diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 24617f003..6483ba4e8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ if(POLICY CMP0072)
 endif()
 
 option(XRT_OPENXR_INSTALL_ABSOLUTE_RUNTIME_PATH "Use the absolute path to the runtime in the installed manifest, rather than a bare filename." ON)
-option(XRT_VULKAN_ENABLE_VALIDATION "Enable Vulkan validation for Compositor" ON)
 option(XRT_OPENXR_INSTALL_ACTIVE_RUNTIME "Make Monado the default OpenXR runtime on install" ON)
 
 ###
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 5ab9e59b0..312ae86d1 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ option('tracking',
 	value: 'auto',
 	description: 'Enable tracking support')
 
-option('vulkan-validation',
-	type: 'boolean',
-	value: true,
-	description: 'Enable Vulkan validation for compositor')
-
 option('install-active-runtime',
 	type: 'boolean',
 	value: true,
diff --git a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c
index 67d8f351c..4b9061aca 100644
--- a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c
+++ b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c
@@ -568,80 +568,6 @@ vk_init_cmd_pool(struct vk_bundle *vk)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-
-/*
- *
- * Debug code.
- *
- */
-
-#define ENUM_TO_STR(r)                                                         \
-	case r: return #r
-
-static const char *
-vk_debug_report_string(VkDebugReportFlagsEXT code)
-{
-	switch (code) {
-		ENUM_TO_STR(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_INFORMATION_BIT_EXT);
-		ENUM_TO_STR(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_WARNING_BIT_EXT);
-		ENUM_TO_STR(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_PERFORMANCE_WARNING_BIT_EXT);
-		ENUM_TO_STR(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_ERROR_BIT_EXT);
-		ENUM_TO_STR(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_DEBUG_BIT_EXT);
-		ENUM_TO_STR(VK_DEBUG_REPORT_FLAG_BITS_MAX_ENUM_EXT);
-	}
-	return "UNKNOWN REPORT";
-}
-
-static VkBool32 VKAPI_PTR
-_validation_cb(VkDebugReportFlagsEXT flags,
-               VkDebugReportObjectTypeEXT object_type,
-               uint64_t object,
-               size_t location,
-               int32_t message_code,
-               const char *layer_prefix,
-               const char *message,
-               void *user_data)
-{
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s %s %zu:%d: %s\n", vk_debug_report_string(flags),
-	        layer_prefix, location, message_code, message);
-	return VK_FALSE;
-}
-
-DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(vulkan_spew, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_VULKAN_SPEW", false)
-
-void
-vk_init_validation_callback(struct vk_bundle *vk)
-{
-	VkDebugReportFlagsEXT flags = 0;
-	flags |= VK_DEBUG_REPORT_ERROR_BIT_EXT;
-	flags |= VK_DEBUG_REPORT_WARNING_BIT_EXT;
-
-	if (debug_get_bool_option_vulkan_spew()) {
-		flags |= VK_DEBUG_REPORT_INFORMATION_BIT_EXT;
-		flags |= VK_DEBUG_REPORT_PERFORMANCE_WARNING_BIT_EXT;
-		flags |= VK_DEBUG_REPORT_DEBUG_BIT_EXT;
-	}
-
-	VkDebugReportCallbackCreateInfoEXT info = {
-	    .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEBUG_REPORT_CREATE_INFO_EXT,
-	    .flags = flags,
-	    .pfnCallback = _validation_cb,
-	};
-
-	vk->vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT(vk->instance, &info, NULL,
-	                                   &vk->debug_report_cb);
-}
-
-void
-vk_destroy_validation_callback(struct vk_bundle *vk)
-{
-	if (vk->debug_report_cb != VK_NULL_HANDLE) {
-		vk->vkDestroyDebugReportCallbackEXT(vk->instance,
-		                                    vk->debug_report_cb, NULL);
-		vk->debug_report_cb = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
-	}
-}
-
 /*
  *
  * Function getting code.
diff --git a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h
index 59e58b9fb..324e1fc13 100644
--- a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h
+++ b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h
@@ -247,18 +247,6 @@ vk_has_error(VkResult res, const char *fun, const char *file, int line);
 	if (vk_has_error(res, fun, __FILE__, __LINE__))                        \
 	return ret
 
-/*!
- * @ingroup aux_vk
- */
-void
-vk_init_validation_callback(struct vk_bundle *vk);
-
-/*!
- * @ingroup aux_vk
- */
-void
-vk_destroy_validation_callback(struct vk_bundle *vk);
-
 /*!
  * @ingroup aux_vk
  */
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/CMakeLists.txt b/src/xrt/compositor/CMakeLists.txt
index 6f01f72a6..9620a2944 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,11 +38,6 @@ set(MAIN_SOURCE_FILES
 	main/comp_layer_renderer.c
 	)
 
