diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.c
index 38f96e41dca..6d924dfe1f8 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.c
@@ -1603,7 +1603,8 @@ vn_physical_device_init_extensions(struct vn_physical_device *physical_dev)
 }
 
 static VkResult
-vn_physical_device_init_version(struct vn_physical_device *physical_dev)
+vn_physical_device_init_renderer_version(
+   struct vn_physical_device *physical_dev)
 {
    struct vn_instance *instance = physical_dev->instance;
 
@@ -1623,9 +1624,10 @@ vn_physical_device_init_version(struct vn_physical_device *physical_dev)
       return VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED;
    }
 
-   physical_dev->renderer_version = props.apiVersion;
-   if (physical_dev->renderer_version > instance->renderer_api_version)
-      physical_dev->renderer_version = instance->renderer_api_version;
+   /* device version for internal use is capped */
+   physical_dev->renderer_version =
+      MIN3(props.apiVersion, instance->renderer_api_version,
+           instance->renderer_info.vk_xml_version);
 
    return VK_SUCCESS;
 }
@@ -1636,7 +1638,7 @@ vn_physical_device_init(struct vn_physical_device *physical_dev)
    struct vn_instance *instance = physical_dev->instance;
    const VkAllocationCallbacks *alloc = &instance->base.base.alloc;
 
-   VkResult result = vn_physical_device_init_version(physical_dev);
+   VkResult result = vn_physical_device_init_renderer_version(physical_dev);
    if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
       return result;
 
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.h
index 0986d7ab0d8..c2bac2425ac 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device.h
@@ -74,7 +74,14 @@ struct vn_physical_device {
 
    struct vn_instance *instance;
 
+   /* Between the driver and the app, properties.properties.apiVersion is what
+    * we advertise and is capped by VN_MAX_API_VERSION and others.
+    *
+    * Between the driver and the renderer, renderer_version is the device
+    * version we can use internally.
+    */
    uint32_t renderer_version;
+
    struct vk_device_extension_table renderer_extensions;
 
    uint32_t *extension_spec_versions;