diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_brush.c b/ref/vk/vk_brush.c
index 75c2c6650..cd84eb665 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_brush.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_brush.c
@@ -275,10 +275,9 @@ static void brushComputeWaterPolys( compute_water_polys_t args ) {
 
 	// Render
 	const int tex_id = args.warp->texinfo->texture->gl_texturenum;
-	const r_vk_material_ref_t material_ref = R_VkMaterialGetForTexture(tex_id);
+	const r_vk_material_t material = R_VkMaterialGetForTexture(tex_id);
 	*args.dst_geometry = (vk_render_geometry_t){
-		.material = material_ref,
-		.material_type_deprecated = kXVkMaterialRegular,
+		.material = material,
 
 		.ye_olde_texture = tex_id,
 
@@ -1091,7 +1090,6 @@ static qboolean fillBrushSurfaces(fill_geometries_args_t args) {
 			model_geometry->index_offset = index_offset;
 
 			{
-				model_geometry->material_type_deprecated = kXVkMaterialRegular;
 				ASSERT(!FBitSet( surf->flags, SURF_DRAWTILED ));
 				VK_CreateSurfaceLightmap( surf, args.mod );
 			}
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_materials.c b/ref/vk/vk_materials.c
index f3de6d1e8..fd3e6d09d 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_materials.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_materials.c
@@ -264,18 +264,9 @@ void R_VkMaterialsReload( void ) {
 	}
 }
 
-r_vk_material_ref_t R_VkMaterialGetForTexture( int tex_index ) {
+r_vk_material_t R_VkMaterialGetForTexture( int tex_index ) {
 	ASSERT(tex_index >= 0);
 	ASSERT(tex_index < MAX_TEXTURES);
 
-	// TODO add versioning to detect reloads?
-	return (r_vk_material_ref_t){ .index = tex_index, };
-}
-
-const r_vk_material_t* R_VkMaterialGet( r_vk_material_ref_t ref ) {
-	ASSERT(ref.index >= 0);
-	ASSERT(ref.index < MAX_TEXTURES);
-
-	// TODO verify version ?
-	return g_materials.materials + ref.index;
+	return g_materials.materials[tex_index];
 }
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_materials.h b/ref/vk/vk_materials.h
index 294c60106..bf7cfec17 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_materials.h
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_materials.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ typedef struct r_vk_material_s {
 	float metalness;
 	float normal_scale;
 
+	// TODO this should be internal
 	qboolean set;
 } r_vk_material_t;
 
@@ -22,6 +23,4 @@ typedef struct { int index; } r_vk_material_ref_t;
 // TODO: track "version" in high bits?
 void R_VkMaterialsReload( void );
 
-r_vk_material_ref_t R_VkMaterialGetForTexture( int tex_id );
-
-const r_vk_material_t* R_VkMaterialGet( r_vk_material_ref_t ref );
+r_vk_material_t R_VkMaterialGetForTexture( int tex_id );
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_ray_model.c b/ref/vk/vk_ray_model.c
index 9543c03d5..26bf3173e 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_ray_model.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_ray_model.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ typedef struct rt_model_s {
 } rt_model_t;
 
 static void applyMaterialToKusok(vk_kusok_data_t* kusok, const vk_render_geometry_t *geom, const r_vk_material_t *override_material, const vec4_t override_color) {
-	const r_vk_material_t *const mat = override_material ? override_material : R_VkMaterialGet(geom->material);
+	const r_vk_material_t *const mat = override_material ? override_material : &geom->material;
 	ASSERT(mat);
 
 	// TODO split kusochki into static geometry data and potentially dynamic material data
@@ -56,11 +56,6 @@ static void applyMaterialToKusok(vk_kusok_data_t* kusok, const vk_render_geometr
 		kusok->material.base_color[2] *= override_color[2];
 		kusok->material.base_color[3] *= override_color[3];
 	}
-
-	// TODO should be patched by the Chrome material source itself to generate a static chrome material
-	const qboolean HACK_chrome = geom->material_type_deprecated == kXVkMaterialChrome;
-	if (!mat->set && HACK_chrome)
-		kusok->material.tex_roughness = tglob.grayTexture;
 }
 
 // TODO utilize uploadKusochki([1]) to avoid 2 copies of staging code
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_render.c b/ref/vk/vk_render.c
index 0654d47b5..6980a8f67 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_render.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_render.c
@@ -821,7 +821,6 @@ void R_RenderDrawOnce(r_draw_once_t args) {
 
 	const vk_render_geometry_t geometry = {
 		.material = args.material,
-		.material_type_deprecated = kXVkMaterialRegular,
 		.ye_olde_texture = args.ye_olde_texture,
 
