diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
index 866217e3723..b826441a60b 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ static const struct debug_control panvk_debug_options[] = {
    {"dump", PANVK_DEBUG_DUMP},
    {"no_known_warn", PANVK_DEBUG_NO_KNOWN_WARN},
    {"cs", PANVK_DEBUG_CS},
+   {"copy_gfx", PANVK_DEBUG_COPY_GFX},
    {NULL, 0}};
 
 VKAPI_ATTR VkResult VKAPI_CALL
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
index e386deedfd3..19b94f4b1e6 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ enum panvk_debug_flags {
    PANVK_DEBUG_DUMP = 1 << 6,
    PANVK_DEBUG_NO_KNOWN_WARN = 1 << 7,
    PANVK_DEBUG_CS = 1 << 8,
+   PANVK_DEBUG_COPY_GFX = 1 << 9,
 };
 
 #if defined(VK_USE_PLATFORM_WAYLAND_KHR) || \
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_meta.h b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_meta.h
index 508217de15f..3282e652a76 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_meta.h
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_meta.h
@@ -12,16 +12,6 @@
 #include "vk_format.h"
 #include "vk_meta.h"
 
-static inline bool
-panvk_meta_copy_to_image_use_gfx_pipeline(struct panvk_image *dst_img)
-{
-   /* Writes to AFBC images must go through the graphics pipeline. */
-   if (drm_is_afbc(dst_img->pimage.layout.modifier))
-      return true;
-
-   return false;
-}
-
 static inline VkFormat
 panvk_meta_get_uint_format_for_blk_size(unsigned blk_sz)
 {
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_cmd_meta.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_cmd_meta.c
index 9d120b908a9..6a6aaca2061 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_cmd_meta.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_cmd_meta.c
@@ -6,6 +6,23 @@
 #include "panvk_cmd_meta.h"
 #include "panvk_entrypoints.h"
 
+static bool
+copy_to_image_use_gfx_pipeline(struct panvk_device *dev,
+                               struct panvk_image *dst_img)
+{
+   struct panvk_instance *instance =
+      to_panvk_instance(dev->vk.physical->instance);
+
+   if (instance->debug_flags & PANVK_DEBUG_COPY_GFX)
+      return true;
+
+   /* Writes to AFBC images must go through the graphics pipeline. */
+   if (drm_is_afbc(dst_img->pimage.layout.modifier))
+      return true;
+
+   return false;
+}
+
 void
 panvk_per_arch(cmd_meta_compute_start)(
    struct panvk_cmd_buffer *cmdbuf,
@@ -260,7 +277,7 @@ panvk_per_arch(CmdCopyBufferToImage2)(
    VK_FROM_HANDLE(panvk_image, img, pCopyBufferToImageInfo->dstImage);
    struct vk_meta_copy_image_properties img_props =
       panvk_meta_copy_get_image_properties(img);
-   bool use_gfx_pipeline = panvk_meta_copy_to_image_use_gfx_pipeline(img);
+   bool use_gfx_pipeline = copy_to_image_use_gfx_pipeline(dev, img);
 
    if (use_gfx_pipeline) {
       struct panvk_cmd_meta_graphics_save_ctx save = {0};
@@ -341,7 +358,7 @@ panvk_per_arch(CmdCopyImage2)(VkCommandBuffer commandBuffer,
       panvk_meta_copy_get_image_properties(src_img);
    struct vk_meta_copy_image_properties dst_img_props =
       panvk_meta_copy_get_image_properties(dst_img);
-   bool use_gfx_pipeline = panvk_meta_copy_to_image_use_gfx_pipeline(dst_img);
+   bool use_gfx_pipeline = copy_to_image_use_gfx_pipeline(dev, dst_img);
 
    if (use_gfx_pipeline) {
       struct panvk_cmd_meta_graphics_save_ctx save = {0};