diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp
index 17186e3ab7..a5d1d9c80f 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "vk_renderpass.h"
 #include "vk_renderbuffers.h"
 #include "vk_renderstate.h"
+#include "vulkan/textures/vk_samplers.h"
 #include "vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.h"
 #include "vulkan/system/vk_builders.h"
 #include "vulkan/system/vk_framebuffer.h"
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ void VkRenderPassManager::Init()
 	CreateDynamicSetLayout();
 	CreateDescriptorPool();
 	CreateDynamicSet();
+	CreateNullTexture();
 }
 
 void VkRenderPassManager::RenderBuffersReset()
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ void VkRenderPassManager::TextureSetPoolReset()
 			deleteList.DescriptorPools.push_back(std::move(desc));
 		}
 	}
+	NullTextureDescriptorSet.reset();
 	TextureDescriptorPools.clear();
 	TextureDescriptorSetsLeft = 0;
 	TextureDescriptorsLeft = 0;
@@ -187,6 +190,42 @@ void VkRenderPassManager::CreateDynamicSet()
 		I_FatalError("CreateDynamicSet failed.\n");
 }
 
+void VkRenderPassManager::CreateNullTexture()
+{
+	auto fb = GetVulkanFrameBuffer();
+
+	ImageBuilder imgbuilder;
+	imgbuilder.setFormat(VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM);
+	imgbuilder.setSize(1, 1);
+	imgbuilder.setUsage(VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT);
+	NullTexture = imgbuilder.create(fb->device);
+	NullTexture->SetDebugName("VkRenderPassManager.NullTexture");
+
+	ImageViewBuilder viewbuilder;
+	viewbuilder.setImage(NullTexture.get(), VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM);
+	NullTextureView = viewbuilder.create(fb->device);
+	NullTextureView->SetDebugName("VkRenderPassManager.NullTextureView");
+
+	PipelineBarrier barrier;
+	barrier.addImage(NullTexture.get(), VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_UNDEFINED, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_SHADER_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL, 0, VK_ACCESS_SHADER_READ_BIT, VK_IMAGE_ASPECT_COLOR_BIT);
+	barrier.execute(fb->GetTransferCommands(), VK_PIPELINE_STAGE_FRAGMENT_SHADER_BIT, VK_PIPELINE_STAGE_FRAGMENT_SHADER_BIT);
+}
+
+VulkanDescriptorSet* VkRenderPassManager::GetNullTextureDescriptorSet()
+{
+	if (!NullTextureDescriptorSet)
+	{
+		NullTextureDescriptorSet = AllocateTextureDescriptorSet(1);
+
+		auto fb = GetVulkanFrameBuffer();
+		WriteDescriptors update;
+		update.addCombinedImageSampler(NullTextureDescriptorSet.get(), 0, NullTextureView.get(), fb->GetSamplerManager()->Get(CLAMP_XY_NOMIP), VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_SHADER_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL);
+		update.updateSets(fb->device);
+	}
+
+	return NullTextureDescriptorSet.get();
+}
+
 void VkRenderPassManager::UpdateDynamicSet()
 {
 	auto fb = GetVulkanFrameBuffer();
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h
index 85c89266d7..47b21769a0 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ public:
 	std::unique_ptr<VulkanDescriptorSet> AllocateTextureDescriptorSet(int numLayers);
 	VulkanPipelineLayout* GetPipelineLayout(int numLayers);
 
+	VulkanDescriptorSet* GetNullTextureDescriptorSet();
+
 	std::unique_ptr<VulkanDescriptorSetLayout> DynamicSetLayout;
 	std::map<VkRenderPassKey, std::unique_ptr<VkRenderPassSetup>> RenderPassSetup;
 
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ private:
 	void CreateDynamicSetLayout();
 	void CreateDescriptorPool();
 	void CreateDynamicSet();
+	void CreateNullTexture();
 
 	VulkanDescriptorSetLayout *GetTextureSetLayout(int numLayers);
 
@@ -112,4 +115,8 @@ private:
 	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<VulkanDescriptorSetLayout>> TextureSetLayouts;
 	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<VulkanPipelineLayout>> PipelineLayouts;
 	std::vector<VkVertexFormat> VertexFormats;
+
+	std::unique_ptr<VulkanImage> NullTexture;
+	std::unique_ptr<VulkanImageView> NullTextureView;
+	std::unique_ptr<VulkanDescriptorSet> NullTextureDescriptorSet;
 };
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp
index 3581862e89..abf2ba12a6 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ void VkRenderState::ApplyRenderPass(int dt)
 	pipelineKey.StencilPassOp = mStencilOp;
 	pipelineKey.ColorMask = mColorMask;
 	pipelineKey.CullMode = mCullMode;
-	pipelineKey.NumTextureLayers = mMaterial.mMaterial ? mMaterial.mMaterial->GetLayers() : 0;
+	pipelineKey.NumTextureLayers = mMaterial.mMaterial ? mMaterial.mMaterial->GetLayers() : 1; // Always force minimum 1 texture as the shader requires it
 	if (mSpecialEffect > EFF_NONE)
 	{
 		pipelineKey.SpecialEffect = mSpecialEffect;
@@ -423,16 +423,15 @@ void VkRenderState::ApplyVertexBuffers()
 
 void VkRenderState::ApplyMaterial()
 {
-	if (mMaterial.mChanged && mMaterial.mMaterial)
+	if (mMaterial.mChanged)
 	{
-		auto base = static_cast<VkHardwareTexture*>(mMaterial.mMaterial->GetLayer(0, mMaterial.mTranslation));
-		if (base)
-		{
-			auto fb = GetVulkanFrameBuffer();
-			auto passManager = fb->GetRenderPassManager();
-			mCommandBuffer->bindDescriptorSet(VK_PIPELINE_BIND_POINT_GRAPHICS, passManager->GetPipelineLayout(mPipelineKey.NumTextureLayers), 1, base->GetDescriptorSet(mMaterial));
-		}
+		auto fb = GetVulkanFrameBuffer();
+		auto passManager = fb->GetRenderPassManager();
 
+		VkHardwareTexture* base = mMaterial.mMaterial ? static_cast<VkHardwareTexture*>(mMaterial.mMaterial->GetLayer(0, mMaterial.mTranslation)) : nullptr;
+		VulkanDescriptorSet* descriptorset = base ? base->GetDescriptorSet(mMaterial) : passManager->GetNullTextureDescriptorSet();
+
+		mCommandBuffer->bindDescriptorSet(VK_PIPELINE_BIND_POINT_GRAPHICS, passManager->GetPipelineLayout(mPipelineKey.NumTextureLayers), 1, descriptorset);
 		mMaterial.mChanged = false;
 	}
 }