diff --git a/drivers/gles3/rasterizer_scene_gles3.cpp b/drivers/gles3/rasterizer_scene_gles3.cpp
index 3e416bc615d..9bbe960d864 100644
--- a/drivers/gles3/rasterizer_scene_gles3.cpp
+++ b/drivers/gles3/rasterizer_scene_gles3.cpp
@@ -867,7 +867,6 @@ void RasterizerSceneGLES3::_update_sky_radiance(RID p_env, const Projection &p_p
 		GLES3::MaterialStorage::get_singleton()->shaders.sky_shader.version_set_uniform(SkyShaderGLES3::TIME, time, shader_data->version, SkyShaderGLES3::MODE_CUBEMAP);
 		GLES3::MaterialStorage::get_singleton()->shaders.sky_shader.version_set_uniform(SkyShaderGLES3::PROJECTION, cm.matrix[2][0], cm.matrix[0][0], cm.matrix[2][1], cm.matrix[1][1], shader_data->version, SkyShaderGLES3::MODE_CUBEMAP);
 
-		// Bind a vertex array or else OpenGL complains. We won't actually use it
 		glBindVertexArray(sky_globals.screen_triangle_array);
 
 		glViewport(0, 0, sky->radiance_size, sky->radiance_size);
@@ -2150,7 +2149,9 @@ void RasterizerSceneGLES3::_render_list_template(RenderListParameters *p_params,
 		index_array_gl = mesh_storage->mesh_surface_get_index_buffer(mesh_surface, surf->lod_index);
 
 		if (prev_vertex_array_gl != vertex_array_gl) {
-			glBindVertexArray(vertex_array_gl);
+			if (vertex_array_gl != 0) {
+				glBindVertexArray(vertex_array_gl);
+			}
 			prev_vertex_array_gl = vertex_array_gl;
 		}
 
diff --git a/drivers/gles3/storage/material_storage.cpp b/drivers/gles3/storage/material_storage.cpp
index 26441fc7267..5ed5ec51b95 100644
--- a/drivers/gles3/storage/material_storage.cpp
+++ b/drivers/gles3/storage/material_storage.cpp
@@ -1450,8 +1450,8 @@ MaterialStorage::MaterialStorage() {
 		actions.renames["UV2"] = "uv2_interp";
 		actions.renames["COLOR"] = "color_interp";
 		actions.renames["POINT_SIZE"] = "gl_PointSize";
-		actions.renames["INSTANCE_ID"] = "gl_InstanceIndex";
-		actions.renames["VERTEX_ID"] = "gl_VertexIndex";
+		actions.renames["INSTANCE_ID"] = "gl_InstanceID";
+		actions.renames["VERTEX_ID"] = "gl_VertexID";
 
 		actions.renames["ALPHA_SCISSOR_THRESHOLD"] = "alpha_scissor_threshold";
 		actions.renames["ALPHA_HASH_SCALE"] = "alpha_hash_scale";
diff --git a/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.cpp b/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.cpp
index dee715150b4..38de0220e3c 100644
--- a/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.cpp
+++ b/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.cpp
@@ -186,11 +186,13 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 	s->format = p_surface.format;
 	s->primitive = p_surface.primitive;
 
-	glGenBuffers(1, &s->vertex_buffer);
-	glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, s->vertex_buffer);
-	glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, p_surface.vertex_data.size(), p_surface.vertex_data.ptr(), (s->format & RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USE_DYNAMIC_UPDATE) ? GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW : GL_STATIC_DRAW);
-	glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0); //unbind
-	s->vertex_buffer_size = p_surface.vertex_data.size();
+	if (p_surface.vertex_data.size()) {
+		glGenBuffers(1, &s->vertex_buffer);
+		glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, s->vertex_buffer);
+		glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, p_surface.vertex_data.size(), p_surface.vertex_data.ptr(), (s->format & RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USE_DYNAMIC_UPDATE) ? GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW : GL_STATIC_DRAW);
+		glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0); //unbind
+		s->vertex_buffer_size = p_surface.vertex_data.size();
+	}
 
 	if (p_surface.attribute_data.size()) {
 		glGenBuffers(1, &s->attribute_buffer);
@@ -214,7 +216,7 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 	}
 
 	if (p_surface.index_count) {
-		bool is_index_16 = p_surface.vertex_count <= 65536;
+		bool is_index_16 = p_surface.vertex_count <= 65536 && p_surface.vertex_count > 0;
 		glGenBuffers(1, &s->index_buffer);
 		glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, s->index_buffer);
 		glBufferData(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, p_surface.index_data.size(), p_surface.index_data.ptr(), GL_STATIC_DRAW);
@@ -238,6 +240,8 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 		}
 	}
 
