diff --git a/include/vid_vulkan.h b/include/vid_vulkan.h
index 411fcf4db..1886730c6 100644
--- a/include/vid_vulkan.h
+++ b/include/vid_vulkan.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ typedef struct vulkan_ctx_s {
 	struct qfv_instance_s *instance;
 	struct qfv_device_s *device;
 	struct qfv_swapchain_s *swapchain;
+	VkSampleCountFlagBits msaaSamples;	// FIXME not here?
 	struct hashlink_s *hashlinks;	//FIXME want per thread
 	VkSurfaceKHR surface;	//FIXME surface = window, so "contains" swapchain
 
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/qfpipeline.plist b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/qfpipeline.plist
index a8e1c36c9..66c9e0adb 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/qfpipeline.plist
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/qfpipeline.plist
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 			{
 				flags = 0;
 				format = VK_FORMAT_D32_SFLOAT;
-				samples = $cvars.msaaSamples;
+				samples = $msaaSamples;
 				loadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_CLEAR;
 				storeOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_DONT_CARE;
 				stencilLoadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_DONT_CARE;
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkparse.c b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkparse.c
index b6512d041..b62637796 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkparse.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkparse.c
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ QFV_ParseRenderPass (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx, plitem_t *plist)
 	VkRenderPass renderpass;
 	exprsym_t   var_syms[] = {
 		{"swapchain", &qfv_swapchain_t_type, ctx->swapchain},
+		{"msaaSamples", &VkSampleCountFlagBits_type, &ctx->msaaSamples},
 		{}
 	};
 	exprtab_t   vars_tab = { var_syms, 0 };
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c
index ee0a209a1..9c2b021f4 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ Vulkan_Init_Cvars (void)
 										 CVAR_NONE, vulkan_presentation_mode_f,
 										 "desired presentation mode (may fall "
 										 "back to fifo).");
-	msaaSamples = Cvar_Get ("msaaSamples", "VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_8_BIT",
+	msaaSamples = Cvar_Get ("msaaSamples", "VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT",
 										 CVAR_NONE, msaaSamples_f,
 										 "desired MSAA sample size.");
 }
@@ -284,13 +284,13 @@ Vulkan_CreateRenderPass (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 
 	VkExtent3D extent = {sc->extent.width, sc->extent.height, 1};
 
-	VkSampleCountFlagBits msaaSamples
-		= QFV_GetMaxSampleCount (device->physDev);
+	//FIXME incorporate cvar setting
+	ctx->msaaSamples = QFV_GetMaxSampleCount (device->physDev);
 
 	Sys_MaskPrintf (SYS_VULKAN, "color resource\n");
 	colorImage->image
 		= QFV_CreateImage (device, 0, VK_IMAGE_TYPE_2D,
-						   sc->format, extent, 1, 1, msaaSamples,
+						   sc->format, extent, 1, 1, ctx->msaaSamples,
 						   VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSIENT_ATTACHMENT_BIT
 							   | VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT);
 	colorImage->object
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ Vulkan_CreateRenderPass (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 	VkFormat depthFormat = VK_FORMAT_D32_SFLOAT;
 	depthImage->image
 		= QFV_CreateImage (device, 0, VK_IMAGE_TYPE_2D,
-						   depthFormat, extent, 1, 1, msaaSamples,
+						   depthFormat, extent, 1, 1, ctx->msaaSamples,
 						   VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT);
 	depthImage->object
 		= QFV_AllocImageMemory (device, depthImage->image,