diff --git a/crates/gpu/src/context.rs b/crates/gpu/src/context.rs
index 95478949..d252dcf6 100644
--- a/crates/gpu/src/context.rs
+++ b/crates/gpu/src/context.rs
@@ -294,12 +294,27 @@ fn storage_tex_entry(binding: u32, format: wgpu::TextureFormat) -> wgpu::BindGro
 impl GpuContext {
     /// Build on an existing device (the desktop app shares egui-wgpu's). `Err` when the
     /// adapter cannot run the compositor (no compute shaders, e.g. WebGL2; no float storage
-    /// textures).
+    /// textures) or the device was created with limits below what its pipelines bind.
     pub fn new(adapter: &wgpu::Adapter, device: wgpu::Device, queue: wgpu::Queue) -> Result<GpuContext, String> {
         let info = adapter.get_info();
         if !adapter.get_downlevel_capabilities().flags.contains(wgpu::DownlevelFlags::COMPUTE_SHADERS) {
             return Err(format!("{} ({:?}): no compute shaders", info.name, info.backend));
         }
+        // egui-wgpu asks for WebGL2's limits on GL (no storage buffers at all): building the
+        // pipelines there would be a validation error, which release builds only log.
+        let l = device.limits();
+        let needs = [
+            // `adv3d`'s post kernels bind 7 (its rasteriser's fragment stage 6).
+            ("max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage", l.max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage, 7),
+            ("max_storage_textures_per_shader_stage", l.max_storage_textures_per_shader_stage, 1),
+            ("max_bind_groups", l.max_bind_groups, 2),
+            ("max_compute_workgroup_size_x", l.max_compute_workgroup_size_x, 64),
+            ("max_compute_workgroup_size_y", l.max_compute_workgroup_size_y, 16),
+            ("max_compute_invocations_per_workgroup", l.max_compute_invocations_per_workgroup, 256),
+        ];
+        if let Some((limit, have, need)) = needs.iter().find(|(_, have, need)| have < need) {
+            return Err(format!("{} ({:?}): device limit {limit} is {have}, needs {need}", info.name, info.backend));
+        }
         for f in [FORMAT, wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8Unorm] {
             if !adapter.get_texture_format_features(f).allowed_usages.contains(wgpu::TextureUsages::STORAGE_BINDING) {
                 return Err(format!("{} ({:?}): {f:?} storage textures unsupported", info.name, info.backend));
diff --git a/crates/gpu/src/tests.rs b/crates/gpu/src/tests.rs
index 106d6682..3c6fdfa3 100644
--- a/crates/gpu/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/gpu/src/tests.rs
@@ -650,3 +650,17 @@ fn wgsl_float_literals_fit_f32() {
     }
     assert!(checked > 0);
 }
+
+/// A device created with WebGL2's limits (what egui-wgpu asks for on GL, as the desktop app on
+/// FreeBSD gets): the compositor declines it instead of building pipelines that fail validation
+/// (wgpu's default error handler panics here; release builds would only log it).
+#[test]
+fn devices_with_webgl2_limits_are_declined() {
+    hold_gpu_lock();
+    let instance = wgpu::Instance::new(wgpu::InstanceDescriptor::new_without_display_handle());
+    let Ok(adapter) = pollster::block_on(instance.request_adapter(&Default::default())) else { return };
+    let desc = wgpu::DeviceDescriptor { required_limits: wgpu::Limits::downlevel_webgl2_defaults(), ..Default::default() };
+    let Ok((device, queue)) = pollster::block_on(adapter.request_device(&desc)) else { return };
+    let err = crate::context::GpuContext::new(&adapter, device, queue).err().expect("declined");
+    assert!(err.contains("max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage"), "{err}");
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_gpu.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_gpu.rs
index d97829e9..a6966f83 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_gpu.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_gpu.rs
@@ -21,15 +21,22 @@ fn settle(h: &mut Harness<'_, EffectcraftApp>) {
 
 #[test]
 fn viewer_draws_gpu_frames_that_match_the_cpu() {
-    if effectcraft_gpu::Gpu::headless().is_none() {
+    let Some(probe) = effectcraft_gpu::Gpu::headless() else {
         eprintln!("no GPU adapter: skipping");
         return;
-    }
+    };
+    // egui-wgpu creates its GL device with WebGL2's limits, which the compositor declines.
+    let gl = effectcraft_engine::render::Accelerator::name(&probe).ends_with("(Gl)");
+    drop(probe);
     let mut s = Session::default();
     s.execute("file.openDemoProject", json!({})).unwrap();
     s.execute("time.set", json!({"time": 2.0})).unwrap();
     let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(egui::vec2(1400.0, 900.0)).with_pixels_per_point(1.0).wgpu().build_eframe(|_| EffectcraftApp::new(s));
     settle(&mut h);
+    if gl && h.state().gpu_adapter().is_none() {
+        eprintln!("egui-wgpu's GL device has WebGL2 limits: the viewer stays on the CPU, skipping");
+        return;
+    }
     assert!(h.state().gpu_adapter().is_some(), "GPU compositor on egui-wgpu's device");
     let gpu_px = h.state_mut().viewer_pixels().expect("read back the GPU frame");
     let gpu_shot = h.render().expect("render");