+	ERR_FAIL_COND_MSG(!p_surface.index_count && !p_surface.vertex_count, "Meshes must contain a vertex array, an index array, or both");
+
 	s->aabb = p_surface.aabb;
 	s->bone_aabbs = p_surface.bone_aabbs; //only really useful for returning them.
 
@@ -340,7 +344,9 @@ RS::SurfaceData MeshStorage::mesh_get_surface(RID p_mesh, int p_surface) const {
 
 	RS::SurfaceData sd;
 	sd.format = s.format;
-	sd.vertex_data = Utilities::buffer_get_data(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, s.vertex_buffer, s.vertex_buffer_size);
+	if (s.vertex_buffer != 0) {
+		sd.vertex_data = Utilities::buffer_get_data(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, s.vertex_buffer, s.vertex_buffer_size);
+	}
 
 	if (s.attribute_buffer != 0) {
 		sd.attribute_data = Utilities::buffer_get_data(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, s.attribute_buffer, s.attribute_buffer_size);
diff --git a/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.h b/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.h
index 339380b3b00..74f58007952 100644
--- a/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.h
+++ b/drivers/gles3/storage/mesh_storage.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ struct Mesh {
 		// Cache vertex arrays so they can be created
 		struct Version {
 			uint32_t input_mask = 0;
-			GLuint vertex_array;
+			GLuint vertex_array = 0;
 
 			Attrib attribs[RS::ARRAY_MAX];
 		};
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ struct Mesh {
 			float edge_length = 0.0;
 			uint32_t index_count = 0;
 			uint32_t index_buffer_size = 0;
-			GLuint index_buffer;
+			GLuint index_buffer = 0;
 		};
 
 		LOD *lods = nullptr;
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ struct MultiMesh {
 	bool *data_cache_dirty_regions = nullptr;
 	uint32_t data_cache_used_dirty_regions = 0;
 
-	GLuint buffer;
+	GLuint buffer = 0;
 
 	bool dirty = false;
 	MultiMesh *dirty_list = nullptr;
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ public:
 	_FORCE_INLINE_ GLenum mesh_surface_get_index_type(void *p_surface) const {
 		Mesh::Surface *s = reinterpret_cast<Mesh::Surface *>(p_surface);
 
-		return s->vertex_count <= 65536 ? GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT : GL_UNSIGNED_INT;
+		return (s->vertex_count <= 65536 && s->vertex_count > 0) ? GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT : GL_UNSIGNED_INT;
 	}
 
 	// Use this to cache Vertex Array Objects so they are only generated once
diff --git a/drivers/vulkan/rendering_device_vulkan.cpp b/drivers/vulkan/rendering_device_vulkan.cpp
index bcb6092d875..2debba1b83c 100644
--- a/drivers/vulkan/rendering_device_vulkan.cpp
+++ b/drivers/vulkan/rendering_device_vulkan.cpp
@@ -7805,12 +7805,6 @@ void RenderingDeviceVulkan::draw_list_draw(DrawListID p_list, bool p_use_indices
 		ERR_FAIL_COND_MSG(!dl->validation.index_array_size,
 				"Draw command requested indices, but no index buffer was set.");
 
