diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
index 809a8fd82ae..5e7e8335c84 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ static const struct debug_control vn_debug_options[] = {
    { "result", VN_DEBUG_RESULT },
    { "vtest", VN_DEBUG_VTEST },
    { "wsi", VN_DEBUG_WSI },
+   { "no_abort", VN_DEBUG_NO_ABORT },
    { NULL, 0 },
 };
 
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ vn_relax(uint32_t *iter, const char *reason)
    const uint32_t busy_wait_order = 4;
    const uint32_t base_sleep_us = 10;
    const uint32_t warn_order = 12;
+   const uint32_t abort_order = 14;
 
    (*iter)++;
    if (*iter < (1 << busy_wait_order)) {
@@ -89,9 +91,15 @@ vn_relax(uint32_t *iter, const char *reason)
    /* warn occasionally if we have slept at least 1.28ms for 2048 times (plus
     * another 2047 shorter sleeps)
     */
-   if (unlikely(*iter % (1 << warn_order) == 0))
+   if (unlikely(*iter % (1 << warn_order) == 0)) {
       vn_log(NULL, "stuck in %s wait with iter at %d", reason, *iter);
 
+      if (*iter >= (1 << abort_order) && !VN_DEBUG(NO_ABORT)) {
+         vn_log(NULL, "aborting");
+         abort();
+      }
+   }
+
    const uint32_t shift = util_last_bit(*iter) - busy_wait_order - 1;
    os_time_sleep(base_sleep_us << shift);
 }
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.h
index 35b80789c80..43da00cb168 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ enum vn_debug {
    VN_DEBUG_RESULT = 1ull << 1,
    VN_DEBUG_VTEST = 1ull << 2,
    VN_DEBUG_WSI = 1ull << 3,
+   VN_DEBUG_NO_ABORT = 1ull << 4,
 };
 
 typedef uint64_t vn_object_id;