diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 53a43857bc3..39d7f4c636d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -67,6 +67,15 @@ Bottom level categories:
         - `tan`
         - `tanh`
 - Eager release of GPU resources comes from device.trackers. By @bradwerth in [#5075](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/pull/5075)
+- Added `InstanceFlags::GPU_BASED_VALIDATION`, which enables GPU-based validation for shaders. This is currently only supported on the DX12 and Vulkan back ends; other platforms ignore this flag, for now.
+  - This has been added to the set of flags set by `InstanceFlags::debugging`
+    and `InstanceFlags::from_build_config`. If you notice your graphics
+    workloads running more slowly, this may be the culprit.
+  - As with other instance flags, this flag can be changed in calls to
+    `InstanceFlags::with_env` with the new `WGPU_GPU_BASED_VALIDATION`
+    environment variable.
+
+  By @ErichDonGubler in [#5046](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/pull/5046).
 
 
 ### Bug Fixes
diff --git a/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/instance.rs b/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/instance.rs
index d7ed762195d..36d110132f4 100644
--- a/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/instance.rs
+++ b/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/instance.rs
@@ -20,13 +20,22 @@ impl crate::Instance<super::Api> for super::Instance {
             crate::InstanceError::with_source(String::from("failed to load d3d12.dll"), e)
         })?;
 
-        if desc.flags.contains(wgt::InstanceFlags::VALIDATION) {
+        if desc
+            .flags
+            .intersects(wgt::InstanceFlags::VALIDATION | wgt::InstanceFlags::GPU_BASED_VALIDATION)
+        {
             // Enable debug layer
             match lib_main.get_debug_interface() {
                 Ok(pair) => match pair.into_result() {
                     Ok(debug_controller) => {
-                        debug_controller.enable_layer();
-                        if !debug_controller.enable_gpu_based_validation() {
+                        if desc.flags.intersects(wgt::InstanceFlags::VALIDATION) {
+                            debug_controller.enable_layer();
+                        }
+                        if desc
+                            .flags
+                            .intersects(wgt::InstanceFlags::GPU_BASED_VALIDATION)
+                            && !debug_controller.enable_gpu_based_validation()
+                        {
                             log::warn!("Failed to enable GPU-based validation");
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/wgpu-hal/src/vulkan/instance.rs b/wgpu-hal/src/vulkan/instance.rs
index 5d2b0be7628..eaca395c0c5 100644
--- a/wgpu-hal/src/vulkan/instance.rs
+++ b/wgpu-hal/src/vulkan/instance.rs
@@ -759,7 +759,12 @@ impl crate::Instance<super::Api> for super::Instance {
             let mut gpu_assisted_validation = vk::ValidationFeaturesEXT::builder()
                 .enabled_validation_features(gpu_assisted_validation)
                 .build();
-            create_info = create_info.push_next(&mut gpu_assisted_validation);
+            if desc
+                .flags
+                .intersects(wgt::InstanceFlags::GPU_BASED_VALIDATION)
+            {
+                create_info = create_info.push_next(&mut gpu_assisted_validation);
+            }
 
             unsafe {
                 profiling::scope!("vkCreateInstance");
diff --git a/wgpu-types/src/lib.rs b/wgpu-types/src/lib.rs
index fa2a8df5f8b..e192db29c57 100644
--- a/wgpu-types/src/lib.rs
+++ b/wgpu-types/src/lib.rs
@@ -895,6 +895,18 @@ bitflags::bitflags! {
         /// This mainly applies to a Vulkan driver's compliance version. If the major compliance version
         /// is `0`, then the driver is ignored. This flag allows that driver to be enabled for testing.
         const ALLOW_UNDERLYING_NONCOMPLIANT_ADAPTER = 1 << 3;
+        /// Enable GPU-based validation. Currently, this only changes behavior on DX12 and Vulkan
+        /// back ends.
+        ///
+        /// Supported platforms:
+        ///
+        /// - D3D12; called ["GPU-based validation", or
+        ///   "GBV"](https://web.archive.org/web/20230206120404/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/direct3d12/using-d3d12-debug-layer-gpu-based-validation)
+        /// - Vulkan, via the `VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_validation` layer; called ["GPU-Assisted
+        ///   Validation"](https://github.com/KhronosGroup/Vulkan-ValidationLayers/blob/e45aeb85079e0835694cb8f03e6681fd18ae72c9/docs/gpu_validation.md#gpu-assisted-validation)
+        /// - Apple; called ["shader
+        ///   validation"](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/validating-your-apps-metal-shader-usage)
+        const GPU_BASED_VALIDATION = 1 << 4;
     }
 }
 
@@ -907,7 +919,7 @@ impl Default for InstanceFlags {
 impl InstanceFlags {
     /// Enable debugging and validation flags.
     pub fn debugging() -> Self {
-        InstanceFlags::DEBUG | InstanceFlags::VALIDATION
+        InstanceFlags::DEBUG | InstanceFlags::VALIDATION | InstanceFlags::GPU_BASED_VALIDATION
     }
 
     /// Infer good defaults from the build type
@@ -950,6 +962,9 @@ impl InstanceFlags {
         if let Some(bit) = env("WGPU_ALLOW_UNDERLYING_NONCOMPLIANT_ADAPTER") {
             self.set(Self::ALLOW_UNDERLYING_NONCOMPLIANT_ADAPTER, bit);
         }
+        if let Some(bit) = env("WGPU_GPU_BASED_VALIDATION") {
+            self.set(Self::GPU_BASED_VALIDATION, bit);
+        }
 
         self
     }