diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/wrappers/vk_device_funcs.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/wrappers/vk_device_funcs.cpp
index 712bf0635..b15f4c50d 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/wrappers/vk_device_funcs.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/wrappers/vk_device_funcs.cpp
@@ -590,6 +590,54 @@ VkResult WrappedVulkan::vkCreateInstance(const VkInstanceCreateInfo *pCreateInfo
   VkInstanceCreateInfo modifiedCreateInfo;
   modifiedCreateInfo = *pCreateInfo;
 
+  for(uint32_t i = 0; i < modifiedCreateInfo.enabledLayerCount; i++)
+  {
+    if(rdcstr(modifiedCreateInfo.ppEnabledLayerNames[i]) == RENDERDOC_VULKAN_LAYER_NAME)
+    {
+      // see if any debug report callbacks were passed in the pNext chain
+      VkDebugReportCallbackCreateInfoEXT *report =
+          (VkDebugReportCallbackCreateInfoEXT *)pCreateInfo->pNext;
+
+      rdcstr msg =
+          "RenderDoc's layer should NEVER be activated manually. Do not include it in "
+          "vkCreateInstance's instance layers.";
+
+      RDCERR("%s", msg.c_str());
+
+      while(report)
+      {
+        if(report->sType == VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEBUG_REPORT_CALLBACK_CREATE_INFO_EXT)
+          report->pfnCallback(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_ERROR_BIT_EXT, VK_DEBUG_REPORT_OBJECT_TYPE_INSTANCE_EXT,
+                              0, 1, 1, "RDOC", msg.c_str(), report->pUserData);
+
+        report = (VkDebugReportCallbackCreateInfoEXT *)report->pNext;
+      }
+
+      // or debug utils callbacks
+      VkDebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT *messenger =
+          (VkDebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT *)pCreateInfo->pNext;
+
+      VkDebugUtilsMessengerCallbackDataEXT messengerData = {};
+
+      messengerData.messageIdNumber = 1;
+      messengerData.pMessageIdName = NULL;
+      messengerData.pMessage = msg.c_str();
+      messengerData.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSENGER_CALLBACK_DATA_EXT;
+
+      while(messenger)
+      {
+        if(messenger->sType == VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSENGER_CREATE_INFO_EXT)
+          messenger->pfnUserCallback(VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_ERROR_BIT_EXT,
+                                     VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_VALIDATION_BIT_EXT, &messengerData,
+                                     messenger->pUserData);
+
+        messenger = (VkDebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT *)messenger->pNext;
+      }
+
+      return VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED;
+    }
+  }
+
   for(uint32_t i = 0; i < modifiedCreateInfo.enabledExtensionCount; i++)
   {
     if(!IsSupportedExtension(modifiedCreateInfo.ppEnabledExtensionNames[i]))