diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
index 15f851b4a41..2948d858659 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ vn_relax(const struct vn_ring *ring, uint32_t *iter, const char *reason)
    if (unlikely(*iter % (1 << warn_order) == 0)) {
       vn_log(NULL, "stuck in %s wait with iter at %d", reason, *iter);
 
+      if (vn_ring_fatal(ring)) {
+         vn_log(NULL, "aborting on ring fatal error");
+         abort();
+      }
+
       if (*iter >= (1 << abort_order) && !VN_DEBUG(NO_ABORT)) {
          vn_log(NULL, "aborting");
          abort();
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
index 805f97cc343..a315dbbdb99 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
@@ -30,10 +30,16 @@ vn_ring_store_tail(struct vn_ring *ring)
 static uint32_t
 vn_ring_load_status(const struct vn_ring *ring)
 {
-   /* this must be called and ordered after vn_ring_store_tail */
+   /* must be called and ordered after vn_ring_store_tail for idle status */
    return atomic_load_explicit(ring->shared.status, memory_order_seq_cst);
 }
 
+bool
+vn_ring_fatal(const struct vn_ring *ring)
+{
+   return vn_ring_load_status(ring) & VK_RING_STATUS_FATAL_BIT_MESA;
+}
+
 static void
 vn_ring_write_buffer(struct vn_ring *ring, const void *data, uint32_t size)
 {
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
index 6d51610a794..970cce73c04 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
@@ -98,4 +98,7 @@ vn_ring_submit(struct vn_ring *ring,
 void
 vn_ring_wait(const struct vn_ring *ring, uint32_t seqno);
 
+bool
+vn_ring_fatal(const struct vn_ring *ring);
+
 #endif /* VN_RING_H */