diff --git a/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp b/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp
index 9d6f947cd28..6cbac457c3c 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/util/traits.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <type_traits>
+#include <tuple>
 
 namespace mbgl {
 
@@ -9,4 +10,38 @@ constexpr auto underlying_type(T t) -> typename std::underlying_type_t<T> {
     return typename std::underlying_type_t<T>(t);
 }
 
+template <std::size_t I = 0, typename T, typename Fn>
+std::enable_if_t<I == std::tuple_size<std::decay_t<T>>::value, void> apply(T&&, Fn&&) {
+}
+
+template <std::size_t I = 0, typename T, typename Fn>
+std::enable_if_t<I != std::tuple_size<std::decay_t<T>>::value, void> apply(T&& t, Fn&& fn) {
+    fn(std::get<I>(std::forward<T>(t)));
+    apply<I + 1>(std::forward<T>(t), std::forward<Fn>(fn));
+}
+
+// Checks whether the template parameter pack contains T
+template <typename T, typename Tuple>
+struct tuple_contains;
+
+template <typename T>
+struct tuple_contains<T, std::tuple<>> : std::false_type {};
+
+template <typename T, typename A, typename... Args>
+struct tuple_contains<T, std::tuple<A, Args...>> : tuple_contains<T, std::tuple<Args...>> {};
+
+template <typename T, typename... Args>
+struct tuple_contains<T, std::tuple<T, Args...>> : std::true_type {};
+
+// Obtains the type T from the Tuple, or the first (default) parameter otherwise.
+template <typename T, typename Tuple>
+constexpr std::enable_if_t<tuple_contains<T, Tuple>::value, T&&> get_tuple_type(T&&, Tuple&& tuple) {
+    return std::forward<T>(std::get<T>(std::forward<Tuple>(tuple)));
+}
+
+template <typename T, typename Tuple>
+constexpr std::enable_if_t<!tuple_contains<T, Tuple>::value, T&&> get_tuple_type(T&& t, Tuple&&) {
+    return std::forward<T>(t);
+}
+
 } // namespace mbgl
diff --git a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_background.cpp b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_background.cpp
index 48c03fe3f91..91b08eef57a 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_background.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_background.cpp
@@ -49,9 +49,6 @@ void Painter::renderBackground(PaintParameters& parameters, const BackgroundLaye
 
     } else {
         config.program = plainShader.getID();
-        plainShader.u_color = properties.backgroundColor;
-        plainShader.u_opacity = properties.backgroundOpacity;
-
         arrayBackground.bind(plainShader, tileStencilBuffer, BUFFER_OFFSET(0), store);
     }
 
@@ -80,7 +77,10 @@ void Painter::renderBackground(PaintParameters& parameters, const BackgroundLaye
             patternShader.u_pixel_coord_upper = {{ float(pixelX >> 16), float(pixelY >> 16) }};
             patternShader.u_pixel_coord_lower = {{ float(pixelX & 0xFFFF), float(pixelY & 0xFFFF) }};
         } else {
-            plainShader.u_matrix = vertexMatrix;
+            plainShader.setUniforms(
+                UniformValue<PlainShader::color>{ properties.backgroundColor },
+                UniformValue<PlainShader::opacity>{ properties.backgroundOpacity },
+                UniformValue<PlainShader::matrix>{ vertexMatrix });
         }
 
         MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLE_STRIP, 0, (GLsizei)tileStencilBuffer.index()));
diff --git a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_clipping.cpp b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_clipping.cpp
index 7cb8e01c573..3efaaa4d454 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_clipping.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_clipping.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void Painter::drawClippingMasks(PaintParameters& parameters, const std::map<Unwr
         MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP(std::string{ "mask: " } + util::toString(id));
         state.matrixFor(matrix, id);
         matrix::multiply(matrix, projMatrix, matrix);
-        plainShader.u_matrix = matrix;
+        plainShader.setUniforms(UniformValue<PlainShader::matrix>{ matrix });
 
         const GLint ref = (GLint)(clip.reference.to_ulong());
         config.stencilFunc = { GL_ALWAYS, ref, mask };
diff --git a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_debug.cpp b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_debug.cpp
index 7c24f67fb41..0817676aec4 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_debug.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_debug.cpp
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ void Painter::renderDebugText(Tile& tile, const mat4 &matrix) {
 
     auto& plainShader = shaders->plain;
     config.program = plainShader.getID();
-    plainShader.u_matrix = matrix;
-    plainShader.u_opacity = 1.0f;
 
     // Draw white outline
-    plainShader.u_color = Color::white();
+    plainShader.setUniforms(UniformValue<PlainShader::matrix>{ matrix },
+                            UniformValue<PlainShader::opacity>{ 1.0f },
+                            UniformValue<PlainShader::color>{ Color::white() });
     config.lineWidth = 4.0f * frame.pixelRatio;
     tile.debugBucket->drawLines(plainShader, store);
 
