diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/Controls/OpenGLControl.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/Controls/OpenGLControl.cs
index c9c5a6c3544..ae3d38b3a95 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/Controls/OpenGLControl.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/Controls/OpenGLControl.cs
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls
 {
 	internal sealed class OpenGLControl : GraphicsControl
 	{
-		public SDL2OpenGLContext Context { get; private set; }
+		private readonly Action _initGLState;
+		private SDL2OpenGLContext _context;
 
-		public OpenGLControl()
+		public OpenGLControl(Action initGLState)
 		{
+			_initGLState = initGLState;
+
 			// according to OpenTK, these are the styles we want to set
 			SetStyle(ControlStyles.Opaque, true);
 			SetStyle(ControlStyles.UserPaint, true);
@@ -41,14 +44,15 @@ protected override CreateParams CreateParams
 		protected override void OnHandleCreated(EventArgs e)
 		{
 			base.OnHandleCreated(e);
-			Context = new(Handle, 3, 2, true);
+			_context = new(Handle, 3, 2, true);
+			_initGLState();
 		}
 
 		protected override void OnHandleDestroyed(EventArgs e)
 		{
 			base.OnHandleDestroyed(e);
-			Context.Dispose();
-			Context = null;
+			_context.Dispose();
+			_context = null;
 		}
 
 		private void MakeContextCurrent()
@@ -58,13 +62,13 @@ private void MakeContextCurrent()
 				throw new ObjectDisposedException(nameof(OpenGLControl));
 			}
 
-			if (Context is null)
+			if (_context is null)
 			{
 				CreateControl();
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				Context.MakeContextCurrent();
+				_context.MakeContextCurrent();
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -76,23 +80,19 @@ public override void AllowTearing(bool state)
 		public override void SetVsync(bool state)
 		{
 			MakeContextCurrent();
-			Context.SetVsync(state);
+			_context.SetVsync(state);
 		}
 
 		public override void Begin()
-		{
-			MakeContextCurrent();
-		}
+			=> MakeContextCurrent();
 
 		public override void End()
-		{
-			SDL2OpenGLContext.MakeNoneCurrent();
-		}
+			=> SDL2OpenGLContext.MakeNoneCurrent();
 
 		public override void SwapBuffers()
 		{
 			MakeContextCurrent();
-			Context.SwapBuffers();
+			_context.SwapBuffers();
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/GraphicsControlFactory.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/GraphicsControlFactory.cs
index e40f8675862..49085d304d1 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/GraphicsControlFactory.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics.Controls/GraphicsControlFactory.cs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ public static GraphicsControl CreateGraphicsControl(IGL gl)
 		{
 			GraphicsControl ret = gl switch
 			{
-				IGL_OpenGL => new OpenGLControl(),
+				IGL_OpenGL openGL => new OpenGLControl(openGL.InitGLState),
 				IGL_D3D11 d3d11 => new D3D11Control(d3d11.CreateSwapChain),
 				IGL_GDIPlus gdiPlus => new GDIPlusControl(gdiPlus.CreateControlRenderTarget),
 				_ => throw new InvalidOperationException()
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/D3D11Resources.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/D3D11Resources.cs
index 590eeba7e29..f9fb4e43f11 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/D3D11Resources.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/D3D11Resources.cs
@@ -26,13 +26,14 @@ internal sealed class D3D11Resources : IDisposable
 		public ID3D11RasterizerState RasterizerState;
 
 		public FeatureLevel DeviceFeatureLevel;
+		public int MaxTextureDimension;
 		public bool PresentAllowTearing;
 
 		public D3D11RenderTarget CurRenderTarget;
 		public D3D11Pipeline CurPipeline;
 
-		public readonly HashSet<D3D11Texture2D> Textures = new();
-		public readonly HashSet<D3D11Pipeline> Pipelines = new();
+		public readonly HashSet<D3D11Texture2D> Textures = [ ];
+		public readonly HashSet<D3D11Pipeline> Pipelines = [ ];
 
 		public void CreateResources()
 		{
@@ -99,6 +100,14 @@ public void CreateResources()
 
 				DeviceFeatureLevel = Device.FeatureLevel;
 
+				MaxTextureDimension = DeviceFeatureLevel switch
+				{
+					FeatureLevel.Level_9_1 or FeatureLevel.Level_9_2 => 2048,
+					FeatureLevel.Level_9_3 => 4096,
+					FeatureLevel.Level_10_0 or FeatureLevel.Level_10_1 => 8192,
+					_ => ID3D11Resource.MaximumTexture2DSize,
+				};
+
 				var rd = new RasterizerDescription
 				{
 					CullMode = CullMode.None,
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/IGL_D3D11.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/IGL_D3D11.cs
index 43eb8c99e82..2eb2559eac7 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/IGL_D3D11.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/D3D11/IGL_D3D11.cs
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ public void Dispose()
 			_resources.Dispose();
 		}
 
+		public int MaxTextureDimension => _resources.MaxTextureDimension;
+
 		public void ClearColor(Color color)
 			=> Context.ClearRenderTargetView(CurRenderTarget?.RTV ?? _controlSwapChain.RTV, new(color.R, color.B, color.G, color.A));
 
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/GDIPlus/IGL_GDIPlus.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/GDIPlus/IGL_GDIPlus.cs
index 967866482fa..be0e386172d 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/GDIPlus/IGL_GDIPlus.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/GDIPlus/IGL_GDIPlus.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ public void Dispose()
 		{
 		}
 