-if (XRT_VULKAN_ENABLE_VALIDATION)
-	add_definitions(-DXRT_ENABLE_VK_VALIDATION)
-endif()
-
-
 ###
 # Client library
 #
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c
index 414b47ea5..5bcf18033 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c
@@ -95,8 +95,6 @@ compositor_destroy(struct xrt_compositor *xc)
 		vk->device = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
 	}
 
-	vk_destroy_validation_callback(vk);
-
 	if (vk->instance != VK_NULL_HANDLE) {
 		vk->vkDestroyInstance(vk->instance, NULL);
 		vk->instance = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
@@ -446,14 +444,7 @@ find_get_instance_proc_addr(struct comp_compositor *c)
 	return vk_get_loader_functions(&c->vk, vkGetInstanceProcAddr);
 }
 
-#ifdef XRT_ENABLE_VK_VALIDATION
-#define COMPOSITOR_DEBUG_VULKAN_EXTENSIONS VK_EXT_DEBUG_REPORT_EXTENSION_NAME,
-#else
-#define COMPOSITOR_DEBUG_VULKAN_EXTENSIONS
-#endif
-
 #define COMPOSITOR_COMMON_VULKAN_EXTENSIONS                                    \
-	COMPOSITOR_DEBUG_VULKAN_EXTENSIONS                                     \
 	VK_KHR_SURFACE_EXTENSION_NAME,                                         \
 	    VK_KHR_GET_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_PROPERTIES_2_EXTENSION_NAME,            \
 	    VK_KHR_EXTERNAL_MEMORY_CAPABILITIES_EXTENSION_NAME,                \
@@ -550,17 +541,6 @@ create_instance(struct comp_compositor *c)
 	    .ppEnabledExtensionNames = instance_extensions,
 	};
 
-#ifdef XRT_ENABLE_VK_VALIDATION
-	const char *instance_layers[] = {
-	    "VK_LAYER_LUNARG_standard_validation",
-	};
-
-	if (c->settings.validate_vulkan) {
-		instance_info.enabledLayerCount = ARRAY_SIZE(instance_layers);
-		instance_info.ppEnabledLayerNames = instance_layers;
-	}
-#endif
-
 	ret = c->vk.vkCreateInstance(&instance_info, NULL, &c->vk.instance);
 	if (ret != VK_SUCCESS) {
 		COMP_ERROR(c, "vkCreateInstance: %s\n", vk_result_string(ret));
@@ -575,11 +555,6 @@ create_instance(struct comp_compositor *c)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-#ifdef XRT_ENABLE_VK_VALIDATION
-	if (c->settings.validate_vulkan)
-		vk_init_validation_callback(&c->vk);
-#endif
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.c b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.c
index f5313dabc..17a5d3aa2 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(force_randr, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_FORCE_RANDR", false)
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(force_nvidia, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_FORCE_NVIDIA", false)
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(force_xcb, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_FORCE_XCB", false)
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(force_wayland, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_FORCE_WAYLAND", false)
-DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(validate_vulkan, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_VULKAN_VALIDATION", false)
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_BOOL_OPTION(wireframe, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_WIREFRAME", false)
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_NUM_OPTION(force_gpu_index, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_FORCE_GPU_INDEX", -1)
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_NUM_OPTION(desired_mode, "XRT_COMPOSITOR_DESIRED_MODE", -1)
@@ -47,7 +46,6 @@ comp_settings_init(struct comp_settings *s, struct xrt_device *xdev)
 	s->print_spew = debug_get_bool_option_print_spew();
 	s->print_debug = debug_get_bool_option_print_debug();
 	s->print_modes = debug_get_bool_option_print_modes();
-	s->validate_vulkan = debug_get_bool_option_validate_vulkan();
 	s->gpu_index = debug_get_num_option_force_gpu_index();
 	s->debug.wireframe = debug_get_bool_option_wireframe();
 	s->desired_mode = debug_get_num_option_desired_mode();
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.h b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.h
index 65f6d4d7f..c396e82d4 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.h
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_settings.h
@@ -94,9 +94,6 @@ struct comp_settings
 	//! Nominal frame interval
 	uint64_t nominal_frame_interval_ns;
 
-	//! Enable vulkan validation for compositor
-	bool validate_vulkan;
-
 	//! Run the compositor on this Vulkan physical device
 	int gpu_index;
 
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/meson.build b/src/xrt/compositor/meson.build
index 797ad018f..84254d2ed 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/meson.build
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/meson.build
@@ -111,10 +111,6 @@ if build_wayland
 	compositor_deps += [wayland, wl_protos]
 endif
 
-if get_option('vulkan-validation')
-	compile_args += ['-DXRT_ENABLE_VK_VALIDATION']
-endif
-
 lib_comp = static_library(
 	'comp',
 	compositor_srcs,