diff --git a/gpu/examples/sample_utils.zig b/gpu/examples/sample_utils.zig
index 6f2d05de..0458b736 100644
--- a/gpu/examples/sample_utils.zig
+++ b/gpu/examples/sample_utils.zig
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ fn getEnvVarOwned(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, key: []const u8) error{ OutOfMem
 }
 
 fn detectBackendType(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !gpu.BackendType {
-    const GPU_BACKEND = try getEnvVarOwned(allocator, "GPU_BACKEND");
-    if (GPU_BACKEND) |backend| {
+    const MACH_GPU_BACKEND = try getEnvVarOwned(allocator, "MACH_GPU_BACKEND");
+    if (MACH_GPU_BACKEND) |backend| {
         defer allocator.free(backend);
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "null")) return .nul;
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "webgpu")) return .nul;
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ fn detectBackendType(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !gpu.BackendType {
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "vulkan")) return .vulkan;
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "opengl")) return .opengl;
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "opengles")) return .opengles;
-        @panic("unknown BACKEND type");
+        @panic("unknown MACH_GPU_BACKEND type");
     }
 
     const target = @import("builtin").target;
diff --git a/src/platform/native.zig b/src/platform/native.zig
index 9f714a64..ae5cc8b0 100644
--- a/src/platform/native.zig
+++ b/src/platform/native.zig
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ pub const Platform = struct {
         }, &response, util.requestAdapterCallback);
         if (response.?.status != .success) {
             std.debug.print("mach: failed to create GPU adapter: {?s}\n", .{response.?.message});
-            std.debug.print("-> maybe try GPU_BACKEND=opengl ?\n", .{});
+            std.debug.print("-> maybe try MACH_GPU_BACKEND=opengl ?\n", .{});
             std.process.exit(1);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/util.zig b/src/platform/util.zig
index 8b958a29..291a027a 100644
--- a/src/platform/util.zig
+++ b/src/platform/util.zig
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ fn getEnvVarOwned(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, key: []const u8) error{ OutOfMem
 }
 
 pub fn detectBackendType(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !gpu.BackendType {
-    const GPU_BACKEND = try getEnvVarOwned(allocator, "GPU_BACKEND");
-    if (GPU_BACKEND) |backend| {
+    const MACH_GPU_BACKEND = try getEnvVarOwned(allocator, "MACH_GPU_BACKEND");
+    if (MACH_GPU_BACKEND) |backend| {
         defer allocator.free(backend);
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "null")) return .nul;
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "d3d11")) return .d3d11;
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ pub fn detectBackendType(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !gpu.BackendType {
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "vulkan")) return .vulkan;
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "opengl")) return .opengl;
         if (std.ascii.eqlIgnoreCase(backend, "opengles")) return .opengles;
-        @panic("unknown GPU_BACKEND type");
+        @panic("unknown MACH_GPU_BACKEND type");
     }
 
     const target = @import("builtin").target;