diff --git a/GPU_ACCELERATION.md b/GPU_ACCELERATION.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83c78808
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GPU_ACCELERATION.md
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# GPU acceleration for BEC Widgets plots (pyqtgraph 0.14)
+
+Branch `pg-gpu`, worktree `bec_widgets_pg-gpu`, env `bec_312_pg-gpu`.
+
+## Summary
+
+**The migration is already done.** `pyproject.toml` pins `pyqtgraph==0.14.0` and that is what
+`bec_312` has installed. There is no 0.13 → 0.14 port to carry out.
+
+**Enabling GPU acceleration is small** — one viewport swap at a single choke point — but it is
+*not* free, and it does not help the widgets people usually assume it will.
+
+| | |
+|---|---|
+| Migration effort | none (already on 0.14.0) |
+| Enablement effort | ~1 day incl. the screenshot fix and tests |
+| Widgets that benefit | `Waveform`, `MultiWaveform` |
+| Widgets that gain nothing | `Image`, `Heatmap`, `ScatterWaveform`, `MotorMap` |
+| Main hazard | screenshots come back blank; software GL on remote consoles |
+
+## What pyqtgraph 0.14 actually accelerates
+
+0.14 rewrote the OpenGL path as a self-contained shader program (no PyOpenGL needed) and dropped
+the `enableExperimental` gate. It applies to exactly two items:
+
+- `PlotCurveItem` — `paintGL` at `graphicsItems/PlotCurveItem.py:1013`
+- `PColorMeshItem` — `paintGL` at `graphicsItems/PColorMeshItem.py:469`
+
+Everything else — `ImageItem`, `ScatterPlotItem`, `TextItem`, `InfiniteLine`, the ROIs, the axes —
+has no `paintGL` and still goes through `QPainter`. There is no GPU path for image display in the
+`QGraphicsView` stack at all.
+
+This matters because `ImageItem` is by far the most-used pyqtgraph item in this repo (27 call
+sites vs. 9 for `PlotDataItem`). **The Image and Heatmap widgets get no benefit from this work.**
+
+## Measured
+
+Apple M1 Pro, PySide6 6.11.1, `swapInterval=0`, data pre-generated so only render cost is timed
+(`gpu_bench.py`, 5 curves):
+
+| points/curve | raster | opengl | speedup |
+|---:|---:|---:|---:|
+| 1,000 | 170.1 fps | 319.1 fps | 1.9× |
+| 5,000 | 74.3 fps | 292.3 fps | 3.9× |
+| 20,000 | 29.5 fps | 248.1 fps | 8.4× |
+| 100,000 | 6.7 fps | 155.5 fps | 23.2× |
+| 500,000 | 1.4 fps | 51.4 fps | 36.5× |
+
+Raster cost scales with sample count; the OpenGL path stays roughly flat. Note the practical
+threshold, though: with vsync on, a real app is capped at the display refresh anyway, so below
+~5–10k points per curve both paths are already "fast enough" and the win is invisible. The change
+pays off for long line scans and for `MultiWaveform`.
+
+For comparison, a 2048×2048 `ImageItem` measured 39.0 fps raster vs. 42.6 fps OpenGL — 1.09×,
+i.e. noise. That is the expected result given there is no GL path for images.
+
+## The two real hazards
+
+### 1. Screenshots come back blank (fixed here)
+
+`BECWidget` captures via `self.grab()` in three places — `screenshot`, `screenshot_bytes` and
+`screenshot_to_scilog`. `QWidget.grab()` renders the widget tree through `QPainter` and never
+reaches a `QOpenGLWidget`, so the plot area is empty. Measured directly: 6.5% non-background
+pixels on the raster viewport, **0.0%** on the OpenGL viewport.
+
+Left unfixed this silently uploads blank plots to SciLog.
+
+`QOpenGLWidget.grabFramebuffer()` is not a usable substitute — it also returned an empty image on
+macOS, before and after a forced `repaint()`, because the framebuffer is not retained after
+compositing. Swapping the viewport back to raster for the duration of the grab is worse: pyqtgraph
+parents its `OpenGLState` to the GL viewport widget (`PlotCurveItem.py:49`), so destroying that
+widget leaves `PlotCurveItem.glstate` dangling.
