diff --git a/libs/filabridge/include/private/filament/Variant.h b/libs/filabridge/include/private/filament/Variant.h
index 596acfbba3..efe12ddc39 100644
--- a/libs/filabridge/include/private/filament/Variant.h
+++ b/libs/filabridge/include/private/filament/Variant.h
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ namespace filament {
             if (isValidDepthVariant(variantKey)) {
                 return variantKey;
             }
+            // if shadow receiver is disabled, turn off VSM
+            if (isLit && !(variantKey & SHADOW_RECEIVER)) {
+                return variantKey & ~VSM;
+            }
             // when the shading mode is unlit, remove all the lighting variants
             return isLit ? variantKey : (variantKey & UNLIT_MASK);
         }
diff --git a/libs/viewer/src/SimpleViewer.cpp b/libs/viewer/src/SimpleViewer.cpp
index 111840c412..a56f398c3c 100644
--- a/libs/viewer/src/SimpleViewer.cpp
+++ b/libs/viewer/src/SimpleViewer.cpp
@@ -586,8 +586,11 @@ void SimpleViewer::updateUserInterface() {
         }
         auto instance = rm.getInstance(entity);
         bool scaster = rm.isShadowCaster(instance);
+        bool sreceiver = rm.isShadowReceiver(instance);
         ImGui::Checkbox("casts shadows", &scaster);
         rm.setCastShadows(instance, scaster);
+        ImGui::Checkbox("receives shadows", &sreceiver);
+        rm.setReceiveShadows(instance, sreceiver);
         size_t numPrims = rm.getPrimitiveCount(instance);
         for (size_t prim = 0; prim < numPrims; ++prim) {
             const char* mname = rm.getMaterialInstanceAt(instance, prim)->getName();