diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_queue.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_queue.c
index b2e4369df68..27dd24c34a2 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_queue.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_queue.c
@@ -598,12 +598,11 @@ create_group(struct panvk_queue *queue,
    };
 
    struct drm_panthor_group_create gc = {
-      .compute_core_mask = phys_dev->kmod.props.shader_present,
-      .fragment_core_mask = phys_dev->kmod.props.shader_present,
+      .compute_core_mask = phys_dev->compute_core_mask,
+      .fragment_core_mask = phys_dev->fragment_core_mask,
       .tiler_core_mask = 1,
-      .max_compute_cores = util_bitcount64(phys_dev->kmod.props.shader_present),
-      .max_fragment_cores =
-         util_bitcount64(phys_dev->kmod.props.shader_present),
+      .max_compute_cores = util_bitcount64(phys_dev->compute_core_mask),
+      .max_fragment_cores = util_bitcount64(phys_dev->fragment_core_mask),
       .max_tiler_cores = 1,
       .priority = group_priority,
       .queues = DRM_PANTHOR_OBJ_ARRAY(ARRAY_SIZE(qc), qc),
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
index 888b1620783..b03d98d0262 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ static const driOptionDescription panvk_dri_options[] = {
       DRI_CONF_VK_WSI_FORCE_SWAPCHAIN_TO_CURRENT_EXTENT(false)
       DRI_CONF_VK_X11_IGNORE_SUBOPTIMAL(false)
    DRI_CONF_SECTION_END
+
+   DRI_CONF_SECTION_MISCELLANEOUS
+      DRI_CONF_PAN_COMPUTE_CORE_MASK(~0ull)
+      DRI_CONF_PAN_FRAGMENT_CORE_MASK(~0ull)
+   DRI_CONF_SECTION_END
 };
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c
index f905c32d91a..b1627d16a96 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c
@@ -130,6 +130,39 @@ get_cache_uuid(uint16_t family, void *uuid)
    return 0;
 }
 
+static VkResult
+get_core_mask(struct panvk_physical_device *device,
+              const struct panvk_instance *instance, const char *option_name,
+              uint64_t *mask)
+{
+   uint64_t present = device->kmod.props.shader_present;
+   *mask = driQueryOptionu64(&instance->dri_options, option_name) & present;
+
+   if (!*mask)
+      return panvk_errorf(instance, VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED,
+                          "None of the cores specified in %s are present. "
+                          "Available shader cores are 0x%" PRIx64 ".\n",
+                          option_name, present);
+
+   return VK_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+static VkResult
+get_core_masks(struct panvk_physical_device *device,
+               const struct panvk_instance *instance)
+{
+   VkResult result;
+
+   result = get_core_mask(device, instance, "pan_compute_core_mask",
+                          &device->compute_core_mask);
+   if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
+      return result;
+   result = get_core_mask(device, instance, "pan_fragment_core_mask",
+                          &device->fragment_core_mask);
+
+   return result;
+}
+
 static VkResult
 get_device_sync_types(struct panvk_physical_device *device,
                       const struct panvk_instance *instance)
@@ -1049,6 +1082,10 @@ panvk_physical_device_init(struct panvk_physical_device *device,
       goto fail;
    }
 
+   result = get_core_masks(device, instance);
+   if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
+      goto fail;
+
    result = get_device_sync_types(device, instance);
    if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
       goto fail;
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.h b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.h
index fa213c3558b..ebe81284b3e 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.h
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.h
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ struct panvk_physical_device {
    const struct vk_sync_type *sync_types[3];
 
    struct wsi_device wsi_device;
+
+   uint64_t compute_core_mask;
+   uint64_t fragment_core_mask;
 };
 
 VK_DEFINE_HANDLE_CASTS(panvk_physical_device, vk.base, VkPhysicalDevice,
diff --git a/src/util/driconf.h b/src/util/driconf.h
index 8712c3b4dbb..5b0481912c8 100644
--- a/src/util/driconf.h
+++ b/src/util/driconf.h
@@ -641,6 +641,18 @@
    DRI_CONF_OPT_B(disable_conservative_lrz, def, \
                   "Disable conservative LRZ")
 
+/**
+ * \brief panfrost specific configuration options
+ */
+
+#define DRI_CONF_PAN_COMPUTE_CORE_MASK(def) \
+   DRI_CONF_OPT_U64(pan_compute_core_mask, def, 0, UINT64_MAX, \
+                    "Bitmask of shader cores that may be used for compute jobs. If unset, defaults to scheduling across all available cores.")
+
+#define DRI_CONF_PAN_FRAGMENT_CORE_MASK(def) \
+   DRI_CONF_OPT_U64(pan_fragment_core_mask, def, 0, UINT64_MAX, \
+                    "Bitmask of shader cores that may be used for fragment jobs. If unset, defaults to scheduling across all available cores.")
+
 /**
  * \brief Turnip specific configuration options
  */