diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
index db8c335aa16..6945addc4ac 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "util/driconf.h"
 #include "util/mesa-sha1.h"
 #include "util/os_misc.h"
+#include "util/u_call_once.h"
 
 #include "vk_alloc.h"
 #include "vk_log.h"
@@ -46,6 +47,30 @@ static const struct debug_control panvk_debug_options[] = {
    {"force_blackhole", PANVK_DEBUG_FORCE_BLACKHOLE},
    {NULL, 0}};
 
+uint64_t panvk_debug;
+
+static void
+panvk_debug_init_once(void)
+{
+   panvk_debug =
+      parse_debug_string(os_get_option("PANVK_DEBUG"), panvk_debug_options);
+}
+
+static void
+panvk_debug_init(void)
+{
+   static once_flag once = ONCE_FLAG_INIT;
+   call_once(&once, panvk_debug_init_once);
+
+   /* log per VkInstance creation */
+   if (PANVK_DEBUG(STARTUP)) {
+      char debug_string[256];
+      dump_debug_control_string(debug_string, sizeof(debug_string),
+                                panvk_debug_options, panvk_debug);
+      mesa_logi("panvk_debug: %s", debug_string);
+   }
+}
+
 VKAPI_ATTR VkResult VKAPI_CALL
 panvk_EnumerateInstanceVersion(uint32_t *pApiVersion)
 {
@@ -200,6 +225,8 @@ panvk_CreateInstance(const VkInstanceCreateInfo *pCreateInfo,
 
    assert(pCreateInfo->sType == VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_INSTANCE_CREATE_INFO);
 
+   panvk_debug_init();
+
    const struct build_id_note *note =
       build_id_find_nhdr_for_addr(panvk_CreateInstance);
    if (!note) {
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
index 4f3866d83fb..62f84e44032 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_instance.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 #include "lib/kmod/pan_kmod.h"
 
+#define PANVK_DEBUG(category) (unlikely(panvk_debug & PANVK_DEBUG_##category))
+
 enum panvk_debug_flags {
    PANVK_DEBUG_STARTUP = 1 << 0,
    PANVK_DEBUG_NIR = 1 << 1,
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ enum panvk_debug_flags {
    PANVK_DEBUG_FORCE_BLACKHOLE = 1 << 12,
 };
 
+extern uint64_t panvk_debug;
+
 #if defined(VK_USE_PLATFORM_WAYLAND_KHR) || \
     defined(VK_USE_PLATFORM_XCB_KHR) || \
     defined(VK_USE_PLATFORM_XLIB_KHR) || \