp b/filament/src/ShadowMap.cpp
index 3ffa4dd17d..8bffaa21f2 100644
--- a/filament/src/ShadowMap.cpp
+++ b/filament/src/ShadowMap.cpp
@@ -511,7 +511,8 @@ mat4f ShadowMap::applyLISPSM(mat4f& Wp,
     mat4f W;
     // see nopt1 below for an explanation about this test
     // sinLV is positive since it comes from a square-root
-    if (sinLV > 0 && 3.0f * (dzn / (zf - zn)) < 2.0f) {
+    constexpr float epsilon = 0.02f; // very roughly 1 degree
+    if (sinLV > epsilon && 3.0f * (dzn / (zf - zn)) < 2.0f) {
         // nopt is the optimal near plane distance of Wp (i.e. distance from P).
 
         // virtual near and far planes