+		// maximum bitmap size doesn't seem to be well defined... we'll just use D3D11's maximum size
+		public int MaxTextureDimension => 16384;
+
 		internal SDGraphics GetCurrentGraphics()
 			=> CurRenderTarget?.TextureGraphics ?? _controlRenderTarget.BufferedGraphics.Graphics;
 
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/Interfaces/IGL.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/Interfaces/IGL.cs
index d62624bca9c..346871fb9a6 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/Interfaces/IGL.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/Interfaces/IGL.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ public interface IGL : IDisposable
 		/// </summary>
 		EDispMethod DispMethodEnum { get; }
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Returns the maximum size any dimension of a texture may have
+		/// This should be set on init, and therefore shouldn't need a graphics context active...
+		/// </summary>
+		int MaxTextureDimension { get; }
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Creates a texture with the specified dimensions
 		/// The texture will use a clamping address mode and nearest neighbor filtering by default
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/OpenGL/IGL_OpenGL.cs b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/OpenGL/IGL_OpenGL.cs
index d3b2653097e..fcbee07e387 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/OpenGL/IGL_OpenGL.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Bizware.Graphics/OpenGL/IGL_OpenGL.cs
@@ -35,6 +35,22 @@ public IGL_OpenGL()
 		public void Dispose()
 			=> GL.Dispose();
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Should be called once the GL context is created
+		/// </summary>
+		public void InitGLState()
+		{
+			GL.GetInteger(GetPName.MaxTextureSize, out var maxTextureDimension);
+			if (maxTextureDimension == 0)
+			{
+				throw new($"Failed to get max texture size, GL error: {GL.GetError()}");
+			}
+
+			MaxTextureDimension = maxTextureDimension;
+		}
+
+		public int MaxTextureDimension { get; private set; }
+
 		public void ClearColor(Color color)
 		{
 			GL.ClearColor(color);
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/DisplayManagerBase.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/DisplayManagerBase.cs
index 4abed963236..caa38a4ba45 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/DisplayManagerBase.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/DisplayManagerBase.cs
@@ -304,6 +304,10 @@ private FilterProgram BuildDefaultChain(Size chainInSize, Size chainOutSize, boo
 				if (size.Width < 1) size.Width = 1;
 				if (size.Height < 1) size.Height = 1;
 
+				// if either of the dimensions exceed the maximum size of a texture, we need to constrain them
+				size.Width = Math.Min(size.Width, _gl.MaxTextureDimension);
+				size.Height = Math.Min(size.Height, _gl.MaxTextureDimension);
+
 				var fPadding = new FinalPresentation(size);
 				chain.AddFilter(fPadding, "padding");
 				fPadding.Config_PadOnly = true;
@@ -771,10 +775,14 @@ private FilterProgram UpdateSourceInternal(JobInfo job)
 			vw += padding.Horizontal;
 			vh += padding.Vertical;
 
-			//in case the user requested so much padding that the dimensions are now negative, just turn it to something small.
+			// in case the user requested so much padding that the dimensions are now negative, just turn it to something small.
 			if (vw < 1) vw = 1;
 			if (vh < 1) vh = 1;
 
+			// if either of the dimensions exceed the maximum size of a texture, we need to constrain them
+			vw = Math.Min(vw, _gl.MaxTextureDimension);
+			vh = Math.Min(vh, _gl.MaxTextureDimension);
+
 			BitmapBuffer bb = null;
 			ITexture2D videoTexture = null;
 			if (!simulate)
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs
index 21357697ce7..0941f33ac32 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs
@@ -452,9 +452,22 @@ public override void Initialize()
 
 		public override void SetInputFormat(string channel, SurfaceState state)
 		{
-			var outputSize = state.SurfaceFormat.Size;
-			outputSize.Width *= Scale;
-			outputSize.Height *= Scale;
+			var inputSize = state.SurfaceFormat.Size;
+			var outputSize = new Size(inputSize.Width * Scale, inputSize.Height * Scale);
+			var maxTexDimension = FilterProgram.GL.MaxTextureDimension;
+			while (outputSize.Width > maxTexDimension || outputSize.Height > maxTexDimension)
+			{
+				outputSize.Width -= inputSize.Width;
+				outputSize.Height -= inputSize.Height;
+				Scale--;
+			}
+
+			// this hopefully never happens
+			if (outputSize.Width == 0 || outputSize.Height == 0)
+			{
+				throw new InvalidOperationException("Prescale input was too large for a texture");
+			}
+
 			var ss = new SurfaceState(new(outputSize), SurfaceDisposition.RenderTarget);
 			DeclareOutput(ss, channel);
 		}
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs
index 35bd84e55b1..cee0661214e 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Program.cs
@@ -254,8 +254,9 @@ IGL CheckRenderer(IGL gl)
 						// need to have a context active for checking renderer, will be disposed afterwards
 						using (new SDL2OpenGLContext(3, 2, true))
 						{
-							using var testIgl = new IGL_OpenGL();
-							_ = CheckRenderer(testIgl);
+							using var testOpenGL = new IGL_OpenGL();
+							testOpenGL.InitGLState();
+							_ = CheckRenderer(testOpenGL);
 						}
 
 						// don't return the same IGL, we don't want the test context to be part of this IGL