diff --git a/src/posix/cocoa/i_video.mm b/src/posix/cocoa/i_video.mm
index f92be1d3c..521f0648f 100644
--- a/src/posix/cocoa/i_video.mm
+++ b/src/posix/cocoa/i_video.mm
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, vid_vsync)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, vid_hidpi)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Int,  vid_defwidth)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Int,  vid_defheight)
-EXTERN_CVAR(Int,  vid_backend)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Int,  vid_enablevulkan)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Bool, vk_debug)
 
 CUSTOM_CVAR(Bool, vid_autoswitch, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class CocoaVideo : public IVideo
 public:
 	CocoaVideo()
 	{
-		ms_isVulkanEnabled = vid_backend == 0 && NSAppKitVersionNumber >= 1404; // NSAppKitVersionNumber10_11
+		ms_isVulkanEnabled = vid_enablevulkan == 1 && NSAppKitVersionNumber >= 1404; // NSAppKitVersionNumber10_11
 	}
 
 	~CocoaVideo()
diff --git a/src/posix/sdl/sdlglvideo.cpp b/src/posix/sdl/sdlglvideo.cpp
index 462bd1a0c..d5b9ad3d1 100644
--- a/src/posix/sdl/sdlglvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/posix/sdl/sdlglvideo.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ EXTERN_CVAR (Int, vid_adapter)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Int, vid_displaybits)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Int, vid_defwidth)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Int, vid_defheight)
-EXTERN_CVAR (Int, vid_backend)
+EXTERN_CVAR (Int, vid_enablevulkan)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Bool, cl_capfps)
 
 // PUBLIC DATA DEFINITIONS -------------------------------------------------
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ SDLVideo::SDLVideo ()
 	}
 
 #ifdef HAVE_VULKAN
-	Priv::vulkanEnabled = vid_backend == 0
+	Priv::vulkanEnabled = vid_enablevulkan == 1
 		&& Priv::Vulkan_GetDrawableSize && Priv::Vulkan_GetInstanceExtensions && Priv::Vulkan_CreateSurface;
 
 	if (Priv::vulkanEnabled)
diff --git a/src/v_video.cpp b/src/v_video.cpp
index ed809cb15..40d4ada7e 100644
--- a/src/v_video.cpp
+++ b/src/v_video.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, vid_rendermode, 4, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG | CVAR_NOIN
 	// No further checks needed. All this changes now is which scene drawer the render backend calls.
 }
 
-CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, vid_backend, 0, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
+CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, vid_enablevulkan, 1, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
 {
 	// [SP] This may seem pointless - but I don't want to implement live switching just
 	// yet - I'm pretty sure it's going to require a lot of reinits and destructions to
diff --git a/src/win32/hardware.cpp b/src/win32/hardware.cpp
index 0a0e39cab..7f101112c 100644
--- a/src/win32/hardware.cpp
+++ b/src/win32/hardware.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 #include "i_system.h"
 #include "swrenderer/r_swrenderer.h"
 
-EXTERN_CVAR(Int, vid_backend)
+EXTERN_CVAR(Int, vid_enablevulkan)
 
 extern HWND Window;
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ void I_InitGraphics ()
 	}
 
 #ifdef HAVE_VULKAN
-	if (vid_backend == 0)
+	if (vid_enablevulkan == 1)
 	{
 		// first try Vulkan, if that fails OpenGL
 		try
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
index 9a5dfb62e..2389f7412 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
+++ b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
@@ -2743,7 +2743,7 @@ OptionMenu "vkoptions"
 	StaticText "$VK_WARNING"
 	StaticText "$VK_RESTART"
 	StaticText ""
-	Option "$VKMNU_ENABLE",				"vid_backend", "OffOn"
+	Option "$VKMNU_ENABLE",				"vid_enablevulkan", "OnOff"
 	TextField "$VKMNU_DEVICE",			vk_device
 	Option "$VKMNU_HDR",				"vk_hdr", "OnOff"
 }
\ No newline at end of file