diff --git a/docs/modernization/build-inventory.md b/docs/modernization/build-inventory.md
index b3fe6bb..3ec48bd 100644
--- a/docs/modernization/build-inventory.md
+++ b/docs/modernization/build-inventory.md
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ Known local toolchain state:
   `pp_ui_core`, `pano_cli`, and their current headless test binaries,
   including foundation event/logging/task queue coverage, PNG metadata, PPI
   header, settings document, document frame move/duration coverage, paint
-  brush/stroke coverage, UI color parsing, and layout XML parse coverage.
+  brush/stroke coverage, renderer shader descriptor coverage, UI color
+  parsing, and layout XML parse coverage.
 - `pano_cli inspect-image` reports PNG IHDR metadata as JSON and is covered by
   `pano_cli_inspect_png_metadata_smoke` with a tiny IHDR fixture.
 - `panopainter_validate_shaders` validates the current combined GLSL shader
diff --git a/docs/modernization/roadmap.md b/docs/modernization/roadmap.md
index 372c6d7..539479f 100644
--- a/docs/modernization/roadmap.md
+++ b/docs/modernization/roadmap.md
@@ -364,8 +364,9 @@ adding new backends.
 
 Status: started. `pp_renderer_api` exists as a headless renderer-neutral target
 with texture descriptor, byte-size, viewport, mesh, readback bounds, command
-context, render device, shader, mesh, render target, readback, and trace
-interface validation. OpenGL classes are not yet behind these interfaces.
+context, render device, shader program descriptor, mesh, render target,
+readback, and trace interface validation. OpenGL classes are not yet behind
+these interfaces.
 
 Implementation tasks:
 
@@ -563,7 +564,7 @@ Results:
 - `pp_paint_stroke_tests` passed.
 - `pp_document_tests` passed, including frame move, duration, and history
   invariants.
-- `pp_renderer_api_tests` passed.
+- `pp_renderer_api_tests` passed, including shader descriptor validation.
 - `pp_paint_renderer_compositor_tests` passed.
 - `pp_ui_core_color_tests` passed.
 - `pp_ui_core_layout_value_tests` passed.
diff --git a/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.cpp b/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.cpp
index edb7ee4..d1c27ec 100644
--- a/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.cpp
+++ b/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,34 @@
 
 namespace pp::renderer {
 
+namespace {
+
+[[nodiscard]] bool is_empty_c_string(const char* text) noexcept
+{
+    return text == nullptr || text[0] == '\0';
+}
+
+[[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Status validate_shader_stage_source(
+    ShaderStageSource source,
+    const char* stage_name) noexcept
+{
+    if (is_empty_c_string(source.entry_point)) {
+        return pp::foundation::Status::invalid_argument(stage_name);
+    }
+
+    if (source.source == nullptr || source.source_size == 0U) {
+        return pp::foundation::Status::invalid_argument("shader source must not be empty");
+    }
+
+    if (source.source_size > max_shader_source_bytes) {
+        return pp::foundation::Status::out_of_range("shader source exceeds the configured limit");
+    }
+
+    return pp::foundation::Status::success();
+}
+
+}
+
 std::uint32_t bytes_per_pixel(TextureFormat format) noexcept
 {
     switch (format) {
@@ -123,6 +151,29 @@ pp::foundation::Status validate_mesh_desc(MeshDesc desc) noexcept
     return pp::foundation::Status::invalid_argument("mesh topology is not supported");
 }
 
+pp::foundation::Status validate_shader_program_desc(ShaderProgramDesc desc) noexcept
+{
+    if (desc.debug_name == nullptr) {
+        return pp::foundation::Status::invalid_argument("shader debug name must not be null");
+    }
+
+    const auto vertex_status = validate_shader_stage_source(
+        desc.vertex,
+        "vertex shader entry point must not be empty");
+    if (!vertex_status.ok()) {
+        return vertex_status;
+    }
+
+    const auto fragment_status = validate_shader_stage_source(
+        desc.fragment,
+        "fragment shader entry point must not be empty");
+    if (!fragment_status.ok()) {
+        return fragment_status;
+    }
+
+    return pp::foundation::Status::success();
+}
+
 pp::foundation::Status validate_readback_region(TextureDesc desc, ReadbackRegion region) noexcept
 {
     const auto extent_status = validate_extent(desc.extent);
diff --git a/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.h b/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.h
index 486f793..29a5186 100644
--- a/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.h
+++ b/src/renderer_api/renderer_api.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ namespace pp::renderer {
 constexpr std::uint32_t max_texture_dimension = 32768;
 constexpr std::uint32_t max_mesh_vertices = 16777216;
 constexpr std::uint64_t max_texture_bytes = 1024ULL * 1024ULL * 1024ULL;
+constexpr std::size_t max_shader_source_bytes = 4ULL * 1024ULL * 1024ULL;
 
