diff --git a/oatmeal/src/ctx_instance.cpp b/oatmeal/src/ctx_instance.cpp
index 1423786..00feb50 100644
--- a/oatmeal/src/ctx_instance.cpp
+++ b/oatmeal/src/ctx_instance.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 #include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <stdexcept>
+#include <vulkan/vk_platform.h>
 #include <vulkan/vulkan_core.h>
 #include "ctx.h"
 #include "vulkan/vulkan.hpp"
@@ -80,4 +82,34 @@ namespace Oatmeal {
         return extensions;
     }
 
+    static VKAPI_ATTR vk::Bool32 VKAPI_CALL debugCallback(vk::DebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT severity,
+                                                          vk::DebugUtilsMessageTypeFlagsEXT type,
+                                                          const vk::DebugUtilsMessengerCallbackDataEXT *pCallbackData,
+                                                          void *) {
+        std::cerr << "Validation layer: type " << vk::to_string(type) << "msg: " << pCallbackData->pMessage
+                  << std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    void ctx::setupDebugMessenger() {
+        if (!enableValidationLayers) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        vk::DebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagsEXT severityFlags(vk::DebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT::eWarning |
+                                                            vk::DebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT::eError);
+
+        vk::DebugUtilsMessageTypeFlagsEXT typeFlags(vk::DebugUtilsMessageTypeFlagBitsEXT::eGeneral |
+                                                    vk::DebugUtilsMessageTypeFlagBitsEXT::eValidation |
+                                                    vk::DebugUtilsMessageTypeFlagBitsEXT::ePerformance);
+
+        vk::DebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT createInfo{
+                .messageSeverity = severityFlags,
+                .messageType = typeFlags,
+                .pfnUserCallback = &debugCallback,
+        };
+
+        m_debugMessenger = m_instance.createDebugUtilsMessengerEXT(createInfo);
+    }
+
 } // namespace Oatmeal