diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
index b72b59463ff..d5bade584f4 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ static const struct debug_control panvk_debug_options[] = {
    {"force_blackhole", PANVK_DEBUG_FORCE_BLACKHOLE},
    {"wsi_afbc", PANVK_DEBUG_WSI_AFBC},
    {"no_wb_mmap", PANVK_DEBUG_NO_WB_MMAP},
+   {"no_user_mmap_sync", PANVK_DEBUG_NO_USER_MMAP_SYNC},
    {NULL, 0},
 };
 
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
index cb4df8d59ae..bf474f6a201 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ enum panvk_debug_flags {
    PANVK_DEBUG_FORCE_BLACKHOLE = 1 << 12,
    PANVK_DEBUG_WSI_AFBC = 1 << 13,
    PANVK_DEBUG_NO_WB_MMAP = 1 << 14,
+   PANVK_DEBUG_NO_USER_MMAP_SYNC = 1 << 15,
 };
 
 extern uint64_t panvk_debug;
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c
index 3289c05303f..2fb3cb82e56 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_physical_device.c
@@ -97,8 +97,12 @@ create_kmod_dev(struct panvk_physical_device *device,
    if (PANVK_DEBUG(STARTUP))
       mesa_logi("Found compatible device '%s'.", path);
 
-   device->kmod.dev = pan_kmod_dev_create(fd, PAN_KMOD_DEV_FLAG_OWNS_FD,
-                                          &instance->kmod.allocator);
+   uint32_t flags = PAN_KMOD_DEV_FLAG_OWNS_FD;
+
+   if (PANVK_DEBUG(NO_USER_MMAP_SYNC))
+      flags |= PAN_KMOD_DEV_FLAG_MMAP_SYNC_THROUGH_KERNEL;
+
+   device->kmod.dev = pan_kmod_dev_create(fd, flags, &instance->kmod.allocator);
 
    if (!device->kmod.dev) {
       close(fd);
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_device.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_device.c
index b0f049a29bd..d388030f3d4 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_device.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_device.c
@@ -393,9 +393,9 @@ panvk_per_arch(create_device)(struct panvk_physical_device *physical_device,
       .free = panvk_kmod_free,
       .priv = &device->vk.alloc,
    };
-   device->kmod.dev =
-      pan_kmod_dev_create(os_dupfd_cloexec(physical_device->kmod.dev->fd),
-                          PAN_KMOD_DEV_FLAG_OWNS_FD, &device->kmod.allocator);
+   device->kmod.dev = pan_kmod_dev_create(
+      os_dupfd_cloexec(physical_device->kmod.dev->fd),
+      physical_device->kmod.dev->flags, &device->kmod.allocator);
 
    if (!device->kmod.dev) {
       result = panvk_errorf(instance, VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY,