diff --git a/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c b/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c
index b2308113..ecb68768 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c
+++ b/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c
@@ -2071,9 +2071,19 @@ VkResult QVk_BeginFrame(const VkViewport* viewport, const VkRect2D* scissor)
 
 	ReleaseSwapBuffers();
 
+	static int restartcount;
 	VkResult result = vkAcquireNextImageKHR(vk_device.logical, vk_swapchain.sc, 500000000, vk_imageAvailableSemaphores[vk_activeBufferIdx], VK_NULL_HANDLE, &vk_imageIndex);
 	if (result == VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR || result == VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR || result == VK_ERROR_SURFACE_LOST_KHR || result == VK_TIMEOUT)
 	{
+		if (restartcount > 2)
+		{
+			Sys_Error("%s(): tried to restart 3 times after vkAcquireNextImageKHR: %s", __func__, QVk_GetError(result));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			restartcount++;
+		}
+
 		// for VK_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR and VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR it'd be fine to just rebuild the swapchain but let's take the easy way out and restart Vulkan.
 		R_Printf(PRINT_ALL, "%s(): received %s after vkAcquireNextImageKHR - restarting video!\n", __func__, QVk_GetError(result));
 		return result;
@@ -2083,6 +2093,7 @@ VkResult QVk_BeginFrame(const VkViewport* viewport, const VkRect2D* scissor)
 		Sys_Error("%s(): unexpected error after vkAcquireNextImageKHR: %s", __func__, QVk_GetError(result));
 	}
 
+	restartcount = 0;
 	vk_activeCmdbuffer = vk_commandbuffers[vk_activeBufferIdx];
 
 	// swap dynamic buffers