diff --git a/python/core/auto_additions/qgis.py b/python/core/auto_additions/qgis.py
index f540ed774ddf..1b1489104d6b 100644
--- a/python/core/auto_additions/qgis.py
+++ b/python/core/auto_additions/qgis.py
@@ -1214,7 +1214,10 @@
 QgsMapSettings.SkipSymbolRendering = Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.SkipSymbolRendering
 QgsMapSettings.SkipSymbolRendering.is_monkey_patched = True
 QgsMapSettings.SkipSymbolRendering.__doc__ = "Disable symbol rendering while still drawing labels if enabled (since QGIS 3.24)"
-Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.__doc__ = 'Flags which adjust the way maps are rendered.\n\n.. versionadded:: 3.22\n\n' + '* ``Antialiasing``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.Antialiasing.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawEditingInfo``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawEditingInfo.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``ForceVectorOutput``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.ForceVectorOutput.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``UseAdvancedEffects``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.UseAdvancedEffects.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawLabeling``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawLabeling.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``UseRenderingOptimization``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.UseRenderingOptimization.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawSelection``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawSelection.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawSymbolBounds``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawSymbolBounds.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderMapTile``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderMapTile.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderPartialOutput``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderPartialOutput.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderPreviewJob``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderPreviewJob.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderBlocking``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderBlocking.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``LosslessImageRendering``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.LosslessImageRendering.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``Render3DMap``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.Render3DMap.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``HighQualityImageTransforms``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.HighQualityImageTransforms.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``SkipSymbolRendering``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.SkipSymbolRendering.__doc__
+QgsMapSettings.ForceRasterMasks = Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.ForceRasterMasks
+QgsMapSettings.ForceRasterMasks.is_monkey_patched = True
+QgsMapSettings.ForceRasterMasks.__doc__ = "Force symbol masking to be applied using a raster method. This is considerably faster when compared to the vector method, but results in a inferior quality output. (since QGIS 3.26.1)"
+Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.__doc__ = 'Flags which adjust the way maps are rendered.\n\n.. versionadded:: 3.22\n\n' + '* ``Antialiasing``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.Antialiasing.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawEditingInfo``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawEditingInfo.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``ForceVectorOutput``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.ForceVectorOutput.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``UseAdvancedEffects``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.UseAdvancedEffects.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawLabeling``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawLabeling.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``UseRenderingOptimization``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.UseRenderingOptimization.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawSelection``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawSelection.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``DrawSymbolBounds``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.DrawSymbolBounds.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderMapTile``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderMapTile.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderPartialOutput``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderPartialOutput.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderPreviewJob``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderPreviewJob.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``RenderBlocking``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.RenderBlocking.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``LosslessImageRendering``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.LosslessImageRendering.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``Render3DMap``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.Render3DMap.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``HighQualityImageTransforms``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.HighQualityImageTransforms.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``SkipSymbolRendering``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.SkipSymbolRendering.__doc__ + '\n' + '* ``ForceRasterMasks``: ' + Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.ForceRasterMasks.__doc__
 # --
 QgsMapSettings.Flags = Qgis.MapSettingsFlags
 Qgis.MapSettingsFlag.baseClass = Qgis
diff --git a/python/core/auto_generated/qgis.sip.in b/python/core/auto_generated/qgis.sip.in
index 0c9ba12d0c7c..ea8632a77eba 100644
--- a/python/core/auto_generated/qgis.sip.in
+++ b/python/core/auto_generated/qgis.sip.in
@@ -804,6 +804,7 @@ The development version
       Render3DMap,
       HighQualityImageTransforms,
       SkipSymbolRendering,
+      ForceRasterMasks,
     };
     typedef QFlags<Qgis::MapSettingsFlag> MapSettingsFlags;
 
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemmap.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemmap.cpp
index 409a6089a126..524133ad1ea7 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemmap.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitemmap.cpp
@@ -1526,6 +1526,8 @@ QgsMapSettings QgsLayoutItemMap::mapSettings( const QgsRectangle &extent, QSizeF
   {
     // preview render - always use optimization
     jobMapSettings.setFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::UseRenderingOptimization, true );
+    // in a preview render we disable vector masking, as that is considerably slower vs raster masking
+    jobMapSettings.setFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceRasterMasks, true );
     jobMapSettings.setRendererUsage( Qgis::RendererUsage::View );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprenderercustompainterjob.cpp b/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprenderercustompainterjob.cpp
index d78c79403cf0..6eff928fb0c5 100644
--- a/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprenderercustompainterjob.cpp
+++ b/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprenderercustompainterjob.cpp
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ void QgsMapRendererCustomPainterJob::doRender()
       }
     }
 
-    bool forceVector = mSettings.testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceVectorOutput );
+    bool forceVector = mSettings.testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceVectorOutput ) && !mSettings.testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceRasterMasks );
     composeSecondPass( mSecondPassLayerJobs, mLabelJob, forceVector );
 
     if ( !forceVector )
diff --git a/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprendererjob.cpp b/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprendererjob.cpp
index 6b31dac5f809..0b7b15e2761b 100644
--- a/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprendererjob.cpp
+++ b/src/core/maprenderer/qgsmaprendererjob.cpp
@@ -603,7 +603,8 @@ std::vector< LayerRenderJob > QgsMapRendererJob::prepareSecondPassJobs( std::vec
   // and the list of source layers that have a mask
   QHash<QString, QPair<QSet<QgsSymbolLayerId>, QList<MaskSource>>> maskedSymbolLayers;
 
-  const bool forceVector = mapSettings().testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceVectorOutput );
+  const bool forceVector = mapSettings().testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceVectorOutput )
+                           && !mapSettings().testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceRasterMasks );
 
   // First up, create a mapping of layer id to jobs. We need this to filter out any masking
   // which refers to layers which we aren't rendering as part of this map render
@@ -873,7 +874,7 @@ std::vector< LayerRenderJob > QgsMapRendererJob::prepareSecondPassJobs( std::vec
 
 void QgsMapRendererJob::initSecondPassJobs( std::vector< LayerRenderJob > &secondPassJobs, LabelRenderJob &labelJob ) const
 {
-  if ( !mapSettings().testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceVectorOutput ) )
+  if ( !mapSettings().testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceVectorOutput ) || mapSettings().testFlag( Qgis::MapSettingsFlag::ForceRasterMasks ) )
     return;
 
   for ( LayerRenderJob &job : secondPassJobs )
diff --git a/src/core/qgis.h b/src/core/qgis.h
index cb79cf672d46..d30ab3dacc4b 100644
--- a/src/core/qgis.h
+++ b/src/core/qgis.h
@@ -1334,6 +1334,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT Qgis
       Render3DMap              = 0x2000, //!< Render is for a 3D map
       HighQualityImageTransforms = 0x4000, //!< Enable high quality image transformations, which results in better appearance of scaled or rotated raster components of a map (since QGIS 3.24)
       SkipSymbolRendering      = 0x8000, //!< Disable symbol rendering while still drawing labels if enabled (since QGIS 3.24)
+      ForceRasterMasks         = 0x10000,  //!< Force symbol masking to be applied using a raster method. This is considerably faster when compared to the vector method, but results in a inferior quality output. (since QGIS 3.26.1)
     };
     //! Map settings flags
     Q_DECLARE_FLAGS( MapSettingsFlags, MapSettingsFlag ) SIP_MONKEYPATCH_FLAGS_UNNEST( QgsMapSettings, Flags )