diff --git a/src/gui/rhi/qrhi.cpp b/src/gui/rhi/qrhi.cpp
index e92479bb4d..64d1d5a017 100644
--- a/src/gui/rhi/qrhi.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/rhi/qrhi.cpp
@@ -1496,9 +1496,6 @@ QRhiTextureRenderTargetDescription::QRhiTextureRenderTargetDescription(const QRh
     the size of the source image() must match the subresource. When providing
     raw data instead, sufficient number of bytes must be provided in data().
 
-    \note With compressed textures the first upload must always match the
-    subresource size due to graphics API limitations with some backends.
-
     sourceTopLeft() is supported only for QImage-based uploads, and specifies
     the top-left corner of the source rectangle.
 
@@ -2197,6 +2194,9 @@ QRhiResource::Type QRhiRenderBuffer::resourceType() const
 
      \value UsedWithLoadStore The texture is going to be used with image
      load/store operations, for example, in a compute shader.
+
+     \value UsedAsCompressedAtlas The texture has a compressed format and the
+     dimensions of subresource uploads may not match the texture size.
  */
 
 /*!
diff --git a/src/gui/rhi/qrhi_p.h b/src/gui/rhi/qrhi_p.h
index 71064cfc6a..12a294e8c2 100644
--- a/src/gui/rhi/qrhi_p.h
+++ b/src/gui/rhi/qrhi_p.h
@@ -727,7 +727,8 @@ public:
         sRGB = 1 << 4,
         UsedAsTransferSource = 1 << 5,
         UsedWithGenerateMips = 1 << 6,
-        UsedWithLoadStore = 1 << 7
+        UsedWithLoadStore = 1 << 7,
+        UsedAsCompressedAtlas = 1 << 8
     };
     Q_DECLARE_FLAGS(Flags, Flag)
 
diff --git a/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2.cpp b/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2.cpp
index 373b66df89..d39892ac00 100644
--- a/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2.cpp
@@ -1505,9 +1505,29 @@ void QRhiGles2::enqueueSubresUpload(QGles2Texture *texD, QGles2CommandBuffer *cb
         cmd.args.subImage.data = cbD->retainImage(img);
         cbD->commands.append(cmd);
     } else if (!rawData.isEmpty() && isCompressed) {
+        if (!texD->compressedAtlasBuilt && (texD->flags() & QRhiTexture::UsedAsCompressedAtlas)) {
+            // Build on first upload since glCompressedTexImage2D cannot take nullptr data
+            quint32 byteSize = 0;
+            compressedFormatInfo(texD->m_format, texD->m_pixelSize, nullptr, &byteSize, nullptr);
+            QByteArray zeroBuf(byteSize, 0);
+            QGles2CommandBuffer::Command cmd;
+            cmd.cmd = QGles2CommandBuffer::Command::CompressedImage;
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.target = texD->target;
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.texture = texD->texture;
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.faceTarget = faceTargetBase + uint(layer);
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.level = level;
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.glintformat = texD->glintformat;
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.w = texD->m_pixelSize.width();
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.h = texD->m_pixelSize.height();
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.size = byteSize;
+            cmd.args.compressedImage.data = cbD->retainData(zeroBuf);
+            cbD->commands.append(cmd);
+            texD->compressedAtlasBuilt = true;
+        }
+
         const QSize size = subresDesc.sourceSize().isEmpty() ? q->sizeForMipLevel(level, texD->m_pixelSize)
                                                              : subresDesc.sourceSize();
-        if (texD->specified) {
+        if (texD->specified || texD->compressedAtlasBuilt) {
             QGles2CommandBuffer::Command cmd;
             cmd.cmd = QGles2CommandBuffer::Command::CompressedSubImage;
             cmd.args.compressedSubImage.target = texD->target;
@@ -3666,6 +3686,7 @@ void QGles2Texture::release()
 
     texture = 0;
     specified = false;
+    compressedAtlasBuilt = false;
 
     QRHI_RES_RHI(QRhiGles2);
     if (owns)
@@ -3785,6 +3806,7 @@ bool QGles2Texture::buildFrom(QRhiTexture::NativeTexture src)
 
     texture = textureId;
     specified = true;
+    compressedAtlasBuilt = true;
 
     QRHI_RES_RHI(QRhiGles2);
     QRHI_PROF;
diff --git a/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2_p_p.h b/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2_p_p.h
index e326b661d9..4f64c6d0a3 100644
--- a/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2_p_p.h
+++ b/src/gui/rhi/qrhigles2_p_p.h
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ struct QGles2Texture : public QRhiTexture
     GLenum gltype;
     QGles2SamplerData samplerState;
     bool specified = false;
+    bool compressedAtlasBuilt = false;
     int mipLevelCount = 0;
 
     enum Access {