diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.sh b/.github/workflows/lint.sh
index 66f2d362d5..bdf5f1d59c 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.sh
@@ -49,15 +49,15 @@ clippy_no_features examples/shaders/simplest-shader
 # which could be disastrous because env vars access can't be tracked by
 # `rustc`, unlike its CLI flags (which are integrated with incremental).
 if (
-    egrep -r '::\s*env|env\s*::' crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src |
+    grep -E -r '::\s*env|env\s*::' crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src |
     # HACK(eddyb) exclude the one place in `rustc_codegen_spirv`
     # needing access to an env var (only for codegen args `--help`).
-    egrep -v '^crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/codegen_cx/mod.rs:            let help_flag_comes_from_spirv_builder_env_var = std::env::var\(spirv_builder_env_var\)$' |
+    grep -E -v '^crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/codegen_cx/mod.rs:            let help_flag_comes_from_spirv_builder_env_var = std::env::var\(spirv_builder_env_var\)$' |
     # HACK(LegNeato) exclude logging. This mirrors `rustc` (`RUSTC_LOG`) and 
     #`rustdoc` (`RUSTDOC_LOG`).
     # There is not a risk of this being disastrous as it does not change the build settings.
-    egrep -v '^crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/lib.rs:.*(RUSTGPU_LOG|RUSTGPU_LOG_FORMAT|RUSTGPU_LOG_COLOR).*$' |
-    egrep -v '^crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/lib.rs:    use std::env::{self, VarError};$'
+    grep -E -v '^crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/lib.rs:.*(RUSTGPU_LOG|RUSTGPU_LOG_FORMAT|RUSTGPU_LOG_COLOR).*$' |
+    grep -E -v '^crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/lib.rs:    use std::env::{self, VarError};$'
 
 ); then
     echo '^^^'
diff --git a/crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/linker/mod.rs b/crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/linker/mod.rs
index fa69dc8e7f..98cf3e12a6 100644
--- a/crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/linker/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/rustc_codegen_spirv/src/linker/mod.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ use crate::custom_decorations::{CustomDecoration, SrcLocDecoration, ZombieDecora
 use crate::custom_insts;
 use either::Either;
 use rspirv::binary::{Assemble, Consumer};
-use rspirv::dr::{Block, Loader, Module, ModuleHeader, Operand};
+use rspirv::dr::{Block, Function, Loader, Module, ModuleHeader, Operand};
 use rspirv::spirv::{Op, StorageClass, Word};
 use rustc_data_structures::fx::FxHashMap;
 use rustc_errors::ErrorGuaranteed;
@@ -705,6 +705,9 @@ pub fn link(
             dce::dce(output);
         }
 
+        // Validate fragment shaders after DCE to catch silent optimization failures
+        validate_fragment_shader_outputs(sess, output)?;
+
         {
             let _timer = sess.timer("link_remove_duplicate_debuginfo");
             duplicates::remove_duplicate_debuginfo(output);
@@ -815,3 +818,157 @@ impl Drop for SpirtDumpGuard<'_> {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Validate that fragment shaders have meaningful output operations
+/// This catches the case described in issue #284 where fragment shaders
+/// are optimized to have no output, causing silent rendering failures
+fn validate_fragment_shader_outputs(sess: &Session, module: &Module) -> Result<()> {
+    use rspirv::spirv::{ExecutionModel, Op};
+
+    // Find all fragment entry points
+    for entry in &module.entry_points {
+        if entry.class.opcode == Op::EntryPoint {
+            if let Some(execution_model) = entry.operands.first() {
+                if execution_model.unwrap_execution_model() == ExecutionModel::Fragment {
+                    let function_id = entry.operands[1].unwrap_id_ref();
+                    let entry_name = entry.operands[2].unwrap_literal_string();
+
+                    // Check if this fragment shader has meaningful output operations
+                    if !fragment_shader_writes_output(module, function_id) {
+                        let mut err = sess.dcx().struct_err(format!(
+                            "fragment shader `{}` produces no output",
+                            entry_name
+                        ));
+
+                        err = err.with_help(
+                            "fragment shaders must write to output parameters to produce visible results"
+                        ).with_note(
+                            "use complete assignment like `*out_frag_color = vec4(r, g, b, a)` instead of partial component assignments"
+                        ).with_note(
+                            "partial component assignments may be optimized away if not all components are written"
+                        );
+
+                        // Look for the function to provide better diagnostics
+                        if let Some(func) = module
+                            .functions
+                            .iter()
+                            .find(|f| f.def_id() == Some(function_id))
+                        {
+                            if has_partial_output_writes(module, func) {
+                                err = err.with_note(
+                                    "detected partial component writes (e.g., `out.x = value`) which were optimized away"