-		if (dl->validation.pipeline_vertex_format != INVALID_ID) {
-			// Uses vertices, do some vertex validations.
-			ERR_FAIL_COND_MSG(dl->validation.vertex_array_size < dl->validation.index_array_max_index,
-					"Index array references (max index: " + itos(dl->validation.index_array_max_index) + ") indices beyond the vertex array size (" + itos(dl->validation.vertex_array_size) + ").");
-		}
-
 		ERR_FAIL_COND_MSG(dl->validation.pipeline_uses_restart_indices != dl->validation.index_buffer_uses_restart_indices,
 				"The usage of restart indices in index buffer does not match the render primitive in the pipeline.");
 #endif
diff --git a/scene/resources/mesh.cpp b/scene/resources/mesh.cpp
index ec9db89794c..3f73df2e5d7 100644
--- a/scene/resources/mesh.cpp
+++ b/scene/resources/mesh.cpp
@@ -201,7 +201,9 @@ Ref<TriangleMesh> Mesh::generate_triangle_mesh() const {
 			continue;
 		}
 		int len = (surface_get_format(i) & ARRAY_FORMAT_INDEX) ? surface_get_array_index_len(i) : surface_get_array_len(i);
-		if ((primitive == PRIMITIVE_TRIANGLES && (len == 0 || (len % 3) != 0)) || (primitive == PRIMITIVE_TRIANGLE_STRIP && len < 3)) {
+		if ((primitive == PRIMITIVE_TRIANGLES && (len == 0 || (len % 3) != 0)) ||
+				(primitive == PRIMITIVE_TRIANGLE_STRIP && len < 3) ||
+				(surface_get_format(i) & ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY)) {
 			// Error was already shown, just skip (including zero).
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -211,6 +213,7 @@ Ref<TriangleMesh> Mesh::generate_triangle_mesh() const {
 
 		int vc = surface_get_array_len(i);
 		Vector<Vector3> vertices = a[ARRAY_VERTEX];
+		ERR_FAIL_COND_V(vertices.is_empty(), Ref<TriangleMesh>());
 		const Vector3 *vr = vertices.ptr();
 
 		int32_t from_index = widx / 3;
diff --git a/scene/resources/mesh.h b/scene/resources/mesh.h
index 142373ce7fe..63dbda92d0f 100644
--- a/scene/resources/mesh.h
+++ b/scene/resources/mesh.h
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ public:
 		ARRAY_FLAG_USE_DYNAMIC_UPDATE = RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USE_DYNAMIC_UPDATE,
 		ARRAY_FLAG_USE_8_BONE_WEIGHTS = RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USE_8_BONE_WEIGHTS,
 
+		ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY = RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY,
 	};
 
 	virtual int get_surface_count() const;
diff --git a/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/storage_rd/mesh_storage.cpp b/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/storage_rd/mesh_storage.cpp
index 585c42b2d8b..1516e5e4fd1 100644
--- a/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/storage_rd/mesh_storage.cpp
+++ b/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/storage_rd/mesh_storage.cpp
@@ -327,8 +327,10 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 
 	bool use_as_storage = (p_surface.skin_data.size() || mesh->blend_shape_count > 0);
 
-	s->vertex_buffer = RD::get_singleton()->vertex_buffer_create(p_surface.vertex_data.size(), p_surface.vertex_data, use_as_storage);
-	s->vertex_buffer_size = p_surface.vertex_data.size();
+	if (p_surface.vertex_data.size()) {
+		s->vertex_buffer = RD::get_singleton()->vertex_buffer_create(p_surface.vertex_data.size(), p_surface.vertex_data, use_as_storage);
+		s->vertex_buffer_size = p_surface.vertex_data.size();
+	}
 
 	if (p_surface.attribute_data.size()) {
 		s->attribute_buffer = RD::get_singleton()->vertex_buffer_create(p_surface.attribute_data.size(), p_surface.attribute_data);
@@ -345,7 +347,7 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 	}
 
 	if (p_surface.index_count) {
-		bool is_index_16 = p_surface.vertex_count <= 65536;
+		bool is_index_16 = p_surface.vertex_count <= 65536 && p_surface.vertex_count > 0;
 
 		s->index_buffer = RD::get_singleton()->index_buffer_create(p_surface.index_count, is_index_16 ? RD::INDEX_BUFFER_FORMAT_UINT16 : RD::INDEX_BUFFER_FORMAT_UINT32, p_surface.index_data, false);
 		s->index_count = p_surface.index_count;
@@ -364,6 +366,8 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 		}
 	}
 
+	ERR_FAIL_COND_MSG(!p_surface.index_count && !p_surface.vertex_count, "Meshes must contain a vertex array, an index array, or both");
+
 	s->aabb = p_surface.aabb;
 	s->bone_aabbs = p_surface.bone_aabbs; //only really useful for returning them.
 
