diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp
index a90c825e81..7567ee90fa 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.cpp
@@ -215,17 +215,25 @@ VulkanDescriptorSet* VkRenderPassManager::GetNullTextureDescriptorSet()
 {
 	if (!NullTextureDescriptorSet)
 	{
-		NullTextureDescriptorSet = AllocateTextureDescriptorSet(1);
+		NullTextureDescriptorSet = AllocateTextureDescriptorSet(SHADER_MIN_REQUIRED_TEXTURE_LAYERS);
 
 		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);
+		for (int i = 0; i < SHADER_MIN_REQUIRED_TEXTURE_LAYERS; i++)
+		{
+			update.addCombinedImageSampler(NullTextureDescriptorSet.get(), i, NullTextureView.get(), fb->GetSamplerManager()->Get(CLAMP_XY_NOMIP), VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_SHADER_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL);
+		}
 		update.updateSets(fb->device);
 	}
 
 	return NullTextureDescriptorSet.get();
 }
 
+VulkanImageView* VkRenderPassManager::GetNullTextureView()
+{
+	return NullTextureView.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 37fd05ed66..c2c3b3e8e1 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ public:
 	VulkanPipelineLayout* GetPipelineLayout(int numLayers);
 
 	VulkanDescriptorSet* GetNullTextureDescriptorSet();
+	VulkanImageView* GetNullTextureView();
 
 	std::unique_ptr<VulkanDescriptorSetLayout> DynamicSetLayout;
 	std::map<VkRenderPassKey, std::unique_ptr<VkRenderPassSetup>> RenderPassSetup;
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp
index b0851f1176..f5cc42e76a 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_renderstate.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ void VkRenderState::ApplyRenderPass(int dt)
 	pipelineKey.StencilPassOp = mStencilOp;
 	pipelineKey.ColorMask = mColorMask;
 	pipelineKey.CullMode = mCullMode;
-	pipelineKey.NumTextureLayers = mMaterial.mMaterial ? mMaterial.mMaterial->GetLayers() : 4; // Always force minimum 1 texture as the shader requires it
+	pipelineKey.NumTextureLayers = mMaterial.mMaterial ? mMaterial.mMaterial->GetLayers() : 0;
+	pipelineKey.NumTextureLayers = std::max(pipelineKey.NumTextureLayers, SHADER_MIN_REQUIRED_TEXTURE_LAYERS);// Always force minimum 8 textures as the shader requires it
 	if (mSpecialEffect > EFF_NONE)
 	{
 		pipelineKey.SpecialEffect = mSpecialEffect;
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.h b/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.h
index feb897ef00..a9936293c0 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.h
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include "name.h"
 #include "hwrenderer/scene/hw_renderstate.h"
 
+#define SHADER_MIN_REQUIRED_TEXTURE_LAYERS 8
+
 class VulkanDevice;
 class VulkanShader;
 
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/textures/vk_hwtexture.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/textures/vk_hwtexture.cpp
index d91807206b..c8784b6c5b 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/textures/vk_hwtexture.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/textures/vk_hwtexture.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "vulkan/renderer/vk_renderpass.h"
 #include "vulkan/renderer/vk_postprocess.h"
 #include "vulkan/renderer/vk_renderbuffers.h"
+#include "vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.h"
 #include "vk_hwtexture.h"
 
 VkHardwareTexture *VkHardwareTexture::First = nullptr;
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ VulkanDescriptorSet *VkHardwareTexture::GetDescriptorSet(const FMaterialState &s
 	int numLayers = mat->GetLayers();
 
 	auto fb = GetVulkanFrameBuffer();
-	auto descriptor = fb->GetRenderPassManager()->AllocateTextureDescriptorSet(numLayers);
+	auto descriptor = fb->GetRenderPassManager()->AllocateTextureDescriptorSet(std::max(numLayers, SHADER_MIN_REQUIRED_TEXTURE_LAYERS));
 
 	descriptor->SetDebugName("VkHardwareTexture.mDescriptorSets");
 
@@ -158,6 +159,13 @@ VulkanDescriptorSet *VkHardwareTexture::GetDescriptorSet(const FMaterialState &s
 		auto systex = static_cast<VkHardwareTexture*>(mat->GetLayer(i, 0, &layer));
 		update.addCombinedImageSampler(descriptor.get(), i, systex->GetImage(layer, 0, mat->isExpanded() ? CTF_Expand : 0)->View.get(), sampler, systex->mImage.Layout);
 	}
+
+	auto dummyImage = fb->GetRenderPassManager()->GetNullTextureView();
+	for (int i = numLayers; i < SHADER_MIN_REQUIRED_TEXTURE_LAYERS; i++)
+	{
+		update.addCombinedImageSampler(descriptor.get(), i, dummyImage, sampler, mImage.Layout);
+	}
+
 	update.updateSets(fb->device);
 	mDescriptorSets.emplace_back(clampmode, flags, std::move(descriptor));
 	return mDescriptorSets.back().descriptor.get();