diff --git a/src/rendering/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp b/src/rendering/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp
index cf06e8574..1dc6f2c87 100644
--- a/src/rendering/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/gl/shaders/gl_shader.cpp
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ bool FShader::Load(const char * name, const char * vert_prog_lump, const char *
 	i_data += "uniform sampler2D texture6;\n";
 
 	// timer data
-	i_data += "uniform float timer;\n"; // To do: we must search user shaders for this declaration and remove it
+	i_data += "uniform float timer;\n";
 
 	// material types
 	i_data += "#if defined(SPECULAR)\n";
diff --git a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/utility/hw_shaderpatcher.cpp b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/utility/hw_shaderpatcher.cpp
index 50c07f59d..c0bf52782 100644
--- a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/utility/hw_shaderpatcher.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/utility/hw_shaderpatcher.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ static bool isShaderType(const char *name)
 FString RemoveLegacyUserUniforms(FString code)
 {
 	// User shaders must declare their uniforms via the GLDEFS file.
+
+	code.Substitute("uniform sampler2D tex;", "                      ");
+	code.Substitute("uniform float timer;", "                    ");
+
 	// The following code searches for legacy uniform declarations in the shader itself and replaces them with whitespace.
 
 	long len = (long)code.Len();
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_postprocess.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_postprocess.cpp
index fbdd1cb10..e0f489144 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_postprocess.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/renderer/vk_postprocess.cpp
@@ -394,12 +394,12 @@ VkPPShader::VkPPShader(PPShader *shader)
 
 	ShaderBuilder vertbuilder;
 	vertbuilder.setVertexShader(LoadShaderCode(shader->VertexShader, "", shader->Version));
-	VertexShader = vertbuilder.create(fb->device);
+	VertexShader = vertbuilder.create(shader->VertexShader.GetChars(), fb->device);
 	VertexShader->SetDebugName(shader->VertexShader.GetChars());
 
 	ShaderBuilder fragbuilder;
 	fragbuilder.setFragmentShader(LoadShaderCode(shader->FragmentShader, prolog, shader->Version));
-	FragmentShader = fragbuilder.create(fb->device);
+	FragmentShader = fragbuilder.create(shader->FragmentShader.GetChars(), fb->device);
 	FragmentShader->SetDebugName(shader->FragmentShader.GetChars());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.cpp
index c0fee6dbd..e0c5a2fd2 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/shaders/vk_shader.cpp
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> VkShaderManager::LoadVertShader(FString shadername
 
 	ShaderBuilder builder;
 	builder.setVertexShader(code);
-	return builder.create(device);
+	return builder.create(shadername.GetChars(), device);
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> VkShaderManager::LoadFragShader(FString shadername, const char *frag_lump, const char *material_lump, const char *light_lump, const char *defines, bool alphatest, bool gbufferpass)
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> VkShaderManager::LoadFragShader(FString shadername
 
 	ShaderBuilder builder;
 	builder.setFragmentShader(code);
-	return builder.create(device);
+	return builder.create(shadername.GetChars(), device);
 }
 
 FString VkShaderManager::GetTargetGlslVersion()
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.cpp b/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.cpp
index e79e5f24b..c0baed821 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.cpp
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ void ShaderBuilder::setFragmentShader(const FString &c)
 	stage = EShLanguage::EShLangFragment;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> ShaderBuilder::create(VulkanDevice *device)
+std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> ShaderBuilder::create(const char *shadername, VulkanDevice *device)
 {
 	EShLanguage stage = (EShLanguage)this->stage;
 	const char *sources[] = { code.GetChars() };
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> ShaderBuilder::create(VulkanDevice *device)
 	bool compileSuccess = shader.parse(&resources, 110, false, EShMsgVulkanRules);
 	if (!compileSuccess)
 	{
-		I_FatalError("Shader compile failed: %s\n", shader.getInfoLog());
+		I_FatalError("Shader '%s' could not be compiled:\n%s\n", shadername, shader.getInfoLog());
 	}
 
 	glslang::TProgram program;
@@ -151,13 +151,13 @@ std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> ShaderBuilder::create(VulkanDevice *device)
 	bool linkSuccess = program.link(EShMsgDefault);
 	if (!linkSuccess)
 	{
-		I_FatalError("Shader link failed: %s\n", program.getInfoLog());
+		I_FatalError("Shader '%s' could not be linked:\n%s\n", shadername, program.getInfoLog());
 	}
 
 	glslang::TIntermediate *intermediate = program.getIntermediate(stage);
 	if (!intermediate)
 	{
-		I_FatalError("Internal shader compiler error");
+		I_FatalError("Internal shader compiler error while processing '%s'\n", shadername);
 	}
 
 	glslang::SpvOptions spvOptions;
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> ShaderBuilder::create(VulkanDevice *device)
 	VkShaderModule shaderModule;
 	VkResult result = vkCreateShaderModule(device->device, &createInfo, nullptr, &shaderModule);
 	if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
-		I_FatalError("Could not create vulkan shader module");
+		I_FatalError("Could not create vulkan shader module for '%s'", shadername);
 
 	return std::make_unique<VulkanShader>(device, shaderModule);
 }
diff --git a/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.h b/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.h
index e415466a9..c2f221865 100644
--- a/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.h
+++ b/src/rendering/vulkan/system/vk_builders.h
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public:
 	void setVertexShader(const FString &code);
 	void setFragmentShader(const FString &code);
 
-	std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> create(VulkanDevice *device);
+	std::unique_ptr<VulkanShader> create(const char *shadername, VulkanDevice *device);
 
 private:
 	FString code;