diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager-vulkanEnv.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager-vulkanEnv.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5f68d6e1b1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager-vulkanEnv.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { LaunchOptions, PuppeteerNode } from "puppeteer-core";
+import {
+  _resetBrowserPoolForTests,
+  _setPuppeteerForTests,
+  acquireBrowser,
+  buildChromeArgs,
+  drainBrowserPool,
+} from "./browserManager.js";
+
+const PINS = {
+  VK_DRIVER_FILES: "/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/radeon_icd.json",
+  VK_LOADER_DRIVERS_SELECT: "*radeon*",
+  VK_LOADER_DRIVERS_DISABLE: "*nvidia*",
+};
+
+function fakeChrome() {
+  const launch = vi.fn(async (_options: LaunchOptions) => ({
+    connected: true,
+    version: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue("HeadlessChrome/155.0.8059.84"),
+    close: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    disconnect: vi.fn(),
+    process: () => ({ kill: vi.fn(), killed: false }),
+  }));
+  _setPuppeteerForTests({ launch } as unknown as PuppeteerNode);
+  return launch;
+}
+
+async function launchEnvFor(browserGpuMode: "software" | "hardware") {
+  const launch = fakeChrome();
+  const args = buildChromeArgs({ width: 64, height: 64, platform: "linux" }, { browserGpuMode });
+  const lease = await acquireBrowser(args, { forceScreenshot: true, enableBrowserPool: false });
+  await lease.release();
+  return launch.mock.calls[0]?.[0].env;
+}
+
+// A session that pins Vulkan to a GPU (VK_DRIVER_FILES) made --no-browser-gpu renders run ANGLE
+// on that GPU, and assertSwiftShader refused them.
+describe("SwiftShader launch environment", () => {
+  const saved = Object.fromEntries(Object.keys(PINS).map((name) => [name, process.env[name]]));
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await drainBrowserPool();
+    _resetBrowserPoolForTests();
+    _setPuppeteerForTests(undefined);
+    for (const [name, value] of Object.entries(saved)) {
+      if (value === undefined) delete process.env[name];
+      else process.env[name] = value;
+    }
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("drops the Vulkan driver pins for a software render and keeps the rest", async () => {
+    Object.assign(process.env, PINS);
+    const env = await launchEnvFor("software");
+    expect(env).toMatchObject({ PATH: process.env.PATH });
+    for (const name of Object.keys(PINS)) expect(env).not.toHaveProperty(name);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the pins for a hardware render", async () => {
+    Object.assign(process.env, PINS);
+    expect(await launchEnvFor("hardware")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("inherits the environment when nothing pins a Vulkan driver", async () => {
+    for (const name of Object.keys(PINS)) delete process.env[name];
+    expect(await launchEnvFor("software")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts
index 71530f76dab..7d2a7a32aea 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts
@@ -643,6 +643,26 @@ function envWithoutWaylandDisplay(): NodeJS.ProcessEnv {
   return env;
 }
 
+// ANGLE and Dawn load SwiftShader via VK_ICD_FILENAMES, which these override or filter:
+// https://github.com/KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Loader/blob/main/docs/LoaderDriverInterface.md
+const VULKAN_VARS_THAT_OVERRIDE_SWIFTSHADER = [
+  "VK_DRIVER_FILES",
+  "VK_LOADER_DRIVERS_SELECT",
+  "VK_LOADER_DRIVERS_DISABLE",
+];
+
+function launchEnv(fingerprint: Readonly<BrowserLaunchFingerprint>): NodeJS.ProcessEnv | undefined {
+  if (fingerprint.withoutWaylandDisplay) return envWithoutWaylandDisplay();
+  const swiftShader = fingerprint.args.some(
+    (arg) => arg === "--use-angle=swiftshader" || arg === "--use-vulkan=swiftshader",
+  );
+  const overriding = VULKAN_VARS_THAT_OVERRIDE_SWIFTSHADER.filter((name) => name in process.env);
+  if (!swiftShader || overriding.length === 0) return undefined;
+  const env = { ...process.env };
+  for (const name of overriding) delete env[name];
+  return env;
+}
+
 /** True when a `resolvedMode` render must launch without WAYLAND_DISPLAY to reach the GPU. */
 export async function captureWithoutWaylandDisplay(
   resolvedMode: "software" | "hardware",
@@ -847,7 +867,7 @@ async function launchBrowser(
   fingerprint: Readonly<BrowserLaunchFingerprint>,
 ): Promise<{ browser: Browser; captureMode: CaptureMode }> {
   const ppt = await getPuppeteer();
-  const env = fingerprint.withoutWaylandDisplay ? envWithoutWaylandDisplay() : undefined;
+  const env = launchEnv(fingerprint);
   let captureMode = fingerprint.requestedCaptureMode;
   let browser: Browser | undefined;
   try {
diff --git a/scripts/package-size-budgets.json b/scripts/package-size-budgets.json
index 30c1e6278d8..f0e0f56df8f 100644
--- a/scripts/package-size-budgets.json
+++ b/scripts/package-size-budgets.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "unpacked": 3965000
   },
   "@hyperframes/engine": {
-    "packed": 456055,
+    "packed": 456397,
     "unpacked": 1526873
   },
   "@hyperframes/gcp-cloud-run": {