diff --git a/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu.rs b/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu.rs
index 431d40346..00f92405e 100644
--- a/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu.rs
+++ b/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu.rs
@@ -182,11 +182,14 @@ fn any_hardware(kinds: &[DeviceType]) -> bool {
     kinds.iter().any(|k| *k != DeviceType::Cpu)
 }
 
-/// The largest texture side to ask the device for, which bounds the window's surface: the
-/// adapter's own limit when it is above eframe's `default` (8192 px), so a window larger than
-/// that keeps its surface (#1459). Never below `default`, which is what was asked for before.
-pub fn surface_limit(default: u32, adapter: u32) -> u32 {
-    default.max(adapter)
+/// The limits to ask the device for: what eframe `asked` for, lowered to what the `adapter` offers
+/// wherever it offers less, so a GPU short of one of them still gets a device (#2105). The texture
+/// side, which bounds the window's surface, is the adapter's own, above eframe's 8192 px when the
+/// adapter allows more, so a window larger than that keeps its surface (#1459).
+pub fn device_limits(asked: wgpu::Limits, adapter: &wgpu::Limits) -> wgpu::Limits {
+    let mut limits = asked.or_worse_values_from(adapter);
+    limits.max_texture_dimension_2d = adapter.max_texture_dimension_2d;
+    limits
 }
 
 /// One adapter, as [`adapter_order`] sees it.
diff --git a/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu/tests.rs b/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu/tests.rs
index 3d13b5157..b1511a232 100644
--- a/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu/tests.rs
+++ b/apps/vectorcraft/src/gpu/tests.rs
@@ -5,11 +5,34 @@ fn gpu(name: &str, backend: Backend, device_type: DeviceType) -> Candidate {
 }
 
 /// #1459: a 9048 px wide window (two display scales' ratio past 8192) fits an adapter that
-/// takes 16384 px textures; an adapter with less than eframe asks for changes nothing.
+/// takes 16384 px textures.
 #[test]
 fn the_surface_may_be_as_large_as_the_adapter_allows() {
-    assert_eq!(surface_limit(8192, 16384), 16384);
-    assert_eq!(surface_limit(8192, 4096), 8192);
+    let adapter = wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 16384, ..wgpu::Limits::default() };
+    let asked = wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 8192, ..wgpu::Limits::default() };
+    assert_eq!(device_limits(asked, &adapter).max_texture_dimension_2d, 16384);
+}
+
+/// #2105: a GPU that offers less than eframe asks for on any limit (here a Raspberry Pi 5's V3D 7.1:
+/// 15 inter-stage variables on Vulkan, 4096 px textures on OpenGL) gets a device with what it
+/// offers, instead of failing and leaving the window to the software rasterizer. A GPU that offers
+/// more is asked for no more than before, except for the texture side.
+#[test]
+fn the_device_asks_for_no_more_than_the_adapter_offers() {
+    let asked = wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 8192, ..wgpu::Limits::default() };
+    let vulkan = wgpu::Limits { max_inter_stage_shader_variables: 15, max_texture_dimension_2d: 7680, ..wgpu::Limits::default() };
+    let limits = device_limits(asked.clone(), &vulkan);
+    assert_eq!((limits.max_inter_stage_shader_variables, limits.max_texture_dimension_2d), (15, 7680));
+    assert!(limits.check_limits(&vulkan), "{limits:?}");
+    let gl = wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 4096, ..wgpu::Limits::downlevel_webgl2_defaults() };
+    let webgl2 = wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 8192, ..wgpu::Limits::downlevel_webgl2_defaults() };
+    let limits = device_limits(webgl2.clone(), &gl);
+    assert_eq!(limits.max_texture_dimension_2d, 4096);
+    assert!(limits.check_limits(&gl), "{limits:?}");
+    let ample = wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 8192, ..wgpu::Limits::default() };
+    assert_eq!(device_limits(asked.clone(), &ample), asked);
+    let better = wgpu::Limits { max_inter_stage_shader_variables: 31, max_texture_dimension_2d: 8192, ..wgpu::Limits::default() };
+    assert_eq!(device_limits(asked.clone(), &better), asked, "never more than eframe asked for");
 }
 
 fn names(c: &[Candidate], order: &[usize]) -> Vec<String> {
diff --git a/apps/vectorcraft/src/main.rs b/apps/vectorcraft/src/main.rs
index a7d86d201..8bb9600af 100644
--- a/apps/vectorcraft/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/vectorcraft/src/main.rs
@@ -346,14 +346,15 @@ fn main() -> std::process::ExitCode {
             // losing the device before the first frame (#1194). `WGPU_DX12_COMPILER` picks another.
             create.instance_descriptor.backend_options.dx12.shader_compiler =
                 eframe::wgpu::Dx12Compiler::from_env().unwrap_or(eframe::wgpu::Dx12Compiler::Fxc);
-            // The window's surface may be as large as the adapter allows, not eframe's fixed
-            // 8192 px: a window stretched over several monitors, or grown by a display scale
-            // change, otherwise fails to configure its surface and the app closes (#1459).
+            // The device asks for no more than the adapter offers, so a GPU short of one of
+            // eframe's limits still gets a device (#2105). The window's surface may be as large as
+            // the adapter allows, not eframe's fixed 8192 px: a window stretched over several
+            // monitors, or grown by a display scale change, otherwise fails to configure its
+            // surface and the app closes (#1459).
             let device = create.device_descriptor.clone();
             create.device_descriptor = std::sync::Arc::new(move |adapter: &eframe::wgpu::Adapter| {
                 let mut descriptor = device(adapter);
-                let limit = &mut descriptor.required_limits.max_texture_dimension_2d;
-                *limit = gpu::surface_limit(*limit, adapter.limits().max_texture_dimension_2d);
+                descriptor.required_limits = gpu::device_limits(descriptor.required_limits, &adapter.limits());
                 descriptor
             });
         }