diff --git a/include/render/vulkan.h b/include/render/vulkan.h
index e06dc3be8..733bc26e8 100644
--- a/include/render/vulkan.h
+++ b/include/render/vulkan.h
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup {
 	struct wl_list link; // wlr_vk_renderer.render_format_setups
 	const struct wlr_vk_format *render_format; // used in renderpass
 	bool has_blending_buffer;
+	bool clear_on_load;
 	VkRenderPass render_pass;
 
 	VkPipeline output_pipe;
@@ -311,7 +312,7 @@ struct wlr_vk_texture_view {
 
 struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *find_or_create_render_setup(
 	struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer, const struct wlr_vk_format *format,
-	bool has_blending_buffer);
+	bool has_blending_buffer, bool clear_on_load);
 struct wlr_vk_pipeline *setup_get_or_create_pipeline(
 	struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *setup,
 	const struct wlr_vk_pipeline_key *key);
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_pass {
 };
 
 struct wlr_vk_render_pass *vulkan_begin_render_pass(struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer,
-	struct wlr_vk_render_buffer *buffer);
+	struct wlr_vk_render_buffer *buffer, const struct wlr_render_color *clear_color);
 
 // Suballocates a buffer span with the given size that can be mapped
 // and used as staging buffer. The allocation is implicitly released when the
diff --git a/render/vulkan/pass.c b/render/vulkan/pass.c
index 9cbb3156a..4f3032808 100644
--- a/render/vulkan/pass.c
+++ b/render/vulkan/pass.c
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ static const struct wlr_render_pass_impl render_pass_impl = {
 };
 
 struct wlr_vk_render_pass *vulkan_begin_render_pass(struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer,
-		struct wlr_vk_render_buffer *buffer) {
+		struct wlr_vk_render_buffer *buffer, const struct wlr_render_color *clear_color) {
 	struct wlr_vk_render_pass *pass = calloc(1, sizeof(*pass));
 	if (pass == NULL) {
 		return NULL;
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_pass *vulkan_begin_render_pass(struct wlr_vk_renderer *rend
 
 	bool has_blending_buffer = buffer->blend_image != VK_NULL_HANDLE;
 	struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *render_setup = find_or_create_render_setup(
-		renderer, buffer->fmt, has_blending_buffer);
+		renderer, buffer->fmt, has_blending_buffer, clear_color != NULL);
 	if (render_setup == NULL) {
 		free(pass);
 		return NULL;
@@ -697,6 +697,17 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_pass *vulkan_begin_render_pass(struct wlr_vk_renderer *rend
 	VkRect2D rect = { .extent = { width, height } };
 	VkImageView attachments[2] = {0};
 	uint32_t attachment_count = 0;
+	VkClearValue clear_values[2] = { 0 };
+	if (clear_color) {
+		clear_values[0] = clear_values[1] = (VkClearValue){
+			.color.float32 = {
+				color_to_linear(clear_color->r),
+				color_to_linear(clear_color->g),
+				color_to_linear(clear_color->b),
+				clear_color->a,
+			}
+		};
+	}
 
 	if (buffer->blend_image_view != VK_NULL_HANDLE) {
 		attachments[attachment_count++] = buffer->blend_image_view;
@@ -714,7 +725,8 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_pass *vulkan_begin_render_pass(struct wlr_vk_renderer *rend
 		.renderArea = rect,
 		.renderPass = render_setup->render_pass,
 		.framebuffer = framebuffer->vk,
-		.clearValueCount = 0,
+		.clearValueCount = clear_color ? attachment_count : 0,
+		.pClearValues = clear_values,
 	};
 	vkCmdBeginRenderPass(cb->vk, &rp_info, VK_SUBPASS_CONTENTS_INLINE);
 
diff --git a/render/vulkan/renderer.c b/render/vulkan/renderer.c
index 4cfccd5f8..1578ffbcf 100644
--- a/render/vulkan/renderer.c
+++ b/render/vulkan/renderer.c
@@ -1287,18 +1287,15 @@ static struct wlr_render_pass *vulkan_begin_buffer_pass(struct wlr_renderer *wlr
 		}
 	}
 
-	struct wlr_vk_render_pass *render_pass = vulkan_begin_render_pass(renderer, render_buffer);
+	const struct wlr_render_color *clear_color = NULL;
+	if (options->clear_buffer) {
+		clear_color = &options->clear_color;
+	}
+
+	struct wlr_vk_render_pass *render_pass = vulkan_begin_render_pass(renderer, render_buffer, clear_color);
 	if (render_pass == NULL) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	// TODO: switch to using `VkRenderPassBeginInfo.pClearValues`
-	if (options->clear_buffer) {
-		wlr_render_pass_add_rect(&render_pass->base, &(struct wlr_render_rect_options){
-			.box = { .width = buffer->width, .height = buffer->height },
-			.color = options->clear_color,
-			.blend_mode = WLR_RENDER_BLEND_MODE_NONE,
-		});
-	}
 	return &render_pass->base;
 }
 
@@ -1869,10 +1866,10 @@ static bool init_static_render_data(struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer) {
 
 struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *find_or_create_render_setup(
 		struct wlr_vk_renderer *renderer, const struct wlr_vk_format *format,
-		bool has_blending_buffer) {
+		bool has_blending_buffer, bool clear_on_load) {
 	struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *setup;
 	wl_list_for_each(setup, &renderer->render_format_setups, link) {
-		if (setup->render_format == format && setup->has_blending_buffer == has_blending_buffer) {
+		if (setup->render_format == format && setup->has_blending_buffer == has_blending_buffer && setup->clear_on_load == clear_on_load) {
 			return setup;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1885,19 +1882,21 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *find_or_create_render_setup(
 
 	setup->render_format = format;
 	setup->has_blending_buffer = has_blending_buffer;
+	setup->clear_on_load = clear_on_load;
 	setup->renderer = renderer;
 	wl_list_init(&setup->pipelines);
 	wl_list_init(&setup->framebuffers);
 
 	VkDevice dev = renderer->dev->dev;
 	VkResult res;
+	VkAttachmentLoadOp load_op = clear_on_load ? VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_CLEAR : VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_LOAD;
 
 	if (has_blending_buffer) {
 		VkAttachmentDescription attachments[2] = {
 			{
 				.format = VK_FORMAT_R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT,
 				.samples = VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT,
-				.loadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_LOAD,
+				.loadOp = load_op,
 				.storeOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_STORE,
 				.stencilLoadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_DONT_CARE,
 				.stencilStoreOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_DONT_CARE,
@@ -1907,7 +1906,7 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *find_or_create_render_setup(
 			{
 				.format = format->vk,
 				.samples = VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT,
-				.loadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_LOAD,
+				.loadOp = load_op,
 				.storeOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_STORE,
 				.stencilLoadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_DONT_CARE,
 				.stencilStoreOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_DONT_CARE,
@@ -2013,7 +2012,7 @@ struct wlr_vk_render_format_setup *find_or_create_render_setup(
 		VkAttachmentDescription attachment = {
 			.format = format->vk_srgb,
 			.samples = VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT,
-			.loadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_LOAD,
+			.loadOp = load_op,
 			.storeOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_STORE,
 			.stencilLoadOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_LOAD_OP_DONT_CARE,
 			.stencilStoreOp = VK_ATTACHMENT_STORE_OP_DONT_CARE,