diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/d3d11/d3d11_replay.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/d3d11/d3d11_replay.cpp
index e06568f11..a65e2dd73 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/d3d11/d3d11_replay.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/d3d11/d3d11_replay.cpp
@@ -320,15 +320,7 @@ vector<string> D3D11Replay::GetDisassemblyTargets()
 {
   vector<string> ret;
 
-  std::string err;
-  if(GCNISA::IsSupported(GraphicsAPI::D3D11, err))
-  {
-    GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::D3D11, ret);
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    RDCLOG("AMD ISA Not available:\n%s", err.c_str());
-  }
+  GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::D3D11, ret);
 
   // DXBC is always first
   ret.insert(ret.begin(), "DXBC");
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_replay.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_replay.cpp
index 4cb9d92be..8d0616965 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_replay.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_replay.cpp
@@ -260,15 +260,7 @@ vector<string> D3D12Replay::GetDisassemblyTargets()
 {
   vector<string> ret;
 
-  std::string err;
-  if(GCNISA::IsSupported(GraphicsAPI::D3D12, err))
-  {
-    GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::D3D12, ret);
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    RDCLOG("AMD ISA Not available:\n%s", err.c_str());
-  }
+  GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::D3D12, ret);
 
   // DXBC is always first
   ret.insert(ret.begin(), "DXBC");
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_replay.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_replay.cpp
index fcc7404bb..19fb078c9 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_replay.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/gl/gl_replay.cpp
@@ -837,15 +837,7 @@ vector<string> GLReplay::GetDisassemblyTargets()
 {
   vector<string> ret;
 
-  std::string err;
-  if(GCNISA::IsSupported(GraphicsAPI::OpenGL, err))
-  {
-    GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::OpenGL, ret);
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    RDCLOG("AMD ISA Not available:\n%s", err.c_str());
-  }
+  GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::OpenGL, ret);
 
   // default is always first
   ret.insert(ret.begin(), "SPIR-V (RenderDoc)");
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.cpp
index e8c781b7a..07532070f 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ std::string LocatePlugin(const std::string &fileName)
   return ret;
 }
 
-bool IsSupported(GraphicsAPI api, std::string &userMessage)
+static bool IsSupported(GraphicsAPI api)
 {
   if(api == GraphicsAPI::Vulkan)
   {
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ bool IsSupported(GraphicsAPI api, std::string &userMessage)
   if(api == GraphicsAPI::D3D11 || api == GraphicsAPI::D3D12)
   {
     DXBC::DXBCFile *dummy = NULL;
-    userMessage = Disassemble(dummy, "");
+    std::string test = Disassemble(dummy, "");
 
-    return userMessage.empty();
+    return test.empty();
   }
 
   return false;
@@ -133,16 +133,36 @@ void GetTargets(GraphicsAPI api, std::vector<std::string> &targets)
 {
   targets.reserve(ARRAY_COUNT(asicInfo) + 1);
 
-  // OpenGL doesn't support AMDIL
-  if(api != GraphicsAPI::OpenGL)
-    targets.push_back("AMDIL");
+  if(IsSupported(api))
+  {
+    // OpenGL doesn't support AMDIL
+    if(api != GraphicsAPI::OpenGL)
+      targets.push_back("AMDIL");
 
-  for(const asic &a : asicInfo)
-    targets.push_back(a.name);
+    for(const asic &a : asicInfo)
+      targets.push_back(a.name);
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    // if unsupported, push a 'dummy' target, so that when the user selects it they'll see the error
+    // message
+    targets.push_back("AMD GCN ISA");
+  }
 }
 
 std::string Disassemble(const SPVModule *spv, const std::string &entry, const std::string &target)
 {
+  if(!IsSupported(GraphicsAPI::Vulkan))
+  {
+    return R"(; SPIR-V disassembly not supported, couldn't locate amdspv.exe.
+; Normally it's in plugins/amd/isa/ in your build - if you are building locally you'll need to
+; download the plugins package.
+;
+; To see instructions on how to download and configure the plugins on your system, go to:
+; https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc/wiki/GCN_ISA
+)";
+  }
+
   std::string cmdLine = "-set spirvDasmLegacyFormat=1 -Dall -l";
 
   bool found = false;
@@ -254,6 +274,16 @@ std::string Disassemble(const SPVModule *spv, const std::string &entry, const st
 std::string Disassemble(ShaderStage stage, const std::vector<std::string> &glsl,
                         const std::string &target)
 {
+  if(!IsSupported(GraphicsAPI::OpenGL))
+  {
+    return R"(; GLSL disassembly not supported, couldn't locate VirtualContext.exe or it failed to run.
+; It only works when the AMD driver is currently being used for graphics.
+;
+; To see instructions on how to download and configure the plugins on your system, go to:
+; https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc/wiki/GCN_ISA
+)";
+  }
+
   const char *stageName = "unk";
   int stageIndex = 0;
 
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.h b/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.h
index 6bc274877..a1fef02a2 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.h
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_isa.h
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ struct SPVModule;
 
 namespace GCNISA
 {
-bool IsSupported(GraphicsAPI api, std::string &userMessage);
 void GetTargets(GraphicsAPI api, std::vector<std::string> &targets);
 
 std::string Disassemble(const DXBC::DXBCFile *dxbc, const std::string &target);
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/vk_replay.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/vk_replay.cpp
index cfae1342a..f201b49e1 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/vk_replay.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/vulkan/vk_replay.cpp
@@ -922,15 +922,7 @@ vector<string> VulkanReplay::GetDisassemblyTargets()
 {
   vector<string> ret;
 
-  std::string err;
-  if(GCNISA::IsSupported(GraphicsAPI::Vulkan, err))
-  {
-    GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::Vulkan, ret);
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    RDCLOG("AMD ISA Not available:\n%s", err.c_str());
-  }
+  GCNISA::GetTargets(GraphicsAPI::Vulkan, ret);
 
   // default is always first
   ret.insert(ret.begin(), "SPIR-V (RenderDoc)");