diff --git a/client/src/components/graph/drawPointsRegl.js b/client/src/components/graph/drawPointsRegl.js
index 47c665a3..01ecc99f 100644
--- a/client/src/components/graph/drawPointsRegl.js
+++ b/client/src/components/graph/drawPointsRegl.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export default function drawPointsRegl(regl) {
     uniform float nPoints;
     uniform float minViewportDimension;
 
-    varying vec4 fragColor;
+    varying lowp vec4 fragColor;
 
     const float zBottom = 0.99;
     const float zMiddle = 0.;
@@ -27,23 +27,23 @@ export default function drawPointsRegl(regl) {
     ${glPointSize}
 
     void main() {
-      bool isNaN, isSelected, isHighlight;
-      getFlags(flag, isNaN, isSelected, isHighlight);
+      bool isBackground, isSelected, isHighlight;
+      getFlags(flag, isBackground, isSelected, isHighlight);
 
       float size = pointSize(nPoints, minViewportDimension, isSelected, isHighlight);
       gl_PointSize = size * pow(distance, 0.5);
 
-      float z = isNaN ? zBottom : (isHighlight ? zTop : zMiddle);
+      float z = isBackground ? zBottom : (isHighlight ? zTop : zMiddle);
       vec3 xy = projView * vec3(position, 1.);
       gl_Position = vec4(xy.xy, z, 1.);
 
-      float alpha = isNaN ? 0.9 : 1.0;
+      float alpha = isBackground ? 0.9 : 1.0;
       fragColor = vec4(color, alpha);
     }`,
 
     frag: `
     precision mediump float;
-    varying vec4 fragColor;
+    varying lowp vec4 fragColor;
     void main() {
       if (length(gl_PointCoord.xy - 0.5) > 0.5) {
         discard;
@@ -67,5 +67,15 @@ export default function drawPointsRegl(regl) {
     count: regl.prop("count"),
 
     primitive: "points",
+
+    blend: {
+      enable: true,
+      func: {
+        srcRGB: "src alpha",
+        srcAlpha: 1,
+        dstRGB: 0,
+        dstAlpha: "zero",
+      },
+    },
   });
 }
diff --git a/client/src/components/graph/graph.js b/client/src/components/graph/graph.js
index 473f8c27..ceaf31c7 100644
--- a/client/src/components/graph/graph.js
+++ b/client/src/components/graph/graph.js
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ import CentroidLabels from "./overlays/centroidLabels";
 import actions from "../../actions";
 import renderThrottle from "../../util/renderThrottle";
 
+import {
+  flagBackground,
+  flagSelected,
+  flagHighlight,
+} from "../../util/glHelpers";
+
 /*
 Simple 2D transforms control all point painting.  There are three:
   * model - convert from underlying per-point coordinate to a layout.
@@ -62,10 +68,6 @@ function createModelTF() {
   return m;
 }
 
-const flagSelected = 1;
-const flagNaN = 2;
-const flagHighlight = 4;
-
 @connect((state) => ({
   annoMatrix: state.annoMatrix,
   crossfilter: state.obsCrossfilter,
@@ -159,8 +161,9 @@ class Graph extends React.Component {
     const flags = new Float32Array(nObs);
     if (colorByData) {
       for (let i = 0, len = flags.length; i < len; i += 1) {
-        if (!Number.isFinite(colorByData[i])) {
-          flags[i] = flagNaN;
+        const val = colorByData[i];
+        if (typeof val === "number" && !Number.isFinite(val)) {
+          flags[i] = flagBackground;
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/client/src/components/scatterplot/drawPointsRegl.js b/client/src/components/scatterplot/drawPointsRegl.js
index 4f70e9ed..38dfdbd2 100644
--- a/client/src/components/scatterplot/drawPointsRegl.js
+++ b/client/src/components/scatterplot/drawPointsRegl.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export default function drawPointsRegl(regl) {
     uniform float nPoints;
     uniform float minViewportDimension;
 
