diff --git a/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp b/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp
index 7ae948bb..0a1e37d5 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp
@@ -1752,6 +1752,12 @@ inline static const std::vector<SConfigOptionDescription> CONFIG_OPTIONS = {
         .type        = CONFIG_OPTION_BOOL,
         .data        = SConfigOptionDescription::SBoolData{false},
     },
+    SConfigOptionDescription{
+        .value       = "debug:gl_debugging",
+        .description = "enable OpenGL debugging and error checking, they hurt performance.",
+        .type        = CONFIG_OPTION_BOOL,
+        .data        = SConfigOptionDescription::SBoolData{false},
+    },
     SConfigOptionDescription{
         .value       = "debug:disable_logs",
         .description = "disable logging to a file",
diff --git a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
index 6fab9d7e..09ec4456 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -561,6 +561,7 @@ CConfigManager::CConfigManager() {
     registerConfigVar("debug:overlay", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     registerConfigVar("debug:damage_blink", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     registerConfigVar("debug:pass", Hyprlang::INT{0});
+    registerConfigVar("debug:gl_debugging", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     registerConfigVar("debug:disable_logs", Hyprlang::INT{1});
     registerConfigVar("debug:disable_time", Hyprlang::INT{1});
     registerConfigVar("debug:enable_stdout_logs", Hyprlang::INT{0});
diff --git a/src/macros.hpp b/src/macros.hpp
index 1b55bacd..fc109296 100644
--- a/src/macros.hpp
+++ b/src/macros.hpp
@@ -96,10 +96,13 @@
 #define GLCALL(__CALL__)                                                                                                                                                           \
     {                                                                                                                                                                              \
         __CALL__;                                                                                                                                                                  \
-        auto err = glGetError();                                                                                                                                                   \
-        if (err != GL_NO_ERROR) {                                                                                                                                                  \
-            Log::logger->log(Log::ERR, "[GLES] Error in call at {}@{}: 0x{:x}", __LINE__,                                                                                          \
-                             ([]() constexpr -> std::string { return std::string(__FILE__).substr(std::string(__FILE__).find_last_of('/') + 1); })(), err);                        \
+        static const auto GLDEBUG = CConfigValue<Hyprlang::INT>("debug:gl_debugging");                                                                                             \
+        if (*GLDEBUG) {                                                                                                                                                            \
+            auto err = glGetError();                                                                                                                                               \
+            if (err != GL_NO_ERROR) {                                                                                                                                              \
+                Log::logger->log(Log::ERR, "[GLES] Error in call at {}@{}: 0x{:x}", __LINE__,                                                                                      \
+                                 ([]() constexpr -> std::string { return std::string(__FILE__).substr(std::string(__FILE__).find_last_of('/') + 1); })(), err);                    \
+            }                                                                                                                                                                      \
         }                                                                                                                                                                          \
     }
 
diff --git a/src/render/OpenGL.cpp b/src/render/OpenGL.cpp
index e3690ecd..3e0c4f26 100644
--- a/src/render/OpenGL.cpp
+++ b/src/render/OpenGL.cpp
@@ -304,7 +304,8 @@ CHyprOpenGLImpl::CHyprOpenGLImpl() : m_drmFD(g_pCompositor->m_drmRenderNode.fd >
         loadGLProc(&m_proc.eglQueryDisplayAttribEXT, "eglQueryDisplayAttribEXT");
     }
 
-    if (EGLEXTENSIONS.contains("EGL_KHR_debug")) {
+    static const auto GLDEBUG = CConfigValue<Hyprlang::INT>("debug:gl_debugging");
+    if (EGLEXTENSIONS.contains("EGL_KHR_debug") && *GLDEBUG) {
         loadGLProc(&m_proc.eglDebugMessageControlKHR, "eglDebugMessageControlKHR");
         static const EGLAttrib debugAttrs[] = {
             EGL_DEBUG_MSG_CRITICAL_KHR, EGL_TRUE, EGL_DEBUG_MSG_ERROR_KHR, EGL_TRUE, EGL_DEBUG_MSG_WARN_KHR, EGL_TRUE, EGL_DEBUG_MSG_INFO_KHR, EGL_TRUE, EGL_NONE,
@@ -838,11 +839,15 @@ void CHyprOpenGLImpl::end() {
     if UNLIKELY (m_renderData.pCurrentMonData->offMainFB.isAllocated())
         m_renderData.pCurrentMonData->offMainFB.release();
 
-    // check for gl errors
-    const GLenum ERR = glGetError();
+    static const auto GLDEBUG = CConfigValue<Hyprlang::INT>("debug:gl_debugging");
 
-    if UNLIKELY (ERR == GL_CONTEXT_LOST) /* We don't have infra to recover from this */
-        RASSERT(false, "glGetError at Opengl::end() returned GL_CONTEXT_LOST. Cannot continue until proper GPU reset handling is implemented.");
+    if (*GLDEBUG) {
+        // check for gl errors
+        const GLenum ERR = glGetError();
+
+        if UNLIKELY (ERR == GL_CONTEXT_LOST) /* We don't have infra to recover from this */
+            RASSERT(false, "glGetError at Opengl::end() returned GL_CONTEXT_LOST. Cannot continue until proper GPU reset handling is implemented.");
+    }
 }
 
 void CHyprOpenGLImpl::setDamage(const CRegion& damage_, std::optional<CRegion> finalDamage) {