diff --git a/src/xrt/auxiliary/d3d/d3d_dxgi_formats.h b/src/xrt/auxiliary/d3d/d3d_dxgi_formats.h
index d03397312..676ff1dd0 100644
--- a/src/xrt/auxiliary/d3d/d3d_dxgi_formats.h
+++ b/src/xrt/auxiliary/d3d/d3d_dxgi_formats.h
@@ -81,6 +81,53 @@ d3d_dxgi_format_to_typeless_dxgi(DXGI_FORMAT format)
 	}
 }
 
+/*!
+ * Map an sRGB DXGI format to its plain UNORM sibling (identity for non-sRGB).
+ *
+ * Used to build the runtime's *internal* sampling view of an app color
+ * swapchain so the GPU does NOT auto-decode sRGB->linear when the compositor
+ * samples it. The display processor expects display-referred (sRGB-encoded)
+ * bytes, so the compositor must pass the app's bytes through unchanged rather
+ * than linearizing them (which would arrive ~2.2x too dark). Mirrors the GL
+ * GL_TEXTURE_SRGB_DECODE_EXT=GL_SKIP_DECODE_EXT fix.
+ */
+static inline DXGI_FORMAT
+d3d_dxgi_format_srgb_to_unorm(DXGI_FORMAT format)
+{
+	switch (format) {
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM_SRGB: return DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM;
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM_SRGB: return DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM;
+	default: return format;
+	}
+}
+
+/*!
+ * Pick the format for the runtime's INTERNAL sampling SRV of an app color
+ * swapchain so the GPU does NOT auto-decode sRGB->linear. Maps the 8-bit
+ * BGRA/RGBA family — whether the resource is TYPELESS, sRGB, or already UNORM —
+ * to its plain UNORM form. Identity for everything else. Used by the D3D12
+ * compositor where the swapchain resource is promoted to TYPELESS so the
+ * runtime SRV can reinterpret it as UNORM (a concrete sRGB resource can't be
+ * SRV-cast in D3D12). See d3d_dxgi_format_srgb_to_unorm for the comment on why
+ * passthrough (no decode) is correct.
+ */
+static inline DXGI_FORMAT
+d3d_dxgi_format_to_unorm_sample(DXGI_FORMAT format)
+{
+	switch (format) {
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_TYPELESS:
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM_SRGB:
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM:
+		return DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM;
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_TYPELESS:
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM_SRGB:
+	case DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM:
+		return DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM;
+	default:
+		return format;
+	}
+}
+
 static inline int64_t
 d3d_dxgi_format_to_vk(DXGI_FORMAT format)
 {
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/d3d11/comp_d3d11_swapchain.cpp b/src/xrt/compositor/d3d11/comp_d3d11_swapchain.cpp
index c4895981a..f65a44ebb 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/d3d11/comp_d3d11_swapchain.cpp
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/d3d11/comp_d3d11_swapchain.cpp
@@ -408,8 +408,17 @@ comp_d3d11_swapchain_create(struct comp_d3d11_compositor *c,
 		DXGI_FORMAT typeless = d3d_dxgi_format_to_typeless_dxgi(dxgi_format);
 		if (typeless != dxgi_format) {
 			texture_format = typeless;
-			// srv_format and rtv_format remain as the original concrete format
+			// rtv_format remains the original concrete format so the app's own
+			// render path (incl. any sRGB encode it relies on) is unchanged.
 		}
+		// The runtime's internal SRV samples this image to build the composited
+		// atlas handed to the display processor. Use the UNORM sibling of an
+		// sRGB format so the sample does NOT auto-decode sRGB->linear: the DP
+		// expects display-referred (sRGB-encoded) bytes, so pass the app's
+		// bytes through unchanged. No-op for already-UNORM formats. Mirrors the
+		// GL GL_SKIP_DECODE_EXT fix. (Only the composited path samples this SRV;
+		// the single-layer zero-copy path hands the texture straight to the DP.)
+		srv_format = d3d_dxgi_format_srgb_to_unorm(srv_format);
 	}
 
 	// Create textures
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_renderer.cpp b/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_renderer.cpp
index af61e7def..3645b2785 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_renderer.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 #include "util/comp_layer_accum.h"
 #include "util/u_logging.h"
+#include "d3d/d3d_dxgi_formats.h"
 #include "math/m_api.h"
 
 #define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
@@ -402,7 +403,11 @@ render_window_space_layer(struct comp_d3d12_renderer *r,
 
