diff --git a/include/xdg/gprt/vulkan_probe.h b/include/xdg/gprt/vulkan_probe.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e0ff9cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/xdg/gprt/vulkan_probe.h
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#ifdef XDG_ENABLE_GPRT
+#include "xdg/error.h"
+
+#include <cstring>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
+
+inline std::vector<VkExtensionProperties>
+get_vk_device_extensions(VkPhysicalDevice device)
+{
+  uint32_t count = 0;
+  if (vkEnumerateDeviceExtensionProperties(device, nullptr, &count, nullptr) != VK_SUCCESS)
+    return {};
+
+  std::vector<VkExtensionProperties> extensions(count);
+  if (vkEnumerateDeviceExtensionProperties(device, nullptr, &count, extensions.data()) != VK_SUCCESS)
+    return {};
+
+  return extensions;
+}
+
+inline bool check_if_extension_available(const std::vector<VkExtensionProperties>& extensions, const char* name)
+{
+  for (const auto& extension : extensions) {
+    if (std::strcmp(extension.extensionName, name) == 0) return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+inline bool system_has_vk_device()
+{
+  VkApplicationInfo app{ VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_APPLICATION_INFO };
+  app.pApplicationName = "vk-probe";
+  app.applicationVersion = 1;
+  app.pEngineName = "probe";
+  app.engineVersion = 1;
+  app.apiVersion = VK_API_VERSION_1_1;
+
+  VkInstanceCreateInfo ici{ VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_INSTANCE_CREATE_INFO };
+  ici.pApplicationInfo = &app;
+
+  VkInstance instance = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+  if (vkCreateInstance(&ici, nullptr, &instance) != VK_SUCCESS || !instance) {
+    warning("Could not create Vulkan instance; GPRT ray tracer unavailable.");
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  uint32_t devCount = 0;
+  if (vkEnumeratePhysicalDevices(instance, &devCount, nullptr) != VK_SUCCESS || devCount == 0) {
+    vkDestroyInstance(instance, nullptr);
+    warning("No Vulkan physical devices found; GPRT ray tracer unavailable.");
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  std::vector<VkPhysicalDevice> devices(devCount);
+  if (vkEnumeratePhysicalDevices(instance, &devCount, devices.data()) != VK_SUCCESS) {
+    vkDestroyInstance(instance, nullptr);
+    warning("Could not enumerate Vulkan physical devices; GPRT ray tracer unavailable.");
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  std::string missing;
+  for (auto device : devices) {
+    auto extensions = get_vk_device_extensions(device);
+    bool accel_ext = check_if_extension_available(extensions, VK_KHR_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_EXTENSION_NAME);
+    bool rt_pipeline_ext = check_if_extension_available(extensions, VK_KHR_RAY_TRACING_PIPELINE_EXTENSION_NAME);
+
+    // these are the two main extensions we need for GPRT so if both are present we can stop checking other devices
+    if (accel_ext && rt_pipeline_ext) {
+      VkPhysicalDeviceProperties properties{};
+      vkGetPhysicalDeviceProperties(device, &properties);
+      write_message("Found Vulkan ray tracing capable device '{}'.", properties.deviceName);
+      vkDestroyInstance(instance, nullptr);
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    missing.clear();
+    if (!accel_ext) missing += VK_KHR_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_EXTENSION_NAME;
+    if (!rt_pipeline_ext) {
+      if (!missing.empty()) missing += ", ";
+      missing += VK_KHR_RAY_TRACING_PIPELINE_EXTENSION_NAME;
+    }
+  }
+
+  vkDestroyInstance(instance, nullptr);
+  warning("No Vulkan device with the required GPRT extensions found. Missing extensions: " +
+          missing);
+  return false;
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/gprt/ray_tracer.cpp b/src/gprt/ray_tracer.cpp
index d1c169f8..15d21a7b 100644
--- a/src/gprt/ray_tracer.cpp
+++ b/src/gprt/ray_tracer.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 #include "xdg/gprt/ray_tracer.h"
 #include "gprt/gprt.h"
+#include "xdg/gprt/vulkan_probe.h"
 
 namespace xdg {
 
 GPRTRayTracer::GPRTRayTracer()
 {
+  if (!system_has_vk_device()) {
+    fatal_error("No Vulkan ray tracing capable device found; cannot initialize GPRT ray tracer.");
+  }
+
   gprtRequestRayTypeCount(numRayTypes_); // Set the number of shaders which can be set to the same geometry
   context_ = gprtContextCreate();
   module_ = gprtModuleCreate(context_, dbl_deviceCode);
diff --git a/tests/util.h b/tests/util.h
index f6f6c8ea..a9841086 100644
--- a/tests/util.h
+++ b/tests/util.h
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include <random>
+#include <string>
 #include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
 
@@ -7,7 +8,7 @@
 #include "xdg/constants.h"
 #include "xdg/ray_tracers.h"
 #include "xdg/mesh_managers.h"
-#include "vulkan_probe.h"
+#include "xdg/gprt/vulkan_probe.h"
 
 namespace xdg::test {
 
diff --git a/tests/vulkan_probe.h b/tests/vulkan_probe.h
deleted file mode 100644
index cfc6ff44..00000000
--- a/tests/vulkan_probe.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-#ifdef XDG_ENABLE_GPRT
-#include <iostream>
-#include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
-
-inline bool system_has_vk_device(uint32_t min_instance = VK_API_VERSION_1_1) {
-  uint32_t loaderVer = VK_API_VERSION_1_0;
-  vkEnumerateInstanceVersion(&loaderVer);
-
-  // Create VK instance
-  VkApplicationInfo app{ VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_APPLICATION_INFO };
-  app.pApplicationName = "vk-probe";
-  app.applicationVersion = 1;
-  app.pEngineName = "probe";
-  app.engineVersion = 1;
-  app.apiVersion = VK_API_VERSION_1_0;
-
-  VkInstanceCreateInfo ici{ VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_INSTANCE_CREATE_INFO };
-  ici.pApplicationInfo = &app;
-
-  VkInstance instance = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
-  if (vkCreateInstance(&ici, nullptr, &instance) != VK_SUCCESS || !instance)
-    return false;
-
-  // Look for at least one physical device
-  uint32_t devCount = 0;
-  VkResult r = vkEnumeratePhysicalDevices(instance, &devCount, nullptr);
-
-  // Clean up the instance before returning
-  vkDestroyInstance(instance, nullptr);
-
-  // Check for errors and non-zero device count
-  if (r != VK_SUCCESS || devCount == 0) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  return true; // VK device detected
-}
-
-#endif