+
+The fix in `bec_widgets/utils/gpu_acceleration.py` re-renders the affected `GraphicsView`'s
+*scene* through `QPainter` into the grabbed pixmap. No OpenGL state is touched and the output
+matches the raster path. One subtlety: `GraphicsView.render` forwards to `QGraphicsView.render`,
+not `QWidget.render`, so it stretches the scene across the whole painter unless an explicit target
+and source rect are passed — without that the capture comes out zoomed.
+
+### 2. Software OpenGL on remote consoles
+
+The `renderer` string decides this. An X-forwarded or VNC session typically lands on Mesa
+`llvmpipe`, where the OpenGL path is *slower* than raster. Given how BEC GUIs are deployed on
+beamline nodes this is the common case, not the exotic one, so acceleration is gated on the
+renderer not being software.
+
+## What was implemented
+
+- **`bec_widgets/utils/gpu_acceleration.py`** (new) — caches an offscreen-context probe of the GL
+  renderer, refuses software rasterisers, honours `BEC_WIDGETS_OPENGL=auto|1|0`, and provides
+  `grab_widget()` for OpenGL-safe screenshots.
+- **`plot_base.py`** — `PlotBase.USE_OPENGL` class flag (default `False`); the viewport is swapped
+  after construction because `GraphicsLayoutWidget.__init__` forwards no viewport argument to
+  `GraphicsView`.
+- **`waveform.py`, `multi_waveform.py`** — `USE_OPENGL = True`.
+- **`bec_widget.py`** — the three `self.grab()` screenshot sites now call `grab_widget(self)`.
+- **`tests/unit_tests/test_gpu_acceleration.py`** — 10 tests covering the renderer gate, the env
+  var, and that a capture over an OpenGL viewport is non-blank.
+
+Opt-in per widget rather than a global `pg.setConfigOption("useOpenGL", True)`, because a global
+switch would put Image and Heatmap on a GL viewport for zero gain while still paying the blank-grab
+and software-renderer costs.
+
+## Test status
+
+Full unit suite on this machine: **2051 passed, 3 skipped, 1 failed, 7 errors** (9m29s). None of
+the failures are attributable to this change:
+
+- `test_client_utils.py::test_check_gui_display_available_reports_missing_display_for_ssh_session`
+  — pre-existing, macOS-only. `client_utils.py:72` returns `True, None` unconditionally when
+  `sys.platform == "darwin"`, so the assertion can only hold on Linux.
+- 7 × `test_plugin_creator.py::TestAddWidgetVariants` — environmental. The copier template task
+  runs `pyside6-uic`, which exits 127 (not found) in the cloned `bec_312_pg-gpu` env.
+
+Targeted runs: 10/10 new tests, 167 passed across waveform/multi-waveform/plot_base/lifecycle/
+scatter, 322 passed in a plot/image/heatmap/crosshair/roi/export sweep. An `AttributeError`
+traceback logged during `test_waveform.py` is pre-existing — it also appears with
+`BEC_WIDGETS_OPENGL=0`.
+
+## Not addressed
+
+- **Antialiasing/appearance differences.** The GL path renders lines through its own shader;
+  hairlines and `antialias=True` will not be pixel-identical to raster. No reference-image tests
+  cover the plot canvas, so nothing failed, but it is worth an eyeball before deploying.
+- **`ScatterWaveform` / `MotorMap`.** Left on raster. Their `ScatterPlotItem` has no GL path, so
+  accelerating them needs upstream work.
+- **The `useOpenGL` viewport is still flagged experimental by Qt** for `QGraphicsView`. That is
+  Qt's wording, not a specific known bug.
+- **Not verified on Linux/NVIDIA or on a real beamline console** — only on Apple M1 Pro. The
+  software-renderer gate is unit-tested with a faked renderer string, not against real llvmpipe.
