diff --git a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b3a99c8b..7b0dced0a 100644
--- a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ if(WIN32)
     xinput_source.h
   )
   target_link_libraries(util PRIVATE d3d12ma)
-  target_link_libraries(util PRIVATE d3d11.lib d3d12.lib dxgi.lib winmm.lib Dwmapi.lib winhttp.lib)
+  target_link_libraries(util PRIVATE d3d12.lib dxgi.lib winmm.lib Dwmapi.lib winhttp.lib)
 
   if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES "Debug|Devel")
     target_link_libraries(util PRIVATE WinPixEventRuntime::WinPixEventRuntime)
diff --git a/src/util/d3d11_device.cpp b/src/util/d3d11_device.cpp
index 233fc2f07..9c9b78030 100644
--- a/src/util/d3d11_device.cpp
+++ b/src/util/d3d11_device.cpp
@@ -81,14 +81,11 @@ bool D3D11Device::CreateDeviceAndMainSwapChain(std::string_view adapter, Feature
 
   ComPtr<ID3D11Device> temp_device;
   ComPtr<ID3D11DeviceContext> temp_context;
-  HRESULT hr =
-    D3D11CreateDevice(dxgi_adapter.Get(), dxgi_adapter ? D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_UNKNOWN : D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_HARDWARE, nullptr,
-                      create_flags, requested_feature_levels.data(), static_cast<UINT>(requested_feature_levels.size()),
-                      D3D11_SDK_VERSION, temp_device.GetAddressOf(), nullptr, temp_context.GetAddressOf());
-
-  if (FAILED(hr))
+  HRESULT hr;
+  if (!D3DCommon::CreateD3D11Device(dxgi_adapter.Get(), create_flags, requested_feature_levels.data(),
+                                    static_cast<UINT>(requested_feature_levels.size()), &temp_device, nullptr,
+                                    &temp_context, error))
   {
-    Error::SetHResult(error, "Failed to create D3D device: ", hr);
     return false;
   }
   else if (FAILED(hr = temp_device.As(&m_device)) || FAILED(hr = temp_context.As(&m_context)))
diff --git a/src/util/d3d_common.cpp b/src/util/d3d_common.cpp
index e758eb2c0..353d7d84b 100644
--- a/src/util/d3d_common.cpp
+++ b/src/util/d3d_common.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ struct FeatureLevelTableEntry
 struct Libs
 {
   std::mutex load_mutex;
+  DynamicLibrary d3d11_library;
+  PFN_D3D11_CREATE_DEVICE D3D11CreateDevice;
   DynamicLibrary d3dcompiler_library;
   pD3DCompile D3DCompile;
   DynamicLibrary dxcompiler_library;
@@ -111,12 +113,12 @@ D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL D3DCommon::GetDeviceMaxFeatureLevel(IDXGIAdapter1* adapter)
     D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_0, D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_1, D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_10_0};
 
   D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL max_supported_level;
-  HRESULT hr = D3D11CreateDevice(adapter, adapter ? D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_UNKNOWN : D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_HARDWARE, nullptr, 0,
-                                 requested_feature_levels.data(), static_cast<UINT>(requested_feature_levels.size()),
-                                 D3D11_SDK_VERSION, nullptr, &max_supported_level, nullptr);
-  if (FAILED(hr))
+  Error error;
+  if (!CreateD3D11Device(adapter, 0, requested_feature_levels.data(),
+                         static_cast<UINT>(requested_feature_levels.size()), nullptr, &max_supported_level, nullptr,
+                         &error))
   {
-    WARNING_LOG("D3D11CreateDevice() for getting max feature level failed: 0x{:08X}", static_cast<unsigned>(hr));
+    WARNING_LOG("D3D11CreateDevice() for getting max feature level failed: {}", error.GetDescription());
     max_supported_level = requested_feature_levels.back();
   }
 
@@ -145,6 +147,40 @@ bool D3DCommon::SupportsAllowTearing(IDXGIFactory5* factory)
   return (SUCCEEDED(hr) && allow_tearing_supported == TRUE);
 }
 
+bool D3DCommon::CreateD3D11Device(IDXGIAdapter* adapter, UINT create_flags, const D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL* feature_levels,
+                                  UINT num_feature_levels, Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<ID3D11Device>* device,
+                                  D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL* out_feature_level,
+                                  Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<ID3D11DeviceContext>* immediate_context, Error* error)
+{
+  if (!s_libs.d3d11_library.IsOpen())
+  {
+    // another thread may have opened it
+    const std::unique_lock lock(s_libs.load_mutex);
+    if (!s_libs.d3d11_library.IsOpen())
+    {
+      if (!s_libs.d3d11_library.Open("d3d11.dll", error))
+        return false;
+
+      if (!s_libs.d3d11_library.GetSymbol("D3D11CreateDevice", &s_libs.D3D11CreateDevice))
+      {
+        Error::SetStringView(error, "Failed to load D3D11CreateDevice from d3d11.dll");
+        s_libs.d3dcompiler_library.Close();
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  const HRESULT hr = s_libs.D3D11CreateDevice(
+    adapter, adapter ? D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_UNKNOWN : D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_HARDWARE, nullptr, create_flags, feature_levels,
+    num_feature_levels, D3D11_SDK_VERSION, device ? device->ReleaseAndGetAddressOf() : nullptr, out_feature_level,
+    immediate_context ? immediate_context->ReleaseAndGetAddressOf() : nullptr);
+  if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
+    return true;
+
+  Error::SetHResult(error, "D3D11CreateDevice() failed: ", hr);
+  return true;
+}
+
 static std::string FixupDuplicateAdapterNames(const GPUDevice::AdapterInfoList& adapter_names, std::string adapter_name)
 {
   if (std::any_of(adapter_names.begin(), adapter_names.end(),
diff --git a/src/util/d3d_common.h b/src/util/d3d_common.h
index 02138da1b..d8bb53237 100644
--- a/src/util/d3d_common.h
+++ b/src/util/d3d_common.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ struct IDXGIFactory5;
 struct IDXGIAdapter;
 struct IDXGIAdapter1;
 struct IDXGIOutput;
+struct ID3D11Device;
+struct ID3D11DeviceContext;
 
 namespace D3DCommon {
 
@@ -41,6 +43,12 @@ D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL GetDeviceMaxFeatureLevel(IDXGIAdapter1* adapter);
 Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<IDXGIFactory5> CreateFactory(bool debug, Error* error);
 bool SupportsAllowTearing(IDXGIFactory5* factory);
 
+// create a D3D device
+bool CreateD3D11Device(IDXGIAdapter* adapter, UINT create_flags, const D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL* feature_levels,
+                       UINT num_feature_levels, Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<ID3D11Device>* device,
+                       D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL* out_feature_level,
+                       Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<ID3D11DeviceContext>* immediate_context, Error* error);
+
 // returns a list of all adapter names
 GPUDevice::AdapterInfoList GetAdapterInfoList();
 
diff --git a/src/util/util.props b/src/util/util.props
index c800a3f51..85fb12d9d 100644
--- a/src/util/util.props
+++ b/src/util/util.props
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
   <ItemDefinitionGroup>
     <Link>
-      <AdditionalDependencies>%(AdditionalDependencies);d3d11.lib;d3d12.lib;dxgi.lib;Dwmapi.lib;winhttp.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
+      <AdditionalDependencies>%(AdditionalDependencies);d3d12.lib;dxgi.lib;Dwmapi.lib;winhttp.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>