-    varying vec4 fragColor;
+    varying lowp vec4 fragColor;
 
     const float zBottom = 0.99;
     const float zMiddle = 0.;
@@ -26,22 +26,22 @@ export default function drawPointsRegl(regl) {
     ${glPointSize}
 
     void main() {
-      bool isNaN, isSelected, isHighlight;
-      getFlags(flag, isNaN, isSelected, isHighlight);
+      bool isBackground, isSelected, isHighlight;
+      getFlags(flag, isBackground, isSelected, isHighlight);
 
       gl_PointSize = pointSize(nPoints, minViewportDimension, isSelected, isHighlight);
 
-      float z = isNaN ? zBottom : (isHighlight ? zTop : zMiddle);
+      float z = isBackground ? zBottom : (isHighlight ? zTop : zMiddle);
       vec3 xy = projection * vec3(position, 1.);
       gl_Position = vec4(xy.xy, z, 1.);
 
-      float alpha = isNaN ? 0.9 : 1.0;
+      float alpha = isBackground ? 0.9 : 1.0;
       fragColor = vec4(color, alpha);
     }`,
 
     frag: `
     precision mediump float;
-    varying vec4 fragColor;
+    varying lowp vec4 fragColor;
     void main() {
       if (length(gl_PointCoord.xy - 0.5) > 0.5) {
         discard;
@@ -64,5 +64,15 @@ export default function drawPointsRegl(regl) {
     count: regl.prop("count"),
 
     primitive: "points",
+
+    blend: {
+      enable: true,
+      func: {
+        srcRGB: "src alpha",
+        srcAlpha: 1,
+        dstRGB: 0,
+        dstAlpha: "zero",
+      },
+    },
   });
 }
diff --git a/client/src/components/scatterplot/scatterplot.js b/client/src/components/scatterplot/scatterplot.js
index fa9aa6cb..d68de428 100644
--- a/client/src/components/scatterplot/scatterplot.js
+++ b/client/src/components/scatterplot/scatterplot.js
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ import {
   createColorQuery,
 } from "../../util/stateManager/colorHelpers";
 import renderThrottle from "../../util/renderThrottle";
-
-const flagSelected = 1;
-const flagNaN = 2;
-const flagHighlight = 4;
+import {
+  flagBackground,
+  flagSelected,
+  flagHighlight,
+} from "../../util/glHelpers";
 
 function createProjectionTF(viewportWidth, viewportHeight) {
   /*
@@ -135,8 +136,9 @@ class Scatterplot extends React.PureComponent {
     const flags = new Float32Array(nObs);
     if (colorByData) {
       for (let i = 0, len = flags.length; i < len; i += 1) {
-        if (!Number.isFinite(colorByData[i])) {
-          flags[i] = flagNaN;
+        const val = colorByData[i];
+        if (typeof val === "number" && !Number.isFinite(val)) {
+          flags[i] = flagBackground;
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/client/src/util/glHelpers.js b/client/src/util/glHelpers.js
index 21cecc44..96631434 100644
--- a/client/src/util/glHelpers.js
+++ b/client/src/util/glHelpers.js
@@ -8,18 +8,24 @@ PointFlags:
 
   We want a bitmask-like flag structure, but due to webgl limitations
   must emulate it with floats.
+
+  Supported flags are:
+
+    selected: the point is currently selected
+    highlight: the point is currently highlighted
+    background: the point is background information
 */
 
 // for JS
 export const flagSelected = 1;
-export const flagNaN = 2;
+export const flagBackground = 2;
 export const flagHighlight = 4;
 
 // for GLSL
 export const glPointFlags = `
 
   const float flagSelected = 1.;
-  const float flagNaN = 2.;
+  const float flagBackground = 2.;
   const float flagHighlight = 4.;
 
   bool isLowBitSet(float f) {
@@ -32,12 +38,12 @@ export const glPointFlags = `
   }
 
   void getFlags(in float flag,
-                out bool isNaN,
+                out bool isBackground,
                 out bool isSelected,
                 out bool isHighlight) {
     isSelected = isLowBitSet(flag);
     flag = shiftRightOne(flag);
-    isNaN = isLowBitSet(flag);
+    isBackground = isLowBitSet(flag);
     flag = shiftRightOne(flag);
     isHighlight = isLowBitSet(flag);
   }