+
+## Try it
+
+```bash
+conda activate bec_312_pg-gpu && cd /Users/janwyzula/PSI/bec_widgets_pg-gpu && python gpu_bench.py 100000 5
+```
+
+`gpu_risks.py` prints the grab-blankness comparison and the renderer identity for the current
+session.
diff --git a/bec_widgets/utils/bec_widget.py b/bec_widgets/utils/bec_widget.py
index fb7b172a..1bf750b2 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/utils/bec_widget.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/utils/bec_widget.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import bec_widgets.widgets.containers.qt_ads as QtAds
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_connector import BECConnector, ConnectionConfig
 from bec_widgets.utils.busy_loader import install_busy_loader
 from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeConnect, SafeSlot
+from bec_widgets.utils.gpu_acceleration import grab_widget
 from bec_widgets.utils.rpc_decorator import rpc_timeout
 from bec_widgets.utils.rpc_register import RPCRegister
 from bec_widgets.utils.widget_io import WidgetHierarchy
@@ -280,7 +281,7 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
             logger.error("Cannot take screenshot of non-QWidget instance")
             return
 
-        screenshot = self.grab()
+        screenshot = grab_widget(self)
         if file_name is None:
             file_name, _ = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(
                 self,
@@ -321,7 +322,7 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
         if not hasattr(self, "grab"):
             raise RuntimeError(f"Cannot take screenshot of non-QWidget instance: {repr(self)}")
 
-        pixmap: QPixmap = self.grab()
+        pixmap: QPixmap = grab_widget(self)
         if pixmap.isNull():
             return QByteArray()
         if max_width is not None or max_height is not None:
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
                 "SciLog is not enabled for the current client, cannot send screenshot."
             )
 
-        pixmap: QPixmap = self.grab()
+        pixmap: QPixmap = grab_widget(self)
         if pixmap.isNull():
             raise RuntimeError("Failed to capture screenshot.")
 
diff --git a/bec_widgets/utils/gpu_acceleration.py b/bec_widgets/utils/gpu_acceleration.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30b671d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bec_widgets/utils/gpu_acceleration.py
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+"""OpenGL viewport support for BEC plots.
+
+pyqtgraph 0.14 renders :class:`~pyqtgraph.PlotCurveItem` and
+:class:`~pyqtgraph.PColorMeshItem` through a shader program whenever the
+:class:`~pyqtgraph.GraphicsView` viewport is a ``QOpenGLWidget``. Every other
+item -- notably ``ImageItem``, ``ScatterPlotItem``, ``TextItem`` and the ROIs --
+keeps going through ``QPainter``, so only curve-heavy plots gain from it.
+
+Acceleration is therefore opt-in per widget, and is additionally gated on the
+context actually being hardware backed: a remote beamline session that lands on
+a software rasteriser (llvmpipe/swrast) renders *slower* through OpenGL than
+through the raster path.
+
+The ``BEC_WIDGETS_OPENGL`` environment variable overrides the decision:
+
+``auto`` (default)
+    Use OpenGL for widgets that ask for it, unless the renderer is software.
+``1`` / ``on`` / ``true``
+    Force OpenGL on, even for a software renderer.
+``0`` / ``off`` / ``false``
+    Never use OpenGL.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+from functools import lru_cache
+
+from bec_lib import bec_logger
+from pyqtgraph import GraphicsView
+from qtpy.QtCore import QPoint, QRectF, Qt
+from qtpy.QtGui import QOffscreenSurface, QOpenGLContext, QPainter, QPixmap
+from qtpy.QtOpenGLWidgets import QOpenGLWidget
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+ENV_VAR = "BEC_WIDGETS_OPENGL"
+
+# Substrings identifying a renderer that is not backed by a GPU. Mesa reports
+# these when a session has no direct rendering, which is the common case for
+# X-forwarded or VNC beamline consoles.
+_SOFTWARE_RENDERERS = ("llvmpipe", "softpipe", "swrast", "software rasterizer", "gallium, swr")
+
+_GL_VENDOR = 0x1F00
+_GL_RENDERER = 0x1F01
+_GL_VERSION = 0x1F02
+
+
+@lru_cache(maxsize=1)
+def opengl_info() -> dict[str, str] | None:
+    """Query the OpenGL implementation backing this session.