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ void Painter::renderDebugText(Tile& tile, const mat4 &matrix) {
 #endif
 
     // Draw black text.
-    plainShader.u_color = Color::black();
+    plainShader.setUniforms(UniformValue<PlainShader::matrix>{ matrix },
+                            UniformValue<PlainShader::opacity>{ 1.0f },
+                            UniformValue<PlainShader::color>{ Color::black() });
     config.lineWidth = 2.0f * frame.pixelRatio;
     tile.debugBucket->drawLines(plainShader, store);
 
@@ -77,12 +79,12 @@ void Painter::renderDebugFrame(const mat4 &matrix) {
 
     auto& plainShader = shaders->plain;
     config.program = plainShader.getID();
-    plainShader.u_matrix = matrix;
-    plainShader.u_opacity = 1.0f;
 
     // draw tile outline
     tileBorderArray.bind(plainShader, tileBorderBuffer, BUFFER_OFFSET_0, store);
-    plainShader.u_color = { 1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f };
+    plainShader.setUniforms(UniformValue<PlainShader::matrix>{ matrix },
+                            UniformValue<PlainShader::opacity>{ 1.0f },
+                            UniformValue<PlainShader::color>{ { 1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f } });
     config.lineWidth = 4.0f * frame.pixelRatio;
     MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glDrawArrays(GL_LINE_STRIP, 0, (GLsizei)tileBorderBuffer.index()));
 }
diff --git a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_fill.cpp b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_fill.cpp
index 7d952caa123..bc6c2f9e3cd 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_fill.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter_fill.cpp
@@ -143,9 +143,11 @@ void Painter::renderFill(PaintParameters& parameters,
             // fragments
             // Draw filling rectangle.
             config.program = plainShader.getID();
-            plainShader.u_matrix = vertexMatrix;
-            plainShader.u_color = fillColor;
-            plainShader.u_opacity = opacity;
+            plainShader.setUniforms(
+                UniformValue<PlainShader::matrix>{ vertexMatrix },
+                UniformValue<PlainShader::color>{ fillColor },
+                UniformValue<PlainShader::opacity>{ opacity }
+            );
 
             // Draw the actual triangles into the color & stencil buffer.
             setDepthSublayer(1);
diff --git a/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.cpp b/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.cpp
index 1309c4f14a1..f10ef11e272 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <mbgl/shader/fill.fragment.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/gl/gl.hpp>
 
+#include <tuple>
+
 namespace mbgl {
 
 PlainShader::PlainShader(gl::ObjectStore& store, Defines defines)
@@ -10,6 +12,9 @@ PlainShader::PlainShader(gl::ObjectStore& store, Defines defines)
              shaders::fill::vertex,
              shaders::fill::fragment,
              store, defines) {
+    apply(uniforms, [this](auto& uniform) {
+        uniform.location = MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glGetUniformLocation(getID(), uniform.name));
+    });
 }
 
 void PlainShader::bind(GLbyte* offset) {
diff --git a/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.hpp b/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.hpp
index a126fa30a99..2356b1994d7 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/shader/plain_shader.hpp
@@ -3,18 +3,42 @@
 #include <mbgl/shader/shader.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/shader/uniform.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/color.hpp>
+#include <mbgl/util/traits.hpp>
 
 namespace mbgl {
 
+template <typename U>
+struct UniformValue {
+    const typename U::ArgType& value;
+};
+
 class PlainShader : public Shader {
 public:
     PlainShader(gl::ObjectStore&, Defines defines = None);
 
     void bind(GLbyte *offset) final;
 
-    UniformMatrix<4>                u_matrix   = {"u_matrix", *this};
-    Uniform<Color>                  u_color    = {"u_color",  *this};
-    Uniform<GLfloat>                u_opacity  = {"u_opacity", *this};
+    struct matrix : public UniformMatrix<4> {
+        matrix() : UniformMatrix{ "u_matrix" } {};
+    };
+    struct color : public Uniform<Color> {
+        color() : Uniform{ "u_color" } {};
+    };
+    struct opacity : public Uniform<GLfloat> {
+        opacity() : Uniform{ "u_opacity" } {};
+    };
+
+    template <typename... Args>
+    void setUniforms(Args&&... args) {
+        auto x = std::make_tuple(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+        apply(uniforms, [this, &x](auto& uniform) {
+            using U = std::remove_cv_t<std::remove_reference_t<decltype(uniform)>>;
+            uniform.set(get_tuple_type<UniformValue<U>>({ {} }, std::forward<decltype(x)>(x)).value);
+        });
+    }
+
+private:
+    std::tuple<color, opacity, matrix> uniforms;
 };
 
