diff --git a/rendering_api/metal/src/core/debugger/metal_debugger.cpp b/rendering_api/metal/src/core/debugger/metal_debugger.cpp
index b71c3df..4385cca 100644
--- a/rendering_api/metal/src/core/debugger/metal_debugger.cpp
+++ b/rendering_api/metal/src/core/debugger/metal_debugger.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include <core/debugger/gryphn_debugger.h>
 
 // these do nothing because I am too lazy to write a debugger for metal at this point in time
-GN_EXPORT gnReturnCode gnCreateDebuggerFn(gnDebugger* instance) {
+GN_EXPORT gnReturnCode gnCreateDebuggerFn(gnDebugger* debugger, gnInstance* instance, const gnDebuggerInfo_t info) {
     return GN_SUCCESS;
 }
 GN_EXPORT void gnDestroyDebuggerFn(gnDebugger& instance) {
diff --git a/rendering_api/vulkan/src/debugger/vulkan_debugger.cpp b/rendering_api/vulkan/src/debugger/vulkan_debugger.cpp
index 656886f..8578f14 100644
--- a/rendering_api/vulkan/src/debugger/vulkan_debugger.cpp
+++ b/rendering_api/vulkan/src/debugger/vulkan_debugger.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "vulkan_debugger.h"
 #include "instance/vulkan_instance.h"
+#include "iostream"
 
 bool checkValidationLayerSupport(std::vector<std::string> layers_to_validate) {
     uint32_t layerCount;
@@ -79,7 +80,6 @@ void populateDebugMessengerCreateInfo(VkDebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT& create
     createInfo.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSENGER_CREATE_INFO_EXT;
     createInfo.messageSeverity = VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_VERBOSE_BIT_EXT | VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_WARNING_BIT_EXT | VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_ERROR_BIT_EXT;
     createInfo.messageType = VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_GENERAL_BIT_EXT | VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_VALIDATION_BIT_EXT | VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_PERFORMANCE_BIT_EXT;
-    createInfo.pfnUserCallback = vk_debuggerDebugCallback;
 }
 
 void vk_destroyDebugUtilsMessengerEXT(VkInstance instance, VkDebugUtilsMessengerEXT debugMessenger, const VkAllocationCallbacks* pAllocator) {
@@ -103,6 +103,16 @@ GN_EXPORT gnReturnCode gnCreateDebuggerFn(gnDebugger* debugger, gnInstance* inst
 
     populateDebugMessengerCreateInfo(createInfo);
     createInfo.pUserData = (void*)userData;
+    createInfo.pfnUserCallback = vk_debuggerDebugCallback;
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < instance->instance->instanceMessages.size(); i++) {
+        info.callback(
+            instance->instance->instanceMessages[i].severity,
+            instance->instance->instanceMessages[i].type,
+            instance->instance->instanceMessages[i].data,
+            info.userData
+        );
+    }
 