+
+    Creates a throwaway context on an offscreen surface. The result is cached,
+    so the cost is paid once per process.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict[str, str] | None: ``vendor``/``renderer``/``version`` strings, or
+        None if no usable context could be created.
+    """
+    if QApplication.instance() is None:
+        # A context needs a QApplication; asking this early is a caller bug, but
+        # it must not take the GUI down.
+        logger.warning("OpenGL probed before a QApplication exists; assuming unavailable")
+        return None
+
+    surface = QOffscreenSurface()
+    surface.create()
+    context = QOpenGLContext()
+    if not context.create() or not context.makeCurrent(surface):
+        logger.info("No usable OpenGL context; plots will use the raster viewport")
+        return None
+    try:
+        functions = context.functions()
+        info = {
+            "vendor": str(functions.glGetString(_GL_VENDOR)),
+            "renderer": str(functions.glGetString(_GL_RENDERER)),
+            "version": str(functions.glGetString(_GL_VERSION)),
+        }
+    finally:
+        context.doneCurrent()
+    logger.info(f"OpenGL renderer: {info['renderer']} ({info['vendor']}, {info['version']})")
+    return info
+
+
+def is_software_renderer() -> bool:
+    """Whether the OpenGL context is served by a software rasteriser."""
+    info = opengl_info()
+    if info is None:
+        return False
+    renderer = info["renderer"].lower()
+    return any(marker in renderer for marker in _SOFTWARE_RENDERERS)
+
+
+def _env_override() -> bool | None:
+    """Read ``BEC_WIDGETS_OPENGL``; None when unset or set to ``auto``."""
+    # Read on every call rather than caching, so tests and the launcher can flip
+    # it after bec_widgets has been imported.
+    raw = os.environ.get(ENV_VAR, "").strip().lower()
+    if raw in ("", "auto"):
+        return None
+    if raw in ("1", "on", "true", "yes"):
+        return True
+    if raw in ("0", "off", "false", "no"):
+        return False
+    logger.warning(f"Ignoring unrecognised {ENV_VAR}={raw!r}; expected auto, 1 or 0")
+    return None
+
+
+def opengl_available(requested: bool = True) -> bool:
+    """Decide whether a widget that asked for OpenGL should actually get it.
+
+    Args:
+        requested(bool): Whether the widget wants the OpenGL viewport at all.
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True if the OpenGL viewport should be installed.
+    """
+    override = _env_override()
+    if override is False:
+        return False
+    if not requested and override is not True:
+        return False
+    if opengl_info() is None:
+        return False
+    if override is True:
+        return True
+    if is_software_renderer():
+        logger.info(
+            "OpenGL is available but software rendered; keeping the raster viewport. "
+            f"Set {ENV_VAR}=1 to override."
+        )
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
+def _accelerated_views(widget: QWidget) -> list[GraphicsView]:
+    """GraphicsView descendants of ``widget`` that are on an OpenGL viewport."""
+    views = widget.findChildren(GraphicsView)
+    if isinstance(widget, GraphicsView):
+        views.append(widget)
+    return [v for v in views if v.isVisible() and isinstance(v.viewport(), QOpenGLWidget)]
+
+
+def grab_widget(widget: QWidget) -> QPixmap:
+    """Grab ``widget`` including any plots drawn on an OpenGL viewport.
+
+    ``QWidget.grab`` renders the widget tree through ``QPainter`` and never
+    reaches a ``QOpenGLWidget``, so a plot on the OpenGL viewport comes back
+    blank. ``QOpenGLWidget.grabFramebuffer`` is not a reliable substitute
+    either -- on macOS the framebuffer is not retained after compositing.
+
+    Instead, each affected view re-renders its *scene* through ``QPainter``
+    into the grabbed pixmap. That is the same raster path the non-accelerated
+    plots already use, so the output matches, and no OpenGL state is touched.
+
+    Args:
+        widget(QWidget): The widget to capture.
+
+    Returns:
+        QPixmap: The captured pixmap, or the plain ``grab()`` result when no
+        OpenGL-backed plot is present.