 enum class TextureFormat : std::uint8_t {
     rgba8,
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ public:
 [[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Status validate_extent(Extent2D extent) noexcept;
 [[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Status validate_viewport(Viewport viewport, Extent2D target_extent) noexcept;
 [[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Status validate_mesh_desc(MeshDesc desc) noexcept;
+[[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Status validate_shader_program_desc(ShaderProgramDesc desc) noexcept;
 [[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Result<std::uint64_t> texture_byte_size(TextureDesc desc) noexcept;
 [[nodiscard]] pp::foundation::Status validate_readback_region(TextureDesc desc, ReadbackRegion region) noexcept;
 [[nodiscard]] const char* texture_format_name(TextureFormat format) noexcept;
diff --git a/tests/renderer_api/renderer_api_tests.cpp b/tests/renderer_api/renderer_api_tests.cpp
index ecc241e..107c849 100644
--- a/tests/renderer_api/renderer_api_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/renderer_api/renderer_api_tests.cpp
@@ -15,9 +15,12 @@ using pp::renderer::IShaderProgram;
 using pp::renderer::MeshDesc;
 using pp::renderer::PrimitiveTopology;
 using pp::renderer::ReadbackRegion;
+using pp::renderer::ShaderProgramDesc;
+using pp::renderer::ShaderStageSource;
 using pp::renderer::TextureDesc;
 using pp::renderer::TextureFormat;
 using pp::renderer::Viewport;
+using pp::renderer::max_shader_source_bytes;
 using pp::renderer::max_texture_dimension;
 using pp::renderer::primitive_topology_name;
 using pp::renderer::texture_byte_size;
@@ -25,6 +28,7 @@ using pp::renderer::texture_format_name;
 using pp::renderer::validate_extent;
 using pp::renderer::validate_mesh_desc;
 using pp::renderer::validate_readback_region;
+using pp::renderer::validate_shader_program_desc;
 using pp::renderer::validate_viewport;
 
 namespace {
@@ -220,6 +224,56 @@ void validates_viewports_and_mesh_descriptors(pp::tests::Harness& h)
     PP_EXPECT(h, empty_mesh.code == StatusCode::invalid_argument);
 }
 
+void validates_shader_program_descriptors(pp::tests::Harness& h)
+{
+    constexpr char vertex_source[] = "#version 330 core\nvoid main(){}";
+    constexpr char fragment_source[] = "#version 330 core\nout vec4 color; void main(){ color = vec4(1); }";
+
+    const ShaderProgramDesc valid {
+        .debug_name = "solid-color",
+        .vertex = ShaderStageSource {
+            .entry_point = "main",
+            .source = vertex_source,
+            .source_size = sizeof(vertex_source) - 1U,
+        },
+        .fragment = ShaderStageSource {
+            .entry_point = "main",
+            .source = fragment_source,
+            .source_size = sizeof(fragment_source) - 1U,
+        },
+    };
+
+    PP_EXPECT(h, validate_shader_program_desc(valid).ok());
+
+    auto missing_name = valid;
+    missing_name.debug_name = nullptr;
+    auto missing_vertex_entry = valid;
+    missing_vertex_entry.vertex.entry_point = "";
+    auto missing_fragment_source = valid;
+    missing_fragment_source.fragment.source = nullptr;
+    auto empty_fragment_source = valid;
+    empty_fragment_source.fragment.source_size = 0;
+    auto excessive_source = valid;
+    excessive_source.vertex.source_size = max_shader_source_bytes + 1U;
+
+    const auto missing_name_status = validate_shader_program_desc(missing_name);
+    const auto missing_vertex_entry_status = validate_shader_program_desc(missing_vertex_entry);
+    const auto missing_fragment_source_status = validate_shader_program_desc(missing_fragment_source);
+    const auto empty_fragment_source_status = validate_shader_program_desc(empty_fragment_source);
+    const auto excessive_source_status = validate_shader_program_desc(excessive_source);
+
+    PP_EXPECT(h, !missing_name_status.ok());
+    PP_EXPECT(h, missing_name_status.code == StatusCode::invalid_argument);
+    PP_EXPECT(h, !missing_vertex_entry_status.ok());
+    PP_EXPECT(h, missing_vertex_entry_status.code == StatusCode::invalid_argument);
+    PP_EXPECT(h, !missing_fragment_source_status.ok());
+    PP_EXPECT(h, missing_fragment_source_status.code == StatusCode::invalid_argument);
+    PP_EXPECT(h, !empty_fragment_source_status.ok());
+    PP_EXPECT(h, empty_fragment_source_status.code == StatusCode::invalid_argument);
+    PP_EXPECT(h, !excessive_source_status.ok());
+    PP_EXPECT(h, excessive_source_status.code == StatusCode::out_of_range);
+}
+
 void renderer_interfaces_support_backend_neutral_dispatch(pp::tests::Harness& h)
 {
     FakeRenderDevice device;
@@ -255,6 +309,7 @@ int main()
     harness.run("rejects_invalid_or_excessive_extents", rejects_invalid_or_excessive_extents);
     harness.run("validates_readback_bounds", validates_readback_bounds);
     harness.run("validates_viewports_and_mesh_descriptors", validates_viewports_and_mesh_descriptors);
+    harness.run("validates_shader_program_descriptors", validates_shader_program_descriptors);
     harness.run("renderer_interfaces_support_backend_neutral_dispatch", renderer_interfaces_support_backend_neutral_dispatch);
     return harness.finish();
 }