diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR.materialtype b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR.materialtype
index a9a3e9e09b..2b0d09bc5c 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR.materialtype
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR.materialtype
@@ -1297,12 +1297,6 @@
                 "textureProperty": "baseColor.textureMap",
                 "useTextureProperty": "baseColor.useTexture",
                 "dependentProperties": ["baseColor.textureMapUv", "baseColor.textureBlendMode"],
-                "shaderTags": [
-                    "ForwardPass",
-                    "ForwardPass_EDS",
-                    "LowEndForward",
-                    "LowEndForward_EDS"
-                ],
                 "shaderOption": "o_baseColor_useTexture"
             }
         },
@@ -1312,12 +1306,6 @@
                 "textureProperty": "metallic.textureMap",
                 "useTextureProperty": "metallic.useTexture",
                 "dependentProperties": ["metallic.textureMapUv"],
-                "shaderTags": [
-                    "ForwardPass",
-                    "ForwardPass_EDS",
-                    "LowEndForward",
-                    "LowEndForward_EDS"
-                ],
                 "shaderOption": "o_metallic_useTexture"
             }
         },
@@ -1327,12 +1315,6 @@
                 "textureProperty": "specularF0.textureMap",
                 "useTextureProperty": "specularF0.useTexture",
                 "dependentProperties": ["specularF0.textureMapUv"],
-                "shaderTags": [
-                    "ForwardPass",
-                    "ForwardPass_EDS",
-                    "LowEndForward",
-                    "LowEndForward_EDS"
-                ],
                 "shaderOption": "o_specularF0_useTexture"
             }
         },
@@ -1342,12 +1324,6 @@
                 "textureProperty": "normal.textureMap",
                 "useTextureProperty": "normal.useTexture",
                 "dependentProperties": ["normal.textureMapUv", "normal.factor", "normal.flipX", "normal.flipY"],
-                "shaderTags": [
-                    "ForwardPass",
-                    "ForwardPass_EDS",
-                    "LowEndForward",
-                    "LowEndForward_EDS"
-                ],
                 "shaderOption": "o_normal_useTexture"    
             }
         },
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward.shader b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward.shader
index 19538e5db3..44139608ca 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward.shader
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward.shader
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 {
+    // Note: "LowEnd" shaders are for supporting the low end pipeline
+    // These shaders can be safely added to materials without incurring additional runtime draw
+    // items as draw items for shaders are only created if the scene has a pass with a matching
+    // DrawListTag. If your pipeline doesn't have a "lowEndForward" DrawListTag, no draw items
+    // for this shader will be created.
+
     "Source" : "./StandardPBR_LowEndForward.azsl",
 
     "DepthStencilState" :
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward_EDS.shader b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward_EDS.shader
index 1b5f014d0e..9faa1d3698 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward_EDS.shader
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/Materials/Types/StandardPBR_LowEndForward_EDS.shader
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 {
+    // Note: "LowEnd" shaders are for supporting the low end pipeline
+    // These shaders can be safely added to materials without incurring additional runtime draw
+    // items as draw items for shaders are only created if the scene has a pass with a matching
+    // DrawListTag. If your pipeline doesn't have a "lowEndForward" DrawListTag, no draw items
+    // for this shader will be created.
+
     "Source" : "./StandardPBR_LowEndForward.azsl",
 
     "DepthStencilState" :
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/PBR/Lights/Ibl.azsli b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/PBR/Lights/Ibl.azsli
index 3e3544fe9e..3be9d5756a 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/PBR/Lights/Ibl.azsli
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/PBR/Lights/Ibl.azsli
@@ -81,10 +81,11 @@ void ApplyIBL(Surface surface, inout LightingData lightingData)
 #ifdef FORCE_IBL_IN_FORWARD_PASS
     bool useDiffuseIbl = true;
     bool useSpecularIbl = true;
-    bool useIbl = true;
+    bool useIbl = o_enableIBL;
 #else
-    bool useDiffuseIbl = (o_opacity_mode == OpacityMode::Blended || o_opacity_mode == OpacityMode::TintedTransparent);
-    bool useSpecularIbl = (useDiffuseIbl || o_meshUseForwardPassIBLSpecular || o_materialUseForwardPassIBLSpecular);
+    bool isTransparent = (o_opacity_mode == OpacityMode::Blended || o_opacity_mode == OpacityMode::TintedTransparent);
+    bool useDiffuseIbl = isTransparent;
+    bool useSpecularIbl = (isTransparent || o_meshUseForwardPassIBLSpecular || o_materialUseForwardPassIBLSpecular);
     bool useIbl = o_enableIBL && (useDiffuseIbl || useSpecularIbl);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/ShaderQualityOptions.azsli b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/ShaderQualityOptions.azsli
index 6e89269f8d..cc4aa7cf42 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/ShaderQualityOptions.azsli
+++ b/Gems/Atom/Feature/Common/Assets/ShaderLib/Atom/Features/ShaderQualityOptions.azsli
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@
 
 #ifdef QUALITY_LOW_END
 
-#define UNIFIED_FORWARD_OUTPUT          1
-#define FORCE_IBL_IN_FORWARD_PASS       1
+    // Unifies the forward output into a single lighting buffer instead of splitting it into a GBuffer
+    #define UNIFIED_FORWARD_OUTPUT          1
+    
+    // Forces IBL lighting to be executed in the forward pass instead of subsequent refleciton passes
+    #define FORCE_IBL_IN_FORWARD_PASS       1
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.cpp b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.cpp
index f93d661b0f..6ed8ac018c 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Public/Pass/Pass.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ namespace AZ
             }
 
             // Set new tree depth and path
-            m_flags.m_parentEnabled = m_parent->IsEnabled();
+            m_flags.m_parentEnabled = m_parent->m_flags.m_enabled && (m_parent->m_flags.m_parentEnabled || m_parent->m_parent == nullptr);
             m_treeDepth = m_parent->m_treeDepth + 1;
             m_path = ConcatPassName(m_parent->m_path, m_name);
             m_flags.m_partOfHierarchy = m_parent->m_flags.m_partOfHierarchy;