+    """
+    pixmap = widget.grab()
+    views = _accelerated_views(widget)
+    if not views or pixmap.isNull():
+        return pixmap
+
+    painter = QPainter(pixmap)
+    try:
+        for view in views:
+            viewport = view.viewport()
+            # GraphicsView.render forwards to QGraphicsView.render, which stretches
+            # the scene across the whole painter unless target and source are given.
+            origin = viewport.mapTo(widget, QPoint(0, 0))
+            source = viewport.rect()
+            target = QRectF(origin.x(), origin.y(), source.width(), source.height())
+            try:
+                view.render(painter, target, source, Qt.AspectRatioMode.IgnoreAspectRatio)
+            except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - rendering must never break a screenshot
+                logger.warning(f"Failed to render {view!r} into screenshot", exc_info=True)
+    finally:
+        painter.end()
+    return pixmap
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/multi_waveform/multi_waveform.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/multi_waveform/multi_waveform.py
index d68443cc..7bd17252 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/multi_waveform/multi_waveform.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/multi_waveform/multi_waveform.py
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ class MultiWaveform(PlotBase):
     PLUGIN = True
     RPC = True
     ICON_NAME = "ssid_chart"
+    # Many simultaneous curves; the biggest beneficiary of the shader path.
+    USE_OPENGL = True
     USER_ACCESS = [
         *PlotBase.USER_ACCESS,
         # MultiWaveform Specific RPC Access
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/plot_base.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/plot_base.py
index 6630f1ba..bd3c4b2d 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/plot_base.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/plot_base.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from bec_widgets.utils.crosshair import Crosshair
 from bec_widgets.utils.entry_validator import EntryValidator
 from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeProperty, SafeSlot
 from bec_widgets.utils.fps_counter import FPSCounter
+from bec_widgets.utils.gpu_acceleration import opengl_available
 from bec_widgets.utils.plot_indicator_items import BECArrowItem, BECTickItem
 from bec_widgets.utils.qt_data_subscription import QtDataSubscription
 from bec_widgets.utils.round_frame import RoundedFrame
@@ -116,6 +117,13 @@ class PlotBase(BECWidget, QWidget):
     ]
     USER_ACCESS = [*BECWidget.USER_ACCESS, *BASE_USER_ACCESS]
 
+    # Whether this plot benefits from the OpenGL viewport. Only PlotCurveItem and
+    # PColorMeshItem have a shader path in pyqtgraph 0.14; image- and scatter-based
+    # plots gain nothing, so they stay on the raster viewport. Subclasses that draw
+    # curves set this to True. The final say belongs to `opengl_available`, which
+    # also honours the BEC_WIDGETS_OPENGL environment variable.
+    USE_OPENGL = False
+
     # Custom Signals
     property_changed = Signal(str, object)
     crosshair_position_changed = Signal(tuple)
@@ -160,6 +168,11 @@ class PlotBase(BECWidget, QWidget):
         self._ui_mode = UIMode.POPUP if popups else UIMode.SIDE
         self.axis_settings_dialog = None
         self.plot_widget = pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget(parent=self)
+        # GraphicsLayoutWidget forwards no viewport argument to GraphicsView, so the
+        # viewport is swapped after construction instead.
+        self._opengl_enabled = opengl_available(self.USE_OPENGL)
+        if self._opengl_enabled:
+            self.plot_widget.useOpenGL(True)
         self.plot_widget.ci.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
         self.plot_item = pg.PlotItem(viewBox=BECViewBox(enableMenu=True))
         self.plot_widget.addItem(self.plot_item)
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/waveform/waveform.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/waveform/waveform.py
index f87f8c77..009fea03 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/waveform/waveform.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/waveform/waveform.py
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ class Waveform(PlotBase):
     PLUGIN = True
     RPC = True
     ICON_NAME = "show_chart"
+    # Curves are drawn by PlotCurveItem, which has a shader path in pyqtgraph 0.14.
+    USE_OPENGL = True
     USER_ACCESS = [
         *PlotBase.USER_ACCESS,
         "_config_dict",
diff --git a/gpu_bench.py b/gpu_bench.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f22a1ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gpu_bench.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+"""Benchmark the pyqtgraph 0.14 OpenGL viewport against the raster path.
