diff --git a/gfx/common/vulkan_common.c b/gfx/common/vulkan_common.c
index 6dff280ce9..cca8008b5c 100644
--- a/gfx/common/vulkan_common.c
+++ b/gfx/common/vulkan_common.c
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@
 #include "../../libretro-common/include/retro_math.h"
 #include "../../libretro-common/include/string/stdstring.h"
 
+// Windows is not particularly good at recreating swapchains.
+// Emulate vsync toggling by using vkAcquireNextImageKHR timeouts.
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+#define VULKAN_EMULATE_MAILBOX
+#endif
+
 static dylib_t                       vulkan_library;
 static VkInstance                    cached_instance_vk;
 static VkDevice                      cached_device_vk;
@@ -1494,6 +1500,10 @@ static bool vulkan_context_init_device(gfx_ctx_vulkan_data_t *vk)
       "VK_KHR_sampler_mirror_clamp_to_edge",
    };
 
+#ifdef VULKAN_EMULATE_MAILBOX
+   vk->emulate_mailbox = true;
+#endif
+
 #ifdef VULKAN_DEBUG
    static const char *device_layers[] = { "VK_LAYER_LUNARG_standard_validation" };
 #endif
@@ -2333,6 +2343,7 @@ static void vulkan_destroy_swapchain(gfx_ctx_vulkan_data_t *vk)
       vkDestroySwapchainKHR(vk->context.device, vk->swapchain, NULL);
       memset(vk->context.swapchain_images, 0, sizeof(vk->context.swapchain_images));
       vk->swapchain = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+      vk->context.has_acquired_swapchain = false;
    }
 
    for (i = 0; i < VULKAN_MAX_SWAPCHAIN_IMAGES; i++)
@@ -2351,9 +2362,13 @@ static void vulkan_destroy_swapchain(gfx_ctx_vulkan_data_t *vk)
 
 void vulkan_present(gfx_ctx_vulkan_data_t *vk, unsigned index)
 {
-   VkPresentInfoKHR present        = { VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PRESENT_INFO_KHR };
-   VkResult result                 = VK_SUCCESS;
-   VkResult err                    = VK_SUCCESS;
+   VkPresentInfoKHR present           = { VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PRESENT_INFO_KHR };
+   VkResult result                    = VK_SUCCESS;
+   VkResult err                       = VK_SUCCESS;
+
+   if (!vk->context.has_acquired_swapchain)
+      return;
+   vk->context.has_acquired_swapchain = false;
 
    /* We're still waiting for a proper swapchain, so just fake it. */
    if (vk->swapchain == VK_NULL_HANDLE)
@@ -2525,12 +2540,29 @@ retry:
 
    vkCreateFence(vk->context.device, &fence_info, NULL, &fence);
 
-   err = vkAcquireNextImageKHR(vk->context.device,
-         vk->swapchain, UINT64_MAX,
-         VK_NULL_HANDLE, fence, &vk->context.current_swapchain_index);
+   if (vk->emulating_mailbox)
+   {
+      /* Non-blocking acquire. If we don't get a swapchain frame right away,
+       * just skip rendering to the swapchain this frame, similar to what
+       * MAILBOX would do. */
+      err = vkAcquireNextImageKHR(vk->context.device,
+            vk->swapchain, 0,
+            VK_NULL_HANDLE, fence, &vk->context.current_swapchain_index);
+   }
+   else
+   {
+      err = vkAcquireNextImageKHR(vk->context.device,
+            vk->swapchain, UINT64_MAX,
+            VK_NULL_HANDLE, fence, &vk->context.current_swapchain_index);
+   }
 
    if (err == VK_SUCCESS)
+   {
       vkWaitForFences(vk->context.device, 1, &fence, true, UINT64_MAX);
+      vk->context.has_acquired_swapchain = true;
+   }
+   else
+      vk->context.has_acquired_swapchain = false;
 
 #ifdef WSI_HARDENING_TEST
    trigger_spurious_error_vkresult(&err);
@@ -2538,7 +2570,13 @@ retry:
 
    vkDestroyFence(vk->context.device, fence, NULL);
 
-   if (err == VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR)
+   if (err == VK_NOT_READY || err == VK_TIMEOUT)
+   {
+      /* Just pretend we have a swapchain index, round-robin style. */
+      vk->context.current_swapchain_index =
+         (vk->context.current_swapchain_index + 1) % vk->context.num_swapchain_images;
+   }
+   else if (err == VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR)
    {
       /* Throw away the old swapchain and try again. */
       vulkan_destroy_swapchain(vk);
@@ -2601,6 +2639,14 @@ bool vulkan_create_swapchain(gfx_ctx_vulkan_data_t *vk,
    vkDeviceWaitIdle(vk->context.device);
    vulkan_acquire_clear_fences(vk);
 
+   if (swap_interval == 0 && vk->emulate_mailbox)
+   {
+      swap_interval = 1;
+      vk->emulating_mailbox = true;
+   }
+   else
+      vk->emulating_mailbox = false;
+
    vk->created_new_swapchain = true;
    if (vk->swapchain != VK_NULL_HANDLE &&
          !vk->context.invalid_swapchain &&
diff --git a/gfx/common/vulkan_common.h b/gfx/common/vulkan_common.h
index db94a08b63..8fe426776f 100644
--- a/gfx/common/vulkan_common.h
+++ b/gfx/common/vulkan_common.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ typedef struct vulkan_context
    /* Used by screenshot to get blits with correct colorspace. */
    bool swapchain_is_srgb;
    bool swap_interval_emulation_lock;
+   bool has_acquired_swapchain;
 
    unsigned swapchain_width;
    unsigned swapchain_height;
@@ -131,6 +132,8 @@ typedef struct gfx_ctx_vulkan_data
 {
    bool need_new_swapchain;
    bool created_new_swapchain;
+   bool emulate_mailbox;
+   bool emulating_mailbox;
    vulkan_context_t context;
    VkSurfaceKHR vk_surface;
    VkSwapchainKHR swapchain;
diff --git a/gfx/drivers/vulkan.c b/gfx/drivers/vulkan.c
index c83254eadd..86cb84d982 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers/vulkan.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers/vulkan.c
@@ -1778,7 +1778,7 @@ static bool vulkan_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
          (vulkan_filter_chain_t*)vk->filter_chain,
          vk->cmd, &vk->vk_vp);
    /* Render to backbuffer. */
-   if (chain->backbuffer.image != VK_NULL_HANDLE)
+   if (chain->backbuffer.image != VK_NULL_HANDLE && vk->context->has_acquired_swapchain)
    {
       rp_info.renderPass               = vk->render_pass;
       rp_info.framebuffer              = chain->backbuffer.framebuffer;
@@ -1874,6 +1874,7 @@ static bool vulkan_frame(void *data, const void *frame,
    vulkan_filter_chain_end_frame((vulkan_filter_chain_t*)vk->filter_chain, vk->cmd);
 
    if (chain->backbuffer.image != VK_NULL_HANDLE &&
+         vk->context->has_acquired_swapchain &&
          (vk->readback.pending || vk->readback.streamed))
    {
       /* We cannot safely read back from an image which