 	D3D12_SHADER_RESOURCE_VIEW_DESC srv_desc = {};
 	D3D12_RESOURCE_DESC res_desc = src_resource->GetDesc();
-	srv_desc.Format = res_desc.Format;
+	// Sample app color swapchains as UNORM (not their sRGB sibling) so the GPU
+	// does NOT auto-decode sRGB->linear; the DP wants display-referred bytes, so
+	// pass them through. Resource is TYPELESS for 8-bit color (see swapchain),
+	// which this maps to UNORM; identity for other/non-color formats.
+	srv_desc.Format = d3d_dxgi_format_to_unorm_sample(res_desc.Format);
 	srv_desc.ViewDimension = D3D12_SRV_DIMENSION_TEXTURE2D;
 	srv_desc.Texture2D.MipLevels = 1;
 	srv_desc.Shader4ComponentMapping = D3D12_DEFAULT_SHADER_4_COMPONENT_MAPPING;
@@ -1016,7 +1021,9 @@ comp_d3d12_renderer_draw_projection_pass(struct comp_d3d12_renderer *renderer,
 			}
 
 			D3D12_SHADER_RESOURCE_VIEW_DESC srv_desc = {};
-			srv_desc.Format = src_desc.Format;
+			// UNORM sample (see the other SRV site): no sRGB auto-decode; the
+			// app's display-referred bytes pass through to the DP unchanged.
+			srv_desc.Format = d3d_dxgi_format_to_unorm_sample(src_desc.Format);
 			srv_desc.ViewDimension = D3D12_SRV_DIMENSION_TEXTURE2D;
 			srv_desc.Texture2D.MipLevels = 1;
 			srv_desc.Shader4ComponentMapping = D3D12_DEFAULT_SHADER_4_COMPONENT_MAPPING;
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_swapchain.cpp b/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_swapchain.cpp
index 6cbbe45da..551971534 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_swapchain.cpp
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/d3d12/comp_d3d12_swapchain.cpp
@@ -263,6 +263,27 @@ comp_d3d12_swapchain_create(struct comp_d3d12_compositor *c,
 		default:
 			break;
 		}
+	} else {
+		// For 8-bit color formats, create the resource TYPELESS so the runtime
+		// can build a UNORM sampling SRV that does NOT auto-decode sRGB->linear
+		// when compositing (the DP wants display-referred bytes; pass them
+		// through unchanged). The app still creates its own typed RTV from the
+		// format it requested. Bounded to the 8-bit BGRA/RGBA family where the
+		// TYPELESS->UNORM mapping is unambiguous; other formats stay concrete.
+		// (Unlike D3D11, D3D12 cannot SRV-cast a concrete sRGB resource, so the
+		// TYPELESS promotion is required here.) Mirrors the GL skip-decode fix.
+		switch (dxgi_format) {
+		case DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM:
+		case DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM_SRGB:
+			resource_format = DXGI_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_TYPELESS;
+			break;
+		case DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM:
+		case DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM_SRGB:
+			resource_format = DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_TYPELESS;
+			break;
+		default:
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Create committed resources
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/metal/comp_metal_compositor.m b/src/xrt/compositor/metal/comp_metal_compositor.m
index 5a8659651..e5cfff06e 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/metal/comp_metal_compositor.m
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/metal/comp_metal_compositor.m
@@ -324,6 +324,20 @@
  *
  */
 
+// Map an sRGB Metal pixel format to its plain UNORM sibling (identity
+// otherwise). Used to sample an app sRGB swapchain through a non-decoding view
+// so the compositor passes the app's display-referred bytes through to the DP
+// unchanged. Mirrors the GL/D3D/VK sRGB-passthrough fixes.
+static MTLPixelFormat
+metal_srgb_to_unorm(MTLPixelFormat format)
+{
+	switch (format) {
+	case MTLPixelFormatRGBA8Unorm_sRGB: return MTLPixelFormatRGBA8Unorm;
+	case MTLPixelFormatBGRA8Unorm_sRGB: return MTLPixelFormatBGRA8Unorm;
+	default: return format;
+	}
+}
+
 static MTLPixelFormat
 xrt_format_to_metal(int64_t format)
 {
@@ -912,7 +926,12 @@ - (BOOL)wantsUpdateLayer
 		                                width:info->width
 		                               height:info->height
 		                            mipmapped:(info->mip_count > 1) ? YES : NO];
-		desc.usage = MTLTextureUsageRenderTarget | MTLTextureUsageShaderRead;
+		// PixelFormatView lets the compositor sample an sRGB swapchain through a
+		// UNORM view (sRGB passthrough — see the compose pass) without the GPU
+		// auto-decoding sRGB->linear. The app's own render target keeps the sRGB
+		// format, so its encoding (if any) is unchanged.
+		desc.usage = MTLTextureUsageRenderTarget | MTLTextureUsageShaderRead |
+		             MTLTextureUsagePixelFormatView;
 		desc.storageMode = MTLStorageModeShared;
 		if (info->array_size > 1) {
 			desc.textureType = MTLTextureType2DArray;
@@ -1657,6 +1676,18 @@ - (BOOL)wantsUpdateLayer
 				if (src_tex == nil) {
 					continue;
 				}
+				// sRGB passthrough: sample an app sRGB swapchain through a UNORM
+				// view so the GPU does not auto-decode sRGB->linear; the DP wants
+				// display-referred bytes. No-op for UNORM. Mirrors GL/D3D/VK.
+				{
+					MTLPixelFormat unorm_fmt = metal_srgb_to_unorm(src_tex.pixelFormat);
+					if (unorm_fmt != src_tex.pixelFormat) {
+						id<MTLTexture> v = [src_tex newTextureViewWithPixelFormat:unorm_fmt];
+						if (v != nil) {
+							src_tex = v;
+						}
+					}
+				}
 
