diff --git a/src/nouveau/mme/tests/mme_runner.cpp b/src/nouveau/mme/tests/mme_runner.cpp
index 86ab96cce21..abb265c218a 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/mme/tests/mme_runner.cpp
+++ b/src/nouveau/mme/tests/mme_runner.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ mme_hw_runner::set_up_hw(uint16_t min_cls, uint16_t max_cls)
       if (devices[i]->available_nodes & 1 << DRM_NODE_RENDER &&
           devices[i]->bustype == DRM_BUS_PCI &&
           devices[i]->deviceinfo.pci->vendor_id == 0x10de) {
-         dev = nouveau_ws_device_new(devices[i]);
+         dev = nouveau_ws_device_new(devices[i], (enum nvk_debug)0);
          if (dev == NULL)
             continue;
 
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c
index 0f0aa8e5a30..f9c6f8dc9fe 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ nvk_CreateDevice(VkPhysicalDevice physicalDevice,
       goto fail_init;
    }
 
-   dev->ws_dev = nouveau_ws_device_new(drm_device);
+   dev->ws_dev = nouveau_ws_device_new(drm_device, pdev->ws_dev->debug_flags);
    drmFreeDevice(&drm_device);
    if (dev->ws_dev == NULL) {
       result = vk_errorf(dev, VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED,
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.c
index 981b5bf3755..fd578da0060 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "util/build_id.h"
 #include "util/driconf.h"
 #include "util/mesa-sha1.h"
+#include "util/u_debug.h"
 
 VKAPI_ATTR VkResult VKAPI_CALL
 nvk_EnumerateInstanceVersion(uint32_t *pApiVersion)
@@ -74,6 +75,22 @@ nvk_EnumerateInstanceExtensionProperties(const char *pLayerName,
       &instance_extensions, pPropertyCount, pProperties);
 }
 
+static void
+nvk_init_debug_flags(struct nvk_instance *instance)
+{
+   const struct debug_control flags[] = {
+      { "push_dump", NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_DUMP },
+      { "push", NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_DUMP },
+      { "push_sync", NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_SYNC },
+      { "zero_memory", NVK_DEBUG_ZERO_MEMORY },
+      { "vm", NVK_DEBUG_VM },
+      { "no_cbuf", NVK_DEBUG_NO_CBUF },
+      { NULL, 0 },
+   };
+
+   instance->debug_flags = parse_debug_string(getenv("NVK_DEBUG"), flags);
+}
+
 static const driOptionDescription nvk_dri_options[] = {
    DRI_CONF_SECTION_PERFORMANCE
       DRI_CONF_ADAPTIVE_SYNC(true)
@@ -132,6 +149,7 @@ nvk_CreateInstance(const VkInstanceCreateInfo *pCreateInfo,
    if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
       goto fail_alloc;
 
+   nvk_init_debug_flags(instance);
    nvk_init_dri_options(instance);
 
    instance->vk.physical_devices.try_create_for_drm =
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.h b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.h
index 3e02dda5e8d..b3643510e92 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.h
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_instance.h
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@
 
 #include "nvk_private.h"
 
+#include "nouveau_device.h"
 #include "vk_instance.h"
 #include "util/xmlconfig.h"
 
 struct nvk_instance {
    struct vk_instance vk;
 
+   enum nvk_debug debug_flags;
+
    struct driOptionCache dri_options;
    struct driOptionCache available_dri_options;
 
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_physical_device.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_physical_device.c
index d2827da35a3..40abeb2deb3 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_physical_device.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_physical_device.c
@@ -1155,7 +1155,8 @@ nvk_create_drm_physical_device(struct vk_instance *_instance,
    if (!drm_device_is_nouveau(drm_device->nodes[DRM_NODE_RENDER]))
       return VK_ERROR_INCOMPATIBLE_DRIVER;
 
-   struct nouveau_ws_device *ws_dev = nouveau_ws_device_new(drm_device);
+   struct nouveau_ws_device *ws_dev =
+      nouveau_ws_device_new(drm_device, instance->debug_flags);
    if (!ws_dev)
       return vk_error(instance, VK_ERROR_INCOMPATIBLE_DRIVER);
 
@@ -1257,7 +1258,7 @@ nvk_create_drm_physical_device(struct vk_instance *_instance,
       goto fail_master_fd;
 
    pdev->info = info;
-   pdev->debug_flags = ws_dev->debug_flags;
+   pdev->debug_flags = instance->debug_flags;
    pdev->render_dev = render_dev;
    pdev->master_fd = master_fd;
    pdev->ws_dev = ws_dev;
diff --git a/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.c b/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.c
index 3ddeb161afd..95ae951395a 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.c
@@ -156,22 +156,6 @@ mp_per_tpc_for_chipset(uint16_t chipset)
    return 1;
 }
 
-static void
-nouveau_ws_device_set_dbg_flags(struct nouveau_ws_device *dev)
-{
-   const struct debug_control flags[] = {
-      { "push_dump", NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_DUMP },
-      { "push", NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_DUMP },
-      { "push_sync", NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_SYNC },
-      { "zero_memory", NVK_DEBUG_ZERO_MEMORY },
-      { "vm", NVK_DEBUG_VM },
-      { "no_cbuf", NVK_DEBUG_NO_CBUF },
-      { NULL, 0 },
-   };
-
-   dev->debug_flags = parse_debug_string(getenv("NVK_DEBUG"), flags);
-}
-
 static int
 nouveau_ws_param(int fd, uint64_t param, uint64_t *value)
 {
@@ -272,7 +256,8 @@ nouveau_ws_device_info(int fd, struct nouveau_ws_device *dev)
 }
 
 struct nouveau_ws_device *
-nouveau_ws_device_new(drmDevicePtr drm_device)
+nouveau_ws_device_new(drmDevicePtr drm_device,
+                      enum nvk_debug debug_flags)
 {
    const char *path = drm_device->nodes[DRM_NODE_RENDER];
    struct nouveau_ws_device *device = CALLOC_STRUCT(nouveau_ws_device);
@@ -373,7 +358,7 @@ nouveau_ws_device_new(drmDevicePtr drm_device)
    device->info.gpc_count = (value >> 0) & 0x000000ff;
    device->info.tpc_count = (value >> 8) & 0x0000ffff;
 
-   nouveau_ws_device_set_dbg_flags(device);
+   device->debug_flags = debug_flags;
 
    struct nouveau_ws_context *tmp_ctx;
    if (nouveau_ws_context_create(device, ~0, &tmp_ctx))
diff --git a/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.h b/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.h
index a7a291d075a..e248369783d 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.h
+++ b/src/nouveau/winsys/nouveau_device.h
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ enum nvk_debug {
 
    /* push buffer submissions wait on completion
     *
-    * This is useful to find the submission killing the GPU context. For easier debugging it also
-    * dumps the buffer leading to that.
+    * This is useful to find the submission killing the GPU context. For
+    * easier debugging it also dumps the buffer leading to that.
     */
    NVK_DEBUG_PUSH_SYNC = 1ull << 1,
 
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ struct nouveau_ws_device {
    simple_mtx_t vma_mutex;
 };
 
-struct nouveau_ws_device *nouveau_ws_device_new(struct _drmDevice *drm_device);
+struct nouveau_ws_device *nouveau_ws_device_new(struct _drmDevice *drm_device,
+                                                enum nvk_debug debug_flags);
 void nouveau_ws_device_destroy(struct nouveau_ws_device *);
 
 uint64_t nouveau_ws_device_vram_used(struct nouveau_ws_device *);