@@ -377,7 +381,11 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_add_surface(RID p_mesh, const RS::SurfaceData &p_surface)
 			RD::Uniform u;
 			u.binding = 0;
 			u.uniform_type = RD::UNIFORM_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER;
-			u.append_id(s->vertex_buffer);
+			if (s->vertex_buffer.is_valid()) {
+				u.append_id(s->vertex_buffer);
+			} else {
+				u.append_id(default_rd_storage_buffer);
+			}
 			uniforms.push_back(u);
 		}
 		{
@@ -470,6 +478,7 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_surface_update_vertex_region(RID p_mesh, int p_surface, i
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(!mesh);
 	ERR_FAIL_UNSIGNED_INDEX((uint32_t)p_surface, mesh->surface_count);
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(p_data.size() == 0);
+	ERR_FAIL_COND(mesh->surfaces[p_surface]->vertex_buffer.is_null());
 	uint64_t data_size = p_data.size();
 	const uint8_t *r = p_data.ptr();
 
@@ -527,7 +536,9 @@ RS::SurfaceData MeshStorage::mesh_get_surface(RID p_mesh, int p_surface) const {
 
 	RS::SurfaceData sd;
 	sd.format = s.format;
-	sd.vertex_data = RD::get_singleton()->buffer_get_data(s.vertex_buffer);
+	if (s.vertex_buffer.is_valid()) {
+		sd.vertex_data = RD::get_singleton()->buffer_get_data(s.vertex_buffer);
+	}
 	if (s.attribute_buffer.is_valid()) {
 		sd.attribute_data = RD::get_singleton()->buffer_get_data(s.attribute_buffer);
 	}
@@ -705,7 +716,9 @@ void MeshStorage::mesh_clear(RID p_mesh) {
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(!mesh);
 	for (uint32_t i = 0; i < mesh->surface_count; i++) {
 		Mesh::Surface &s = *mesh->surfaces[i];
-		RD::get_singleton()->free(s.vertex_buffer); //clears arrays as dependency automatically, including all versions
+		if (s.vertex_buffer.is_valid()) {
+			RD::get_singleton()->free(s.vertex_buffer); //clears arrays as dependency automatically, including all versions
+		}
 		if (s.attribute_buffer.is_valid()) {
 			RD::get_singleton()->free(s.attribute_buffer);
 		}
@@ -851,7 +864,7 @@ void MeshStorage::_mesh_instance_add_surface(MeshInstance *mi, Mesh *mesh, uint3
 	}
 
 	MeshInstance::Surface s;
-	if (mesh->blend_shape_count > 0 || (mesh->surfaces[p_surface]->format & RS::ARRAY_FORMAT_BONES)) {
+	if ((mesh->blend_shape_count > 0 || (mesh->surfaces[p_surface]->format & RS::ARRAY_FORMAT_BONES)) && mesh->surfaces[p_surface]->vertex_buffer_size > 0) {
 		//surface warrants transform
 		s.vertex_buffer = RD::get_singleton()->vertex_buffer_create(mesh->surfaces[p_surface]->vertex_buffer_size, Vector<uint8_t>(), true);
 
diff --git a/servers/rendering_server.cpp b/servers/rendering_server.cpp
index a54d4f0384a..dcdc56d9488 100644
--- a/servers/rendering_server.cpp
+++ b/servers/rendering_server.cpp
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ Error RenderingServer::_surface_set_data(Array p_arrays, uint32_t p_format, uint
 				const int *src = indices.ptr();
 
 				for (int i = 0; i < p_index_array_len; i++) {
-					if (p_vertex_array_len < (1 << 16)) {
+					if (p_vertex_array_len < (1 << 16) && p_vertex_array_len > 0) {
 						uint16_t v = src[i];
 
 						memcpy(&iw[i * 2], &v, 2);
@@ -836,9 +836,8 @@ void RenderingServer::mesh_surface_make_offsets_from_format(uint32_t p_format, i
 					break;
 				}
 				/* determine whether using 16 or 32 bits indices */
-				if (p_vertex_len >= (1 << 16)) {
+				if (p_vertex_len >= (1 << 16) || p_vertex_len == 0) {
 					elem_size = 4;
-
 				} else {
 					elem_size = 2;
 				}
@@ -909,8 +908,6 @@ Error RenderingServer::mesh_create_surface_data_from_arrays(SurfaceData *r_surfa
 		}
 	}
 
-	ERR_FAIL_COND_V((format & RS::ARRAY_FORMAT_VERTEX) == 0, ERR_INVALID_PARAMETER); // Mandatory
-
 	if (p_blend_shapes.size()) {
 		// Validate format for morphs.
 		for (int i = 0; i < p_blend_shapes.size(); i++) {
@@ -944,6 +941,12 @@ Error RenderingServer::mesh_create_surface_data_from_arrays(SurfaceData *r_surfa
 	uint32_t mask = (1 << ARRAY_MAX) - 1;
 	format |= (~mask) & p_compress_format; // Make the full format.
 
+	if ((format & RS::ARRAY_FORMAT_VERTEX) == 0 && !(format & RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY)) {
+		ERR_PRINT("Mesh created without vertex array. This mesh will not be visible with the default shader. If using an empty vertex array is intentional, create the mesh with the ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY flag to silence this error.");
+		// Set the flag here after warning to suppress errors down the pipeline.
+		format |= RS::ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY;
+	}
+
 	int vertex_array_size = vertex_element_size * array_len;
 	int attrib_array_size = attrib_element_size * array_len;
 	int skin_array_size = skin_element_size * array_len;
@@ -1378,7 +1381,7 @@ Array RenderingServer::mesh_create_arrays_from_surface_data(const SurfaceData &p
 	Vector<uint8_t> attrib_data = p_data.attribute_data;
 	Vector<uint8_t> skin_data = p_data.skin_data;
 
-	ERR_FAIL_COND_V(vertex_data.size() == 0, Array());
+	ERR_FAIL_COND_V(vertex_data.size() == 0 && (p_data.format & RS::ARRAY_FORMAT_VERTEX), Array());
 	int vertex_len = p_data.vertex_count;
 
 	Vector<uint8_t> index_data = p_data.index_data;
diff --git a/servers/rendering_server.h b/servers/rendering_server.h
index a2fe9caf195..d04c62bfd28 100644
--- a/servers/rendering_server.h
+++ b/servers/rendering_server.h
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ public:
 
 	enum ArrayFormat {
 		/* ARRAY FORMAT FLAGS */
-		ARRAY_FORMAT_VERTEX = 1 << ARRAY_VERTEX, // Mandatory
+		ARRAY_FORMAT_VERTEX = 1 << ARRAY_VERTEX,
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_NORMAL = 1 << ARRAY_NORMAL,
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_TANGENT = 1 << ARRAY_TANGENT,
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_COLOR = 1 << ARRAY_COLOR,
@@ -262,17 +262,19 @@ public:
 
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BASE = (ARRAY_INDEX + 1),
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BITS = 3,
+		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_MASK = 0x7,
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM0_SHIFT = (ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BASE + 0),
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM1_SHIFT = (ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BASE + ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BITS),
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM2_SHIFT = (ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BASE + ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BITS * 2),
 		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM3_SHIFT = (ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BASE + ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_BITS * 3),
 
-		ARRAY_FORMAT_CUSTOM_MASK = 0x7,
 		ARRAY_COMPRESS_FLAGS_BASE = (ARRAY_INDEX + 1 + 12),
 
 		ARRAY_FLAG_USE_2D_VERTICES = 1 << (ARRAY_COMPRESS_FLAGS_BASE + 0),
 		ARRAY_FLAG_USE_DYNAMIC_UPDATE = 1 << (ARRAY_COMPRESS_FLAGS_BASE + 1),
 		ARRAY_FLAG_USE_8_BONE_WEIGHTS = 1 << (ARRAY_COMPRESS_FLAGS_BASE + 2),
+
+		ARRAY_FLAG_USES_EMPTY_VERTEX_ARRAY = 1 << (ARRAY_INDEX + 1 + 15),
 	};
 
 	enum PrimitiveType {