diff --git a/vulkan/vulkan_application.cc b/vulkan/vulkan_application.cc
index 7ba881b843181a4aa24aedebfb4fcc4301fbd209..eaba000274ca44bb8fcd9da73ec6684d5820a356 100644
--- a/vulkan/vulkan_application.cc
+++ b/vulkan/vulkan_application.cc
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ const VulkanHandle<VkInstance>& VulkanApplication::GetInstance() const {
   return instance_;
 }
 
+void VulkanApplication::ReleaseInstanceOwnership() {
+  instance_.ReleaseOwnership();
+}
+
 std::vector<VkPhysicalDevice> VulkanApplication::GetPhysicalDevices() const {
   if (!IsValid()) {
     return {};
diff --git a/vulkan/vulkan_application.h b/vulkan/vulkan_application.h
index 9274701f958019cdadb8a3a25ef9461f1524ae9c..a5f20c07f63ec003f083b6354c911b3b5a35ff75 100644
--- a/vulkan/vulkan_application.h
+++ b/vulkan/vulkan_application.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class VulkanApplication {
 
   const VulkanHandle<VkInstance>& GetInstance() const;
 
+  void ReleaseInstanceOwnership();
+
   std::unique_ptr<VulkanDevice> AcquireFirstCompatibleLogicalDevice() const;
 
  private:
diff --git a/vulkan/vulkan_device.cc b/vulkan/vulkan_device.cc
index 745110ed70f2caae0aefafea8c7e21f87efb353e..bb6c2e8a1437c3f3b177bcee1608e968d1570c23 100644
--- a/vulkan/vulkan_device.cc
+++ b/vulkan/vulkan_device.cc
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@ const VulkanHandle<VkDevice>& VulkanDevice::GetHandle() const {
   return device_;
 }
 
+void VulkanDevice::ReleaseDeviceOwnership() {
+  device_.ReleaseOwnership();
+}
+
 const VulkanHandle<VkPhysicalDevice>& VulkanDevice::GetPhysicalDeviceHandle()
     const {
   return physical_device_;
diff --git a/vulkan/vulkan_device.h b/vulkan/vulkan_device.h
index e32f37d7ed57bc3af8e70402a873be7b728a8fa7..e9abf757f6a94d4f41631b8f113d373b4a30f761 100644
--- a/vulkan/vulkan_device.h
+++ b/vulkan/vulkan_device.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ class VulkanDevice {
 
   uint32_t GetGraphicsQueueIndex() const;
 
+  void ReleaseDeviceOwnership();
+
   FXL_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
   bool GetSurfaceCapabilities(const VulkanSurface& surface,
                               VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR* capabilities) const;
diff --git a/vulkan/vulkan_handle.h b/vulkan/vulkan_handle.h
index 32f1f938e25bb84980563a49cef7d84b8e388bc8..87f535e9b913231595ac10fd218fadfc9463c462 100644
--- a/vulkan/vulkan_handle.h
+++ b/vulkan/vulkan_handle.h
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ class VulkanHandle {
 
   operator Handle() const { return handle_; }
 
+  /// Relinquish responsibility of collecting the underlying handle when this
+  /// object is collected. It is the responsibility of the caller to ensure that
+  /// the lifetime of the handle extends past the lifetime of this object.
+  void ReleaseOwnership() { disposer_ = nullptr; }
+
   void Reset() { DisposeIfNecessary(); }
 
  private: