diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5fdb08584..7e72f1c98 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ By @bradwerth [#6216](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/pull/6216).
 #### General
 
 - Add `VideoFrame` to `ExternalImageSource` enum. By @jprochazk in [#6170](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/pull/6170)
+- Add `wgpu::util::new_instance_with_webgpu_detection` & `wgpu::util::is_browser_webgpu_supported` to make it easier to support WebGPU & WebGL in the same binary. By @wumpf in [#6371](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/pull/6371)
 
 #### Vulkan
 
diff --git a/wgpu/src/api/instance.rs b/wgpu/src/api/instance.rs
index af6775b86..b21c9f70e 100644
--- a/wgpu/src/api/instance.rs
+++ b/wgpu/src/api/instance.rs
@@ -93,10 +93,15 @@ impl Instance {
     ///   during instantiation, and which [DX12 shader compiler][Dx12Compiler] wgpu will use.
     ///
     ///   [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`] takes a special role:
-    ///   If it is set and WebGPU support is detected, this instance will *only* be able to create
-    ///   WebGPU adapters. If you instead want to force use of WebGL, either
-    ///   disable the `webgpu` compile-time feature or don't add the [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`]
-    ///   flag to the the `instance_desc`'s `backends` field.
+    ///   If it is set and a [`navigator.gpu`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigator/gpu)
+    ///   object is present, this instance will *only* be able to create WebGPU adapters.
+    ///
+    ///   ⚠️ On some browsers this check is insufficient to determine whether WebGPU is supported,
+    ///   as the browser may define the `navigator.gpu` object, but be unable to create any WebGPU adapters.
+    ///   For targeting _both_ WebGPU & WebGL is recommended to use [`crate::util::new_instance_with_webgpu_detection`].
+    ///
+    ///   If you instead want to force use of WebGL, either disable the `webgpu` compile-time feature
+    ///   or don't add the [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`] flag to the the `instance_desc`'s `backends` field.
     ///   If it is set and WebGPU support is *not* detected, the instance will use wgpu-core
     ///   to create adapters. Meaning that if the `webgl` feature is enabled, it is able to create
     ///   a WebGL adapter.
diff --git a/wgpu/src/backend/webgpu.rs b/wgpu/src/backend/webgpu.rs
index 16172b614..e0cf006e6 100644
--- a/wgpu/src/backend/webgpu.rs
+++ b/wgpu/src/backend/webgpu.rs
@@ -1087,8 +1087,12 @@ pub struct BrowserGpuPropertyInaccessible;
 /// Returns the browser's gpu object or `Err(BrowserGpuPropertyInaccessible)` if
 /// the current context is neither the main thread nor a dedicated worker.
 ///
-/// If WebGPU is not supported, the Gpu property is `undefined`, and so this
-/// function will return `Ok(None)`.
+/// If WebGPU is not supported, the Gpu property may (!) be `undefined`,
+/// and so this function will return `Ok(None)`.
+/// Note that this check is insufficient to determine whether WebGPU is
+/// supported, as the browser may define the Gpu property, but be unable to
+/// create any WebGPU adapters.
+/// To detect whether WebGPU is supported, use the [`crate::utils::is_browser_webgpu_supported`] function.
 ///
 /// See:
 /// * <https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigator/gpu>
diff --git a/wgpu/src/util/init.rs b/wgpu/src/util/init.rs
index 55154242e..573fe3bd8 100644
--- a/wgpu/src/util/init.rs
+++ b/wgpu/src/util/init.rs
@@ -135,3 +135,61 @@ pub fn gles_minor_version_from_env() -> Option<wgt::Gles3MinorVersion> {
         },
     )
 }
+
+/// Determines whether the [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`] backend is supported.
+///
+/// The result can only be true if this is called from the main thread or a dedicated worker.
+/// For convenience, this is also supported on non-wasm targets, always returning false there.
+pub async fn is_browser_webgpu_supported() -> bool {
+    #[cfg(webgpu)]
+    {
+        // In theory it should be enough to check for the presence of the `gpu` property...
+        let gpu = crate::backend::get_browser_gpu_property();
+        let Ok(Some(gpu)) = gpu else {
+            return false;
+        };
+
+        // ...but in practice, we also have to try to create an adapter, since as of writing
+        // Chrome on Linux has the `gpu` property but doesn't support WebGPU.
+        let adapter_promise = gpu.request_adapter();
+        wasm_bindgen_futures::JsFuture::from(adapter_promise)
+            .await
+            .map_or(false, |adapter| {
+                !adapter.is_undefined() && !adapter.is_null()
+            })
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(webgpu))]
+    {
+        false
+    }
+}
+
+/// Create an new instance of wgpu, but disabling [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`] if no WebGPU support was detected.
+///
+/// If the instance descriptor enables [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`],
+/// this checks via [`is_browser_webgpu_supported`] for WebGPU support before forwarding
+/// the descriptor with or without [`Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU`] respecitively to [`Instance::new`].
+///
+/// You should prefer this method over [`Instance::new`] if you want to target WebGPU and automatically
+/// fall back to WebGL if WebGPU is not available.
+/// This is because WebGPU support has to be decided upon instance creation and [`Instance::new`]
+/// (being a `sync` function) can't establish WebGPU support (details see [`is_browser_webgpu_supported`]).
+///
+/// # Panics
+///
+/// If no backend feature for the active target platform is enabled,
+/// this method will panic, see [`Instance::enabled_backend_features()`].
+#[allow(unused_mut)]
+pub async fn new_instance_with_webgpu_detection(
+    mut instance_desc: wgt::InstanceDescriptor,
+) -> crate::Instance {
+    if instance_desc
+        .backends
+        .contains(wgt::Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU)
+        && !is_browser_webgpu_supported().await
+    {
+        instance_desc.backends.remove(wgt::Backends::BROWSER_WEBGPU);
+    }
+
+    crate::Instance::new(instance_desc)
+}