 				// Use sub-image norm_rect to sample correct region of source texture
 				struct xrt_normalized_rect nr = layer->data.proj.v[eye].sub.norm_rect;
@@ -1790,6 +1821,16 @@ - (BOOL)wantsUpdateLayer
 			if (src_tex == nil) {
 				continue;
 			}
+			// sRGB passthrough (see projection pass): sample through a UNORM view.
+			{
+				MTLPixelFormat unorm_fmt = metal_srgb_to_unorm(src_tex.pixelFormat);
+				if (unorm_fmt != src_tex.pixelFormat) {
+					id<MTLTexture> v = [src_tex newTextureViewWithPixelFormat:unorm_fmt];
+					if (v != nil) {
+						src_tex = v;
+					}
+				}
+			}
 
 			// Source UV sub-rect (default to full texture if not specified)
 			struct xrt_normalized_rect nr = ws->sub.norm_rect;
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/vk_native/comp_vk_native_swapchain.c b/src/xrt/compositor/vk_native/comp_vk_native_swapchain.c
index 1e32aa836..c92fb3b9f 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/vk_native/comp_vk_native_swapchain.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/vk_native/comp_vk_native_swapchain.c
@@ -258,10 +258,43 @@ comp_vk_native_swapchain_create(struct comp_vk_native_compositor *c,
 		usage |= VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT | VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_SRC_BIT;
 	}
 
+	// sRGB passthrough (mirrors the GL/D3D11/D3D12 fixes): the compose
+	// vkCmdBlitImage reads the source in the IMAGE's format, so an sRGB image
+	// would auto-decode sRGB->linear with no re-encode into the UNORM atlas,
+	// and the DP (which wants display-referred bytes) would get ~2.2x-too-dark
+	// content. There is no view to retag for a blit, so create the color image
+	// in the UNORM sibling — the blit then passes the app's stored bytes through
+	// unchanged. Expose the requested sRGB format via MUTABLE_FORMAT + a format
+	// list so the app can still create an sRGB view to render with encode.
+	VkFormat image_format = vk_format;
+	VkFormat srgb_view_format = VK_FORMAT_UNDEFINED;
+	if (!depth) {
+		switch (vk_format) {
+		case VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_SRGB:
+			image_format = VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM;
+			srgb_view_format = vk_format;
+			break;
+		case VK_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_SRGB:
+			image_format = VK_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM;
+			srgb_view_format = vk_format;
+			break;
+		default: break;
+		}
+	}
+	const bool mutable_srgb = (srgb_view_format != VK_FORMAT_UNDEFINED);
+	VkFormat view_format_list[2] = {image_format, srgb_view_format};
+	VkImageFormatListCreateInfo format_list_ci = {
+	    .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_FORMAT_LIST_CREATE_INFO,
+	    .viewFormatCount = 2,
+	    .pViewFormats = view_format_list,
+	};
+
 	VkImageCreateInfo image_ci = {
 	    .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_CREATE_INFO,
+	    .pNext = mutable_srgb ? &format_list_ci : NULL,
+	    .flags = mutable_srgb ? VK_IMAGE_CREATE_MUTABLE_FORMAT_BIT : 0,
 	    .imageType = VK_IMAGE_TYPE_2D,
-	    .format = vk_format,
+	    .format = image_format,
 	    .extent = {info->width, info->height, 1},
 	    .mipLevels = info->mip_count > 0 ? info->mip_count : 1,
 	    .arrayLayers = info->array_size > 0 ? info->array_size : 1,
@@ -321,12 +354,13 @@ comp_vk_native_swapchain_create(struct comp_vk_native_compositor *c,
 			return XRT_ERROR_VULKAN;
 		}
 
-		// Create image view
+		// Create image view (UNORM base for sRGB swapchains — passthrough, no
+		// sample-time decode; see the image-format note above).
 		VkImageViewCreateInfo view_ci = {
 		    .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_VIEW_CREATE_INFO,
 		    .image = sc->images[i],
 		    .viewType = view_type,
-		    .format = vk_format,
+		    .format = image_format,
 		    .subresourceRange = {
 		        .aspectMask = aspect,
 		        .baseMipLevel = 0,