+
+Measures *render* cost only: the curve data is generated up front and cycled
+frame to frame, so numpy work does not pollute the timing. vsync is disabled
+via the swap interval so the OpenGL path is not pinned to the display refresh.
+
+    python gpu_bench.py [n_points] [n_curves]
+"""
+
+import sys
+import time
+
+import numpy as np
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+from qtpy import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets
+
+N_POINTS = int(sys.argv[1]) if len(sys.argv) > 1 else 100_000
+N_CURVES = int(sys.argv[2]) if len(sys.argv) > 2 else 3
+FRAMES = 60
+N_PRESET = 10
+
+
+def _bench(use_opengl: bool, label: str, datasets, x) -> float:
+    pg.setConfigOption("useOpenGL", use_opengl)
+    pg.setConfigOption("enableExperimental", use_opengl)
+
+    win = pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget()
+    win.resize(1200, 800)
+    plot = win.addPlot()
+    curves = []
+    for c in range(N_CURVES):
+        curve = pg.PlotDataItem(pen=pg.mkPen(pg.intColor(c), width=1))
+        plot.addItem(curve)
+        curves.append(curve)
+    plot.enableAutoRange(False)
+    plot.setXRange(0, N_POINTS)
+    plot.setYRange(-2, 2)
+    win.show()
+
+    deadline = time.perf_counter() + 1.0
+    while time.perf_counter() < deadline:
+        QtWidgets.QApplication.processEvents()
+
+    viewport = win.viewport().__class__.__name__
+    start = time.perf_counter()
+    for i in range(FRAMES):
+        for c, curve in enumerate(curves):
+            curve.setData(x, datasets[(i + c) % N_PRESET])
+        win.viewport().repaint()
+        QtWidgets.QApplication.processEvents()
+    elapsed = time.perf_counter() - start
+
+    win.close()
+    fps = FRAMES / elapsed
+    print(f"  {label:<26} viewport={viewport:<22} {fps:7.1f} fps  ({1000 / fps:6.1f} ms/frame)")
+    return fps
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    # disable vsync before the QApplication so QOpenGLWidget is not capped at ~60 Hz
+    fmt = QtGui.QSurfaceFormat.defaultFormat()
+    fmt.setSwapInterval(0)
+    QtGui.QSurfaceFormat.setDefaultFormat(fmt)
+
+    app = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv)
+    print(f"pyqtgraph {pg.__version__}  |  Qt {QtCore.qVersion()}  |  swapInterval=0")
+    print(f"{N_CURVES} curves x {N_POINTS:,} points, {FRAMES} frames (data pre-generated)\n")
+
+    x = np.arange(N_POINTS, dtype=np.float64)
+    rng = np.random.default_rng(0)
+    datasets = [np.sin(x * 0.001 + k) + rng.normal(0, 0.1, N_POINTS) for k in range(N_PRESET)]
+
+    raster = _bench(False, "raster (QPainter)", datasets, x)
+    opengl = _bench(True, "opengl (QOpenGLWidget)", datasets, x)
+    print(f"  -> speedup {opengl / raster:.2f}x")
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_gpu_acceleration.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_gpu_acceleration.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..de96c5bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_gpu_acceleration.py
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import numpy as np
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+import pytest
+from qtpy.QtOpenGLWidgets import QOpenGLWidget
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QLabel, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
+
+from bec_widgets.utils import gpu_acceleration
+from bec_widgets.utils.gpu_acceleration import ENV_VAR, grab_widget, opengl_available
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_opengl_probe(monkeypatch):
+    """Keep the cached context probe and pyqtgraph's global config out of other tests."""