+                                ).with_help(
+                                    "write all components at once: `*out_frag_color = vec4(r, g, b, 1.0)`"
+                                );
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                        return Err(err.emit());
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Check if a fragment shader function has any meaningful output writes
+fn fragment_shader_writes_output(module: &Module, function_id: Word) -> bool {
+    // Find the function definition
+    let function = match module
+        .functions
+        .iter()
+        .find(|f| f.def_id() == Some(function_id))
+    {
+        Some(func) => func,
+        None => return true, // If function not found, assume it's valid
+    };
+
+    // Check all instructions in the function for output writes
+    for block in &function.blocks {
+        for inst in &block.instructions {
+            if inst.class.opcode == Op::Store {
+                if let Some(target_id) = inst.operands.first().and_then(|op| op.id_ref_any()) {
+                    if is_output_storage_variable(module, target_id) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Check function calls recursively
+            if inst.class.opcode == Op::FunctionCall {
+                if let Some(callee_id) = inst.operands.first().and_then(|op| op.id_ref_any()) {
+                    if fragment_shader_writes_output(module, callee_id) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    false
+}
+
+/// Check if a fragment shader has partial output writes that might have been optimized away
+fn has_partial_output_writes(module: &Module, function: &Function) -> bool {
+    use rspirv::spirv::Op;
+
+    // Look for AccessChain operations on output variables
+    // This suggests the shader was trying to write individual components
+    for block in &function.blocks {
+        for inst in &block.instructions {
+            if matches!(inst.class.opcode, Op::AccessChain | Op::InBoundsAccessChain) {
+                if let Some(base_id) = inst.operands.first().and_then(|op| op.id_ref_any()) {
+                    if is_output_storage_variable(module, base_id) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    false
+}
+
+/// Check if a variable ID refers to an Output storage class variable
+fn is_output_storage_variable(module: &Module, var_id: Word) -> bool {
+    use rspirv::spirv::{Op, StorageClass};
+
+    // Check direct output variables
+    for inst in &module.types_global_values {
+        if inst.result_id == Some(var_id) && inst.class.opcode == Op::Variable {
+            if let Some(storage_class) = inst.operands.first() {
+                return storage_class.unwrap_storage_class() == StorageClass::Output;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Check if this is a pointer derived from an output variable
+    for inst in &module.types_global_values {
+        if inst.result_id == Some(var_id)
+            && matches!(inst.class.opcode, Op::AccessChain | Op::InBoundsAccessChain)
+        {
+            if let Some(base_id) = inst.operands.first().and_then(|op| op.id_ref_any()) {
+                return is_output_storage_variable(module, base_id);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Check in function bodies for derived pointers
+    for function in &module.functions {
+        for block in &function.blocks {
+            for inst in &block.instructions {
+                if inst.result_id == Some(var_id)
+                    && matches!(inst.class.opcode, Op::AccessChain | Op::InBoundsAccessChain)
+                {
+                    if let Some(base_id) = inst.operands.first().and_then(|op| op.id_ref_any()) {
+                        return is_output_storage_variable(module, base_id);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    false
+}
diff --git a/tests/compiletests/ui/dis/issue-284-dead-fragment.rs b/tests/compiletests/ui/dis/issue-284-dead-fragment.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7506d02de0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compiletests/ui/dis/issue-284-dead-fragment.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+//@ compile-flags: --crate-type dylib --emit=metadata
+// Test for issue #284: A fragment shader that produces no output should fail
+
+use spirv_std::spirv;
+
+#[spirv(fragment)]
+pub fn main_fs(#[spirv(flat)] in_color: u32, out_frag_color: &mut spirv_std::glam::Vec4) {
+    // This fragment shader reads input but doesn't write output
+    // The assignment is optimized away, causing no visible output
+    let _temp = in_color;
+    // Note: No assignment to out_frag_color, so this shader produces no output
+}
diff --git a/tests/compiletests/ui/dis/issue-284-dead-fragment.stderr b/tests/compiletests/ui/dis/issue-284-dead-fragment.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7386d31246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compiletests/ui/dis/issue-284-dead-fragment.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+error: fragment shader `main_fs` produces no output
+  |
+  = help: fragment shaders must write to output parameters to produce visible results
+  = note: use complete assignment like `*out_frag_color = vec4(r, g, b, a)` instead of partial component assignments
+  = note: partial component assignments may be optimized away if not all components are written
+
+error: aborting due to 1 previous error
+