diff --git a/MobileGL/MG_Backend/DirectGLES/Managers.cpp b/MobileGL/MG_Backend/DirectGLES/Managers.cpp
index f9fa4894..a78232e1 100644
--- a/MobileGL/MG_Backend/DirectGLES/Managers.cpp
+++ b/MobileGL/MG_Backend/DirectGLES/Managers.cpp
@@ -5865,6 +5865,16 @@ namespace MobileGL::MG_Backend::DirectGLES {
             spvcSession.SetAtomicCounterBlockBindings(atomicCounterEsslBindingTop,
                                                       outAtomicCounterGlBindings);
 
+            // `layout(index = 0)` is the GL default spelled out loud, and GLSL ES has no such
+            // qualifier in core - a stage that prints it is refused with "index layout
+            // qualifier requires EXT_blend_func_extended" and the whole program then draws
+            // nothing. Drop the decoration when it carries the default; a REAL dual-source
+            // index (1) is left alone, because that one genuinely needs the extension and the
+            // driver has to see it. Fragment stage only: no other stage can carry it.
+            if (glShaderType == GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER) {
+                spvcSession.DropDefaultFragmentOutputColorIndex();
+            }
+
             const char* result = nullptr;
             spvcSession.Compile(&result);
 
diff --git a/MobileGL/MG_IntegrationTest/Scenarios/Glsl420DeclarationScenario.cpp b/MobileGL/MG_IntegrationTest/Scenarios/Glsl420DeclarationScenario.cpp
index a0f721d5..8489ceff 100644
--- a/MobileGL/MG_IntegrationTest/Scenarios/Glsl420DeclarationScenario.cpp
+++ b/MobileGL/MG_IntegrationTest/Scenarios/Glsl420DeclarationScenario.cpp
@@ -179,6 +179,13 @@ void main()
 in flat uint v_index;
 out vec4 o_color;
 void main() { o_color = vec4(0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0); }
+)";
+
+        // The colour index spelled out at its default value. Says nothing that
+        // `layout(location = 0)` alone does not, and must therefore cost nothing.
+        constexpr const char* kExplicitColorIndexFS = R"(#version 420 core
+layout(location = 0, index = 0) out vec4 o_color;
+void main() { o_color = vec4(0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0); }
 )";
 
         class Glsl420DeclarationScenario : public ScenarioTest {
@@ -473,4 +480,24 @@ void main() { o_color = vec4(0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0); }
         EXPECT_EQ(centre.g, 255) << "the atomic-counter shader linked but painted nothing";
     }
 
+    // `layout(location = 0, index = 0)` is the GL default written out loud, and an application
+    // is entitled to write it - KHR-GL43.shader_atomic_counters.basic-program-query does. It has
+    // to reach the driver as an ORDINARY single-source output: GLSL ES has no `index` qualifier
+    // in core, so a transpiler that prints the decoration back gets "index layout qualifier
+    // requires EXT_blend_func_extended", the stage never compiles, the program runs with a stage
+    // missing and the draw paints nothing at all. Black, not red - which is why the conformance
+    // case looked like the atomic counters had stopped counting.
+    TEST_F(Glsl420DeclarationScenario, AnExplicitDefaultColorIndexStillDraws) {
+        if (!Ready()) return;
+
+        const GLuint program = Build(kQuadVS, kExplicitColorIndexFS);
+        if (program == 0) return;
+
+        const Rgba8 centre = DrawAndRead(program);
+        EXPECT_EQ(FirstGLError(), 0u);
+        EXPECT_EQ(centre.g, 255) << "a fragment output declared layout(location = 0, index = 0) painted "
+                                    "nothing; its stage was almost certainly refused by the driver";
+        EXPECT_EQ(centre.r, 0u);
+    }
+
 } // namespace MGITest
diff --git a/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.cpp b/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.cpp
index 29b32225..453c0c16 100644
--- a/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.cpp
+++ b/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.cpp
@@ -442,6 +442,23 @@ namespace MobileGL {
                 SPVC_CHK_RETURN
             }
 
+            spvc_result SpvcSession::DropDefaultFragmentOutputColorIndex() {
+                if (!(usage & SessionUsageBit::Transpile)) return SPVC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+
+                SPVC_CHK_INIT
+                const spvc_reflected_resource* list = nullptr;
+                size_t count = 0;
+                SPVC_CHK_RESULT(spvc_resources_get_resource_list_for_type(
+                    resources, SPVC_RESOURCE_TYPE_STAGE_OUTPUT, &list, &count));
+                for (size_t i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
+                    const spvc_reflected_resource& resource = list[i];
+                    if (!spvc_compiler_has_decoration(compiler, resource.id, SpvDecorationIndex)) continue;
+                    if (spvc_compiler_get_decoration(compiler, resource.id, SpvDecorationIndex) != 0u) continue;
+                    spvc_compiler_unset_decoration(compiler, resource.id, SpvDecorationIndex);
+                }
+                SPVC_CHK_RETURN
+            }
+
             spvc_result SpvcSession::Compile(const char** result) {
                 if (!(usage & SessionUsageBit::Transpile)) return SPVC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
                 SPVC_CHK_INIT
diff --git a/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.h b/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.h
index f602514a..357d63c6 100644
--- a/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.h
+++ b/MobileGL/MG_Util/ShaderTranspiler/SpvcSession.h
@@ -120,6 +120,25 @@ namespace MobileGL {
                 // `outGlBindings` is appended to, so one vector can collect a whole program's
                 // stages; it may repeat a binding declared by several of them.
                 spvc_result SetAtomicCounterBlockBindings(Int topBinding, Vector<Int>& outGlBindings);
+                // Drops the Index decoration from every fragment output that carries the DEFAULT
+                // colour index 0, so the emitted ESSL does not print `index = 0`.
+                //
+                // Index 0 is what every single-source fragment output already is, in GL and in
+                // ESSL alike, and SPIR-V carries the decoration only because the application
+                // spelled the qualifier out - `layout(location = 0, index = 0) out vec4 c;` is
+                // legal desktop GLSL and says nothing. Printing it back into ESSL is NOT
+                // harmless: GLSL ES has no `index` layout qualifier in core, so the driver
+                // answers "index layout qualifier requires EXT_blend_func_extended" and refuses
+                // the stage. The program then links nothing and every draw with it renders
+                // NOTHING - verified on Mesa 26.1.4 llvmpipe with no MobileGL in the process,
+                // and it is why KHR-GL43.shader_atomic_counters.basic-program-query read back a
+                // black render target.
+                //
+                // A NON-zero index is left exactly as it is: that one really does select the
+                // second dual-source input and cannot be expressed without the extension, so it
+                // must keep reaching the driver (the frontend's own glBindFragDataLocationIndexed
+                // path already emits only non-zero indices for the same reason).
+                spvc_result DropDefaultFragmentOutputColorIndex();
                 spvc_result Compile(const char** result);
                 const SpvcMetadata& GetMetadata() const;
                 const char* GetLastErrorString() const;