diff --git a/src/video/offscreen/SDL_offscreenvulkan.c b/src/video/offscreen/SDL_offscreenvulkan.c
index 57c89d7ef5..901752cda6 100644
--- a/src/video/offscreen/SDL_offscreenvulkan.c
+++ b/src/video/offscreen/SDL_offscreenvulkan.c
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ bool OFFSCREEN_Vulkan_CreateSurface(SDL_VideoDevice *_this,
                                    const struct VkAllocationCallbacks *allocator,
                                    VkSurfaceKHR *surface)
 {
-    surface = NULL;
+    *surface = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
 
     if (!_this->vulkan_config.loader_handle) {
         return SDL_SetError("Vulkan is not loaded");