diff --git a/src/dawn/native/vulkan/TextureVk.cpp b/src/dawn/native/vulkan/TextureVk.cpp
index a2ae53cc41..bandaidfix0 100644
--- a/src/dawn/native/vulkan/TextureVk.cpp
+++ b/src/dawn/native/vulkan/TextureVk.cpp
@@ -713,6 +713,10 @@ VkImageLayout VulkanImageLayout(const Format& format, wgpu::TextureUsage usage)
         } else if (IsSubset(kDepthWritableStencilReadOnlyAttachment, usage)) {
             return VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL;
         } else {
+            // Bandaid: this branch unconditionally returns a depth/stencil
+            // layout; hard-fail if the format is color so we never submit a
+            // VUID-violating barrier to the driver.
+            DAWN_CHECK(format.HasDepthOrStencil());
             DAWN_ASSERT(
                 IsSubset(usage, kReadOnlyRenderAttachment | wgpu::TextureUsage::TextureBinding));
             return VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL;