diff --git a/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_instance.h b/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_instance.h
index b7aa289ba7c..6c0f21b14fd 100644
--- a/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_instance.h
+++ b/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_instance.h
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ struct vk_instance {
    /** Instance-level dispatch table */
    struct vk_instance_dispatch_table dispatch_table;
 
+   /** Driver-set flag to enable debug logging in release builds
+    *
+    * When set to true, vk_log messages will not be skipped in non-debug
+    * builds even when no debug_utils or debug_report callbacks are registered.
+    * Drivers should set this based on their own debug environment variables.
+    */
+   bool enable_debug_logging;
+
    /* VK_EXT_debug_report debug callbacks */
    struct vk_debug_report debug_report;
 
diff --git a/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_log.c b/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_log.c
index 48f2786c03b..24422192fd2 100644
--- a/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_log.c
+++ b/src/vulkan/runtime/vk_log.c
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ __vk_log_impl(VkDebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT severity,
 
 #if !MESA_DEBUG
    if (unlikely(!instance) ||
-       (likely(list_is_empty(&instance->debug_utils.callbacks)) &&
+       (likely(!instance->enable_debug_logging) &&
+        likely(list_is_empty(&instance->debug_utils.callbacks)) &&
         likely(list_is_empty(&instance->debug_report.callbacks))))
       return;
 #endif
@@ -127,26 +128,30 @@ __vk_log_impl(VkDebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT severity,
 
    char *message_idname = ralloc_asprintf(NULL, "%s:%d", file, line);
 
-#if MESA_VK_LOG
-   switch (severity) {
-   case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_VERBOSE_BIT_EXT:
-      mesa_logd("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
-      break;
-   case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_INFO_BIT_EXT:
-      mesa_logi("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
-      break;
-   case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_WARNING_BIT_EXT:
-      if (types & VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_PERFORMANCE_BIT_EXT)
-         mesa_logw("%s: PERF: %s", message_idname, message);
-      else
-         mesa_logw("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
-      break;
-   case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_ERROR_BIT_EXT:
-      mesa_loge("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
-      break;
-   default:
-      UNREACHABLE("Invalid debug message severity");
-      break;
+   const bool do_log = MESA_VK_LOG ||
+                       (instance && instance->enable_debug_logging);
+
+   if (do_log) {
+      switch (severity) {
+      case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_VERBOSE_BIT_EXT:
+         mesa_logd("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
+         break;
+      case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_INFO_BIT_EXT:
+         mesa_logi("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
+         break;
+      case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_WARNING_BIT_EXT:
+         if (types & VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_PERFORMANCE_BIT_EXT)
+            mesa_logw("%s: PERF: %s", message_idname, message);
+         else
+            mesa_logw("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
+         break;
+      case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_ERROR_BIT_EXT:
+         mesa_loge("%s: %s", message_idname, message);
+         break;
+      default:
+         UNREACHABLE("Invalid debug message severity");
+         break;
+      }
    }
 
    if (!instance) {
@@ -154,7 +159,6 @@ __vk_log_impl(VkDebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT severity,
       ralloc_free(message_idname);
       return;
    }
-#endif
 
    if (!instance->base.client_visible) {
       vk_debug_message_instance(instance, severity, types,