if (dinfo->mode >= PIPE_PRIM_QUADS ||
        dinfo->mode == PIPE_PRIM_LINE_LOOP ||
-       dinfo->index_size == 1) {
+       (dinfo->index_size == 1 && !screen->have_EXT_index_type_uint8)) {
       if (!u_trim_pipe_prim(dinfo->mode, (unsigned *)&dinfo->count))
          return;
 
    }
 
    if (dinfo->index_size > 0) {
-      assert(dinfo->index_size != 1);
-      VkIndexType index_type = dinfo->index_size == 2 ? VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT16 : VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT32;
+      VkIndexType index_type;
+      switch (dinfo->index_size) {
+      case 1:
+         assert(screen->have_EXT_index_type_uint8);
+         index_type = VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT8_EXT;
+         break;
+      case 2:
+         index_type = VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT16;
+         break;
+      case 4:
+         index_type = VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT32;
+         break;
+      default:
+         unreachable("unknown index size!");
+      }
       struct zink_resource *res = zink_resource(index_buffer);
       vkCmdBindIndexBuffer(batch->cmdbuf, res->buffer, index_offset, index_type);
       zink_batch_reference_resoure(batch, res);
 
 zink_internal_create_screen(struct sw_winsys *winsys, int fd)
 {
    struct zink_screen *screen = CALLOC_STRUCT(zink_screen);
-   bool have_tf_ext = false, have_cond_render_ext = false;
+   bool have_tf_ext = false, have_cond_render_ext = false, have_EXT_index_type_uint8 = false;
    if (!screen)
       return NULL;
 
             if (!strcmp(extensions[i].extensionName,
                         VK_EXT_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_EXTENSION_NAME))
                have_tf_ext = true;
+            if (!strcmp(extensions[i].extensionName,
+                        VK_EXT_INDEX_TYPE_UINT8_EXTENSION_NAME))
+               have_EXT_index_type_uint8 = true;
 
          }
          FREE(extensions);
    VkPhysicalDeviceFeatures2 feats = {};
    VkPhysicalDeviceTransformFeedbackFeaturesEXT tf_feats = {};
    VkPhysicalDeviceConditionalRenderingFeaturesEXT cond_render_feats = {};
+   VkPhysicalDeviceIndexTypeUint8FeaturesEXT index_uint8_feats = {};
 
    feats.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_FEATURES_2;
    if (have_tf_ext) {
       cond_render_feats.pNext = feats.pNext;
       feats.pNext = &cond_render_feats;
    }
+   if (have_EXT_index_type_uint8) {
+      index_uint8_feats.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_INDEX_TYPE_UINT8_FEATURES_EXT;
+      index_uint8_feats.pNext = feats.pNext;
+      feats.pNext = &index_uint8_feats;
+   }
    vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2(screen->pdev, &feats);
    memcpy(&screen->feats, &feats.features, sizeof(screen->feats));
    if (have_tf_ext && tf_feats.transformFeedback)
       screen->have_EXT_transform_feedback = true;
    if (have_cond_render_ext && cond_render_feats.conditionalRendering)
       screen->have_EXT_conditional_rendering = true;
+   if (have_EXT_index_type_uint8 && index_uint8_feats.indexTypeUint8)
+      screen->have_EXT_index_type_uint8 = true;
 
    VkPhysicalDeviceProperties2 props = {};
    props.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_PROPERTIES_2;
     * this requires us to pass the whole VkPhysicalDeviceFeatures2 struct
     */
    dci.pNext = &feats;
-   const char *extensions[5] = {
+   const char *extensions[6] = {
       VK_KHR_MAINTENANCE1_EXTENSION_NAME,
    };
    num_extensions = 1;
    if (screen->have_EXT_conditional_rendering)
       extensions[num_extensions++] = VK_EXT_CONDITIONAL_RENDERING_EXTENSION_NAME;
 
+   if (screen->have_EXT_index_type_uint8)
+      extensions[num_extensions++] = VK_EXT_INDEX_TYPE_UINT8_EXTENSION_NAME;
+
    if (screen->have_EXT_transform_feedback)
       extensions[num_extensions++] = VK_EXT_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_EXTENSION_NAME;
    assert(num_extensions <= ARRAY_SIZE(extensions));