diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 18382c9..4e17f34 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ bevy = { version = "0.8", default-features = false, features = [
     "bevy_asset",
     "render",
 ] }
+thiserror = "1.0"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 bevy = { version = "0.8", default-features = false, features = [
diff --git a/examples/shapes.rs b/examples/shapes.rs
index 34a2af5..6bdfdfe 100644
--- a/examples/shapes.rs
+++ b/examples/shapes.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 use std::f32::consts::{PI, TAU};
 
-use bevy::prelude::{shape::Torus, *};
+use bevy::prelude::{
+    shape::{Cube, Torus},
+    *,
+};
 
 use bevy_mod_outline::*;
 
@@ -33,14 +36,11 @@ fn setup(
         material: materials.add(Color::rgb(0.3, 0.5, 0.3).into()),
         ..default()
     });
+    let mut cube_mesh = Mesh::from(Cube { size: 1.0 });
+    cube_mesh.generate_outline_normals().unwrap();
     commands
         .spawn_bundle(PbrBundle {
-            mesh: meshes.add(Mesh::from(Torus {
-                radius: 0.6,
-                ring_radius: 0.2,
-                subdivisions_segments: 20,
-                subdivisions_sides: 10,
-            })),
+            mesh: meshes.add(cube_mesh),
             material: materials.add(Color::rgb(0.1, 0.1, 0.9).into()),
             transform: Transform::from_xyz(0.0, 1.0, 0.0),
             ..default()
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 41d2b8c..a92064f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ use bevy::prelude::*;
 use bevy::render::extract_component::{
     ExtractComponent, ExtractComponentPlugin, UniformComponentPlugin,
 };
+use bevy::render::mesh::{MeshVertexAttribute, VertexAttributeValues};
 use bevy::render::render_graph::RenderGraph;
 use bevy::render::render_phase::{sort_phase_system, AddRenderCommand, DrawFunctions};
-use bevy::render::render_resource::SpecializedMeshPipelines;
+use bevy::render::render_resource::{SpecializedMeshPipelines, VertexFormat};
 use bevy::render::{RenderApp, RenderStage};
+use bevy::utils::{FloatOrd, HashMap};
 
 use crate::draw::{queue_outline_mesh, queue_outline_stencil_mesh, DrawOutline, DrawStencil};
 use crate::node::{OpaqueOutline, OutlineNode, StencilOutline, TransparentOutline};
@@ -27,7 +29,14 @@ mod view_uniforms;
 
 // See https://alexanderameye.github.io/notes/rendering-outlines/
 
-/// A component for stenciling meshes during outline rendering
+/// The direction to extrude the vertex when rendering the outline.
+pub const ATTRIBUTE_OUTLINE_NORMAL: MeshVertexAttribute = MeshVertexAttribute::new(
+    "Outline_Normal",
+    1585570526414773879,
+    VertexFormat::Float32x3,
+);
+
+/// A component for stenciling meshes during outline rendering.
 #[derive(Component, Default)]
 pub struct OutlineStencil;
 
@@ -49,6 +58,61 @@ pub struct Outline {
     pub colour: Color,
 }
 
+/// Failed to generate outline normals for the mesh.
+#[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
+pub enum GenerateOutlineNormalsError {
+    #[error("missing vertex attributes '{0}'")]
+    MissingVertexAttribute(&'static str),
+    #[error("the '{0}' vertex attribute should have {1:?} format, but had {2:?} format")]
+    InvalidVertexAttributeFormat(&'static str, VertexFormat, VertexFormat),
+}
+
+pub trait OutlineMeshExt {
+    /// Generates outline normals for the mesh by normalising the sum of the regular normals.
+    fn generate_outline_normals(&mut self) -> Result<(), GenerateOutlineNormalsError>;
+}
+
+impl OutlineMeshExt for Mesh {
+    fn generate_outline_normals(&mut self) -> Result<(), GenerateOutlineNormalsError> {
+        let positions = match self.attribute(Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_POSITION).ok_or(
+            GenerateOutlineNormalsError::MissingVertexAttribute(Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_POSITION.name),
+        )? {
+            VertexAttributeValues::Float32x3(p) => Ok(p),
+            v => Err(GenerateOutlineNormalsError::InvalidVertexAttributeFormat(
+                Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_POSITION.name,
+                VertexFormat::Float32x3,
+                v.into(),
+            )),
+        }?;
+        let normals = match self.attribute(Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL).ok_or(
+            GenerateOutlineNormalsError::MissingVertexAttribute(Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_POSITION.name),
+        )? {
+            VertexAttributeValues::Float32x3(n) => Ok(n),
+            v => Err(GenerateOutlineNormalsError::InvalidVertexAttributeFormat(
+                Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL.name,
+                VertexFormat::Float32x3,
+                v.into(),
+            )),
+        }?;
+        let mut map = HashMap::with_capacity(positions.len());
+        for (p, n) in positions.iter().zip(normals.iter()) {
+            let key = [FloatOrd(p[0]), FloatOrd(p[1]), FloatOrd(p[2])];
+            let value = Vec3::from_array(*n);
+            map.entry(key).and_modify(|e| *e += value).or_insert(value);
+        }
+        let mut outlines = Vec::with_capacity(positions.len());
+        for p in positions.iter() {
+            let key = [FloatOrd(p[0]), FloatOrd(p[1]), FloatOrd(p[2])];
+            outlines.push(map.get(&key).unwrap().normalize_or_zero().to_array());
+        }
+        self.insert_attribute(
+            ATTRIBUTE_OUTLINE_NORMAL,
+            VertexAttributeValues::Float32x3(outlines),
+        );
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
 /// Adds support for rendering outlines.
 pub struct OutlinePlugin;
 
diff --git a/src/pipeline.rs b/src/pipeline.rs
index 2ca7eca..ca969f8 100644
--- a/src/pipeline.rs
+++ b/src/pipeline.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use bevy::{
 
 use crate::uniforms::{OutlineFragmentUniform, OutlineVertexUniform};
 use crate::view_uniforms::OutlineViewUniform;
+use crate::ATTRIBUTE_OUTLINE_NORMAL;
 
 pub const COMMON_SHADER_HANDLE: HandleUntyped =
     HandleUntyped::weak_from_u64(Shader::TYPE_UUID, 9448276477068917228);
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ impl SpecializedMeshPipeline for OutlinePipeline {
     fn specialize(
         &self,
         (key, pass_type): Self::Key,
-        layout: &MeshVertexBufferLayout,
+        mesh_layout: &MeshVertexBufferLayout,
     ) -> Result<RenderPipelineDescriptor, SpecializedMeshPipelineError> {
         let mut targets = vec![];
         let mut bind_layouts = vec![
@@ -135,10 +136,17 @@ impl SpecializedMeshPipeline for OutlinePipeline {
 
                 bind_layouts.push(self.outline_view_bind_group_layout.clone());
                 bind_layouts.push(self.outline_bind_group_layout.clone());
-                buffer_attrs.push(Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL.at_shader_location(1));
+                buffer_attrs.push(
+                    if mesh_layout.contains(ATTRIBUTE_OUTLINE_NORMAL) {
+                        ATTRIBUTE_OUTLINE_NORMAL
+                    } else {
+                        Mesh::ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL
+                    }
+                    .at_shader_location(1),
+                );
             }
         }
-        let buffers = vec![layout.get_layout(&buffer_attrs)?];
+        let buffers = vec![mesh_layout.get_layout(&buffer_attrs)?];
         Ok(RenderPipelineDescriptor {
             vertex: VertexState {
                 shader: shader.clone().typed::<Shader>(),