     if (vk_createDebugUtilsMessengerEXT(instance->instance->vk_instance, &createInfo, nullptr, &debugger->debugger->debugMessenger) != VK_SUCCESS)
         return GN_FAILED_TO_CREATE_DEBUGGER;
diff --git a/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.cpp b/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.cpp
index 71b2c90..a451448 100644
--- a/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.cpp
+++ b/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,44 @@
 #include "gryphn/gryphn_utils.h"
 #include "vector"
 #include "vulkan_instance.h"
+#include "debugger/vulkan_debugger.h"
+
+static VKAPI_ATTR VkBool32 VKAPI_CALL vk_debuggerDebugCallback(
+    VkDebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT messageSeverity,
+    VkDebugUtilsMessageTypeFlagsEXT messageType,
+    const VkDebugUtilsMessengerCallbackDataEXT* pCallbackData,
+    void* pUserData) {
+
+    gnMessageSeverity severity;
+    gnMessageType type;
+    gnMessageData data = {
+        .message = gnCreateString(pCallbackData->pMessage)
+    };
+
+    switch (messageSeverity) {
+    default: break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_VERBOSE_BIT_EXT: severity = GN_MESSAGE_VERBOSE; break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_INFO_BIT_EXT: severity = GN_MESSAGE_INFO; break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_WARNING_BIT_EXT: severity = GN_MESSAGE_WARNING; break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_SEVERITY_ERROR_BIT_EXT: severity = GN_MESSAGE_ERROR; break;
+    }
+
+    switch (messageType) {
+    default: break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_GENERAL_BIT_EXT: type = GN_DEBUG_MESSAGE_GENERAL; break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_VALIDATION_BIT_EXT: type = GN_DEBUG_MESSAGE_VALIDATION; break;
+    case VK_DEBUG_UTILS_MESSAGE_TYPE_PERFORMANCE_BIT_EXT: type = GN_DEBUG_MESSAGE_PERFORMANCE; break;
+    }
+
+    gnInstance* instance = (gnInstance*)pUserData;
+    instance->instance->instanceMessages.push_back({
+        .data = data,
+        .severity = severity,
+        .type = type
+    });
+
+    return VK_FALSE;
+}
 
 GN_EXPORT gnReturnCode gnCreateInstanceFn(gnInstance* instance, gnInstanceInfo instanceInfo) {
     instance->instance = new gnPlatformInstance();
@@ -24,7 +62,6 @@ GN_EXPORT gnReturnCode gnCreateInstanceFn(gnInstance* instance, gnInstanceInfo i
     instance->instance->extensions.push_back("VK_EXT_metal_surface");
     #endif
 
-
     instance->instance->extensions.push_back("VK_KHR_surface");
     instance->instance->extensions.push_back(VK_EXT_DEBUG_UTILS_EXTENSION_NAME);
 
@@ -42,6 +79,16 @@ GN_EXPORT gnReturnCode gnCreateInstanceFn(gnInstance* instance, gnInstanceInfo i
     createInfo.pApplicationInfo = &appInfo;
     createInfo.flags = VK_INSTANCE_CREATE_ENUMERATE_PORTABILITY_BIT_KHR;
 
+    VkDebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT debugCreateInfo{};
+    const char* validation_layers[1] = { "VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_validation" };
+    createInfo.enabledLayerCount = 1;
+    createInfo.ppEnabledLayerNames = validation_layers;
+
+    populateDebugMessengerCreateInfo(debugCreateInfo);
+    debugCreateInfo.pfnUserCallback = vk_debuggerDebugCallback;
+    debugCreateInfo.pUserData = instance;
+    createInfo.pNext = (VkDebugUtilsMessengerCreateInfoEXT*) &debugCreateInfo;
+
     createInfo.enabledExtensionCount = static_cast<uint32_t>(instance->instance->extensions.size());;
     createInfo.ppEnabledExtensionNames = instance->instance->extensions.data();
 
diff --git a/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.h b/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.h
index 7161571..f90c24e 100644
--- a/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.h
+++ b/rendering_api/vulkan/src/instance/vulkan_instance.h
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 #pragma once
-#include "core/instance/gryphn_instance.h"
 #include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
 #ifdef GN_PLATFORM_MACOS
-#include "vulkan_macos_bridge.h"
+#include <instance/vulkan_macos_bridge.h>
 #endif
 #include "vector"
+#include "core/debugger/gryphn_debugger.h"
+
+struct gnInstanceMessage {
+    gnMessageSeverity severity;
+    gnMessageType type;
+    gnMessageData data;
+};
 
 struct gnPlatformInstance {
     VkInstance vk_instance;
@@ -12,4 +18,5 @@ struct gnPlatformInstance {
     VkSurfaceKHR window_surface;
 
     std::vector<const char*> extensions;
+    std::vector<gnInstanceMessage> instanceMessages;
 };