+    # hold on to the real cached function: monkeypatch may swap the module
+    # attribute for a stub, and it is only restored after this fixture resumes
+    probe = gpu_acceleration.opengl_info
+    probe.cache_clear()
+    monkeypatch.delenv(ENV_VAR, raising=False)
+    previous = pg.getConfigOption("useOpenGL")
+    yield
+    pg.setConfigOption("useOpenGL", previous)
+    probe.cache_clear()
+
+
+def _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, renderer: str | None):
+    info = None if renderer is None else {"vendor": "v", "renderer": renderer, "version": "4.1"}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(gpu_acceleration, "opengl_info", lambda: info)
+
+
+def test_opengl_available_requires_opt_in(monkeypatch):
+    _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090")
+    assert opengl_available(requested=True) is True
+    assert opengl_available(requested=False) is False
+
+
+def test_opengl_refused_without_context(monkeypatch):
+    _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, None)
+    assert opengl_available(requested=True) is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("renderer", ["llvmpipe (LLVM 15.0.7, 256 bits)", "softpipe", "SWRast"])
+def test_opengl_refused_on_software_renderer(monkeypatch, renderer):
+    """A remote/X-forwarded session must stay on the raster viewport."""
+    _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, renderer)
+    assert opengl_available(requested=True) is False
+
+
+def test_env_var_forces_opengl_on_software_renderer(monkeypatch):
+    _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, "llvmpipe (LLVM 15.0.7, 256 bits)")
+    monkeypatch.setenv(ENV_VAR, "1")
+    assert opengl_available(requested=True) is True
+    # forcing on also overrides a widget that did not ask for it
+    assert opengl_available(requested=False) is True
+
+
+def test_env_var_disables_opengl(monkeypatch):
+    _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090")
+    monkeypatch.setenv(ENV_VAR, "0")
+    assert opengl_available(requested=True) is False
+
+
+def test_unrecognised_env_var_falls_back_to_auto(monkeypatch):
+    _fake_renderer(monkeypatch, "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090")
+    monkeypatch.setenv(ENV_VAR, "maybe")
+    assert opengl_available(requested=True) is True
+
+
+def _non_background_fraction(pixmap) -> float:
+    """Fraction of pixels differing from the most common colour."""
+    image = pixmap.toImage()
+    buffer = np.frombuffer(image.constBits(), dtype=np.uint8)
+    arr = buffer.reshape(image.height(), image.bytesPerLine() // 4, 4)
+    flat = arr[:, : image.width(), :3].reshape(-1, 3)
+    colours, counts = np.unique(flat, axis=0, return_counts=True)
+    return float(np.any(flat != colours[counts.argmax()], axis=1).mean())
+
+
+def _plot_host(qtbot, use_opengl: bool):
+    pg.setConfigOption("useOpenGL", use_opengl)
+    host = QWidget()
+    layout = QVBoxLayout(host)
+    layout.addWidget(QLabel("scan 42"))
+    view = pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget()
+    layout.addWidget(view)
+    plot = view.addPlot()
+    x = np.arange(5_000, dtype=np.float64)
+    plot.addItem(pg.PlotDataItem(x, np.sin(x * 0.01), pen=pg.mkPen("r", width=2)))
+    plot.enableAutoRange(False)
+    plot.setXRange(0, 5_000)
+    plot.setYRange(-1.5, 1.5)
+    host.resize(640, 460)
+    qtbot.addWidget(host)
+    host.show()
+    qtbot.waitExposed(host)
+    return host, view
+
+
+def test_grab_widget_matches_plain_grab_without_opengl(qtbot):
+    host, view = _plot_host(qtbot, use_opengl=False)
+    assert not isinstance(view.viewport(), QOpenGLWidget)
+    assert _non_background_fraction(grab_widget(host)) == pytest.approx(
+        _non_background_fraction(host.grab())
+    )
+
+
+def test_grab_widget_recovers_plot_on_opengl_viewport(qtbot):
+    """QWidget.grab() alone returns a blank plot area over an OpenGL viewport."""
+    host, view = _plot_host(qtbot, use_opengl=True)
+    if not isinstance(view.viewport(), QOpenGLWidget):
+        pytest.skip("no OpenGL viewport available in this environment")
+
+    plain = _non_background_fraction(host.grab())
+    composited = _non_background_fraction(grab_widget(host))
+    assert composited > plain
+    # the plot fills most of the host, so a correct capture is far from empty
+    assert composited > 0.05