 } // namespace mbgl
diff --git a/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.cpp b/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.cpp
index 4c7646119ad..218c3460e00 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.cpp
@@ -4,49 +4,48 @@
 namespace mbgl {
 
 template <>
-void Uniform<GLfloat>::bind(const GLfloat& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform1f(location, t));
+void Uniform<GLfloat>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform1f(location, current));
 }
 
 template <>
-void Uniform<GLint>::bind(const GLint& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform1i(location, t));
+void Uniform<GLint>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform1i(location, current));
 }
 
 template <>
-void Uniform<std::array<GLfloat, 2>>::bind(const std::array<GLfloat, 2>& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform2fv(location, 1, t.data()));
+void Uniform<std::array<GLfloat, 2>>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform2fv(location, 1, current.data()));
 }
 
 template <>
-void Uniform<std::array<GLfloat, 3>>::bind(const std::array<GLfloat, 3>& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform3fv(location, 1, t.data()));
+void Uniform<std::array<GLfloat, 3>>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform3fv(location, 1, current.data()));
 }
 
 template <>
-void Uniform<std::array<GLfloat, 4>>::bind(const std::array<GLfloat, 4>& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform4fv(location, 1, t.data()));
+void Uniform<std::array<GLfloat, 4>>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform4fv(location, 1, current.data()));
 }
 
 template <>
-void Uniform<Color>::bind(const Color& t) {
-    std::array<GLfloat, 4> a = {{ t.r, t.g, t.b, t.a }};
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform4fv(location, 1, a.data()));
+void Uniform<Color>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniform4f(location, current.r, current.g, current.b, current.a));
 }
 
 template <>
-void UniformMatrix<2>::bind(const std::array<GLfloat, 4>& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniformMatrix2fv(location, 1, GL_FALSE, t.data()));
+void UniformMatrix<2>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniformMatrix2fv(location, 1, GL_FALSE, current.data()));
 }
 
 template <>
-void UniformMatrix<3>::bind(const std::array<GLfloat, 9>& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniformMatrix3fv(location, 1, GL_FALSE, t.data()));
+void UniformMatrix<3>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniformMatrix3fv(location, 1, GL_FALSE, current.data()));
 }
 
 template <>
-void UniformMatrix<4>::bind(const std::array<GLfloat, 16>& t) {
-    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniformMatrix4fv(location, 1, GL_FALSE, t.data()));
+void UniformMatrix<4>::bind() {
+    MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glUniformMatrix4fv(location, 1, GL_FALSE, current.data()));
 }
 
 // Add more as needed.
diff --git a/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.hpp b/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.hpp
index fd7e8797be0..eb63f1f4585 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/shader/uniform.hpp
@@ -10,34 +10,48 @@ namespace mbgl {
 template <typename T>
 class Uniform {
 public:
-    Uniform(const GLchar* name, const Shader& shader) : current() {
-         location = MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glGetUniformLocation(shader.getID(), name));
+    using Type = T;
+    using ArgType = T;
+
+    Uniform(const GLchar* name_, const Shader& shader) : name(name_), current() {
+        location = MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glGetUniformLocation(shader.getID(), name));
     }
 
-    void operator=(const T& t) {
+    Uniform(const GLchar* name_) : name(name_), current() {
+    }
+
+    void operator=(const ArgType& t) {
         if (current != t) {
             current = t;
-            bind(t);
+            bind();
         }
     }
 
-private:
-    void bind(const T&);
+    void set(const ArgType& t) {
+        operator=(t);
+    }
+
+    void bind();
 
-    T current;
-    GLint location;
+    const char* const name;
+    Type current;
+    GLint location = -1;
 };
 
 template <size_t C, size_t R = C>
 class UniformMatrix {
 public:
-    typedef std::array<float, C*R> T;
+    using Type = std::array<float, C*R>;
+    using ArgType = std::array<double, C*R>;
 
-    UniformMatrix(const GLchar* name, const Shader& shader) : current() {
+    UniformMatrix(const GLchar* name_, const Shader& shader) : name(name_), current() {
         location = MBGL_CHECK_ERROR(glGetUniformLocation(shader.getID(), name));
     }
 
-    void operator=(const std::array<double, C*R>& t) {
+    UniformMatrix(const GLchar* name_) : name(name_), current() {
+    }
+
+    void operator=(const ArgType& t) {
         bool dirty = false;
         for (unsigned int i = 0; i < C*R; i++) {
             if (current[i] != t[i]) {
@@ -46,15 +60,19 @@ class UniformMatrix {
             }
         }
         if (dirty) {
-            bind(current);
+            bind();
         }
     }
 
-private:
-    void bind(const T&);
+    void set(const ArgType& t) {
+        operator=(t);
+    }
+
+    void bind();
 
-    T current;
-    GLint location;
+    const char* const name;
+    Type current;
+    GLint location = -1;
 };
 
 } // namespace mbgl