 		.max_vertex = args.vertices_count,
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_render.h b/ref/vk/vk_render.h
index 3e9a2dc29..1803a3aad 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_render.h
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_render.h
@@ -10,21 +10,6 @@ void VK_RenderShutdown( void );
 struct ref_viewpass_s;
 void VK_RenderSetupCamera( const struct ref_viewpass_s *rvp );
 
-// Quirk for passing surface type to the renderer
-// xash3d does not really have a notion of materials. Instead there are custom code paths
-// for different things. There's also render_mode for entities which determine blending mode
-// and stuff.
-// For ray tracing we do need to assing a material to each rendered surface, so we need to
-// figure out what it is given heuristics like render_mode, texture name, surface flags, source entity type, etc.
-typedef enum {
-	kXVkMaterialRegular = 0,
-
-	// Set for chrome studio submodels.
-	// Used: ray tracing sets gray roughness texture to get smooth surface look.
-	// Remove: Have an explicit material for chrome surfaces.
-	kXVkMaterialChrome,
-} XVkMaterialType_Deprecated;
-
 typedef struct vk_render_geometry_s {
 	int index_offset, vertex_offset;
 
@@ -39,8 +24,7 @@ typedef struct vk_render_geometry_s {
 	const struct msurface_s *surf_deprecate;
 
 	// If this geometry is special, it will have a material type override
-	XVkMaterialType_Deprecated material_type_deprecated;
-	r_vk_material_ref_t material;
+	r_vk_material_t material;
 
 	// Olde unpatched texture used for traditional renderer
 	int ye_olde_texture;
@@ -154,7 +138,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int vertices_count, indices_count;
 
 	int render_type;
-	r_vk_material_ref_t material;
+	r_vk_material_t material;
 	int ye_olde_texture;
 	const vec4_t *emissive;
 	const vec4_t *color;
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_sprite.c b/ref/vk/vk_sprite.c
index 6ad35ce98..d593464a4 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_sprite.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_sprite.c
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ static qboolean createQuadModel(void) {
 		.element_count = 6,
 		.index_offset = g_sprite.quad.geom.indices.unit_offset,
 
-		.material_type_deprecated = kXVkMaterialRegular,
 		.material = R_VkMaterialGetForTexture(tglob.defaultTexture),
 		.ye_olde_texture = tglob.defaultTexture,
 		.emissive = {1,1,1},
@@ -799,13 +798,14 @@ static void R_DrawSpriteQuad( const char *debug_name, const mspriteframe_t *fram
 	Matrix4x4_CreateFromVectors(transform, right, up, v_normal, org);
 
 	const vk_render_type_e render_type = spriteRenderModeToRenderType(render_mode);
+	const r_vk_material_t material_override = R_VkMaterialGetForTexture(texture);
 
 	R_RenderModelDraw(&g_sprite.quad.model, (r_model_draw_t){
 		.render_type = render_type,
 		.color = (const vec4_t*)color,
 		.transform = &transform,
 		.prev_transform = &transform,
-		.material_override = R_VkMaterialGet(R_VkMaterialGetForTexture(texture)),
+		.material_override = &material_override,
 	});
 }
 
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_studio.c b/ref/vk/vk_studio.c
index afa7071f9..ace22623f 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_studio.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_studio.c
@@ -1772,7 +1772,6 @@ static void buildSubmodelMeshGeometry( build_submodel_mesh_t args ) {
 	*args.out_geometry = (vk_render_geometry_t){
 		.material = R_VkMaterialGetForTexture(args.texture),
 		.ye_olde_texture = args.texture,
-		.material_type_deprecated = FBitSet( args.face_flags, STUDIO_NF_CHROME ) ? kXVkMaterialChrome : kXVkMaterialRegular,
 
 		.vertex_offset = args.vertices_offset,
 		.max_vertex = num_vertices,
@@ -1783,6 +1782,11 @@ static void buildSubmodelMeshGeometry( build_submodel_mesh_t args ) {
 		.emissive = {0, 0, 0},
 	};
 
+	if (!args.out_geometry->material.set && FBitSet( args.face_flags, STUDIO_NF_CHROME )) {
+		// TODO configurable
+		args.out_geometry->material.roughness = tglob.grayTexture;
+	}
+
 	*args.out_vertices_count += num_vertices;
 	*args.out_indices_count += num_indices;
 }