diff --git a/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c b/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c
index 10798a1d8f..4f5b1f75f6 100644
--- a/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c
+++ b/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c
@@ -668,6 +668,7 @@ typedef struct WindowData
     SDL_GPUSwapchainComposition swapchainComposition;
     SDL_GPUPresentMode presentMode;
     bool needsSwapchainRecreate;
+    bool needsSurfaceRecreate;
     Uint32 swapchainCreateWidth;
     Uint32 swapchainCreateHeight;
 
@@ -4656,7 +4657,8 @@ static Uint32 VULKAN_INTERNAL_CreateSwapchain(
     swapchainCreateInfo.compositeAlpha = compositeAlphaFlag;
     swapchainCreateInfo.presentMode = SDLToVK_PresentMode[windowData->presentMode];
     swapchainCreateInfo.clipped = VK_TRUE;
-    swapchainCreateInfo.oldSwapchain = windowData->swapchain;
+    // The old swapchain could belong to a surface that no longer exists due to app switching.
+    swapchainCreateInfo.oldSwapchain = windowData->needsSurfaceRecreate ? (VkSwapchainKHR)0 : windowData->swapchain;
     vulkanResult = renderer->vkCreateSwapchainKHR(
         renderer->logicalDevice,
         &swapchainCreateInfo,
@@ -9662,6 +9664,7 @@ static bool VULKAN_INTERNAL_OnWindowResize(void *userdata, SDL_Event *e)
     if (e->type == SDL_EVENT_DID_ENTER_BACKGROUND) {
         data = VULKAN_INTERNAL_FetchWindowData(w);
         data->needsSwapchainRecreate = true;
+        data->needsSurfaceRecreate = true;
     }
 #endif
 
@@ -9977,6 +9980,24 @@ static bool VULKAN_INTERNAL_AcquireSwapchainTexture(
         return true;
     }
 
+    if (windowData->needsSurfaceRecreate) {
+        SDL_VideoDevice *videoDevice = SDL_GetVideoDevice();
+        SDL_assert(videoDevice);
+        SDL_assert(videoDevice->Vulkan_CreateSurface);
+        renderer->vkDestroySurfaceKHR(
+                renderer->instance,
+                windowData->surface,
+                NULL);
+        if (!videoDevice->Vulkan_CreateSurface(
+                videoDevice,
+                windowData->window,
+                renderer->instance,
+                NULL, // FIXME: VAllocationCallbacks
+                &windowData->surface)) {
+            SET_STRING_ERROR_AND_RETURN("Failed to recreate Vulkan surface!", false);
+        }
+    }
+
     // If window data marked as needing swapchain recreate, try to recreate
     if (windowData->needsSwapchainRecreate) {
         Uint32 recreateSwapchainResult = VULKAN_INTERNAL_RecreateSwapchain(renderer, windowData);
@@ -9992,6 +10013,10 @@ static bool VULKAN_INTERNAL_AcquireSwapchainTexture(
             }
             return true;
         }
+
+        // Unset this flag until after the swapchain has been recreated to let VULKAN_INTERNAL_CreateSwapchain()
+        // know whether it needs to pass the old swapchain or not.
+        windowData->needsSurfaceRecreate = false;
     }
 
     if (windowData->inFlightFences[windowData->frameCounter] != NULL) {