diff --git a/include/QF/Vulkan/command.h b/include/QF/Vulkan/command.h
index 925a63781..47418db1a 100644
--- a/include/QF/Vulkan/command.h
+++ b/include/QF/Vulkan/command.h
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 typedef struct qfv_cmdbufferset_s
 	DARRAY_TYPE (VkCommandBuffer) qfv_cmdbufferset_t;
 
+#define QFV_AllocCommandBufferSet(num, allocator) \
+	DARRAY_ALLOCFIXED (qfv_cmdbufferset_t, num, allocator)
+
 typedef struct qfv_semaphoreset_s
 	DARRAY_TYPE (VkSemaphore) qfv_semaphoreset_t;
 
@@ -23,9 +26,11 @@ struct qfv_device_s;
 VkCommandPool QFV_CreateCommandPool (struct qfv_device_s *device,
 									  uint32_t queueFamily,
 									  int transient, int reset);
-qfv_cmdbufferset_t *QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (struct qfv_device_s *device,
-												VkCommandPool pool,
-											    int secondary, int count);
+/** Allocate bufferset->size command buffers
+ */
+int QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (struct qfv_device_s *device,
+								VkCommandPool pool, int secondary,
+								qfv_cmdbufferset_t *bufferset);
 
 VkSemaphore QFV_CreateSemaphore (struct qfv_device_s *device);
 VkFence QFV_CreateFence (struct qfv_device_s *device, int signaled);
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c
index 995763baf..f68e8c182 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vid_render_vulkan.c
@@ -389,11 +389,10 @@ vulkan_vid_render_choose_visual (void)
 	vulkan_ctx->cmdpool = QFV_CreateCommandPool (vulkan_ctx->device,
 									 vulkan_ctx->device->queue.queueFamily,
 									 0, 1);
-	__auto_type cmdset = QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (vulkan_ctx->device,
-													 vulkan_ctx->cmdpool,
-													 0, 1);
+	__auto_type cmdset = QFV_AllocCommandBufferSet (1, alloca);
+	QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (vulkan_ctx->device, vulkan_ctx->cmdpool, 0,
+								cmdset);
 	vulkan_ctx->cmdbuffer = cmdset->a[0];
-	free (cmdset);
 	vulkan_ctx->fence = QFV_CreateFence (vulkan_ctx->device, 1);
 	Sys_Printf ("vk choose visual %p %p %d %p\n", vulkan_ctx->device->dev,
 				vulkan_ctx->device->queue.queue,
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/command.c b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/command.c
index 8ba60ab32..10f0cc559 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/command.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/command.c
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@ QFV_CreateCommandPool (qfv_device_t *device, uint32_t queueFamily,
 	return pool;
 }
 
-qfv_cmdbufferset_t *
+int
 QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (qfv_device_t *device, VkCommandPool pool,
-							int secondary, int count)
+							int secondary, qfv_cmdbufferset_t *bufferset)
 {
 	VkDevice    dev = device->dev;
 	qfv_devfuncs_t *dfunc = device->funcs;
@@ -99,12 +99,10 @@ QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (qfv_device_t *device, VkCommandPool pool,
 	}
 	VkCommandBufferAllocateInfo allocInfo = {
 		VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_COMMAND_BUFFER_ALLOCATE_INFO, 0,
-		pool, level, count
+		pool, level, bufferset->size
 	};
-	qfv_cmdbufferset_t *cmdbufferset;
-	cmdbufferset = DARRAY_ALLOCFIXED (*cmdbufferset, count, malloc);
-	dfunc->vkAllocateCommandBuffers (dev, &allocInfo, cmdbufferset->a);
-	return cmdbufferset;
+	int ret = dfunc->vkAllocateCommandBuffers (dev, &allocInfo, bufferset->a);
+	return ret == VK_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 VkSemaphore
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_draw.c b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_draw.c
index 0262e1802..61b85d3e1 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_draw.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_draw.c
@@ -355,12 +355,12 @@ Vulkan_Draw_Init (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 		QFV_ScrapImageView (draw_scrap),
 		VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_SHADER_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL,
 	};
-	__auto_type cmdBuffers
-		= QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (device, ctx->cmdpool, 1,
-									  ctx->framebuffers.size);
+	size_t      frames = ctx->framebuffers.size;
+	__auto_type cmdBuffers = QFV_AllocCommandBufferSet (frames, alloca);
+	QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (device, ctx->cmdpool, 1, cmdBuffers);
 
 	__auto_type sets = QFV_AllocateDescriptorSet (device, pool, layouts);
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < ctx->framebuffers.size; i++) {
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < frames; i++) {
 		__auto_type frame = &ctx->framebuffers.a[i];
 		frame->twodDescriptors = sets->a[i];
 
@@ -379,7 +379,6 @@ Vulkan_Draw_Init (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 		DARRAY_APPEND (frame->subCommand, cmdBuffers->a[i]);
 	}
 	free (sets);
-	free (cmdBuffers);
 }
 
 static inline void
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c
index 126d602fd..16e60e5c1 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_vid_common.c
@@ -402,9 +402,9 @@ Vulkan_CreateFramebuffers (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 	attachments->a[0] = ctx->renderpass.colorImage->view;
 	attachments->a[1] = ctx->renderpass.depthImage->view;
 
-	__auto_type cmdBuffers
-		= QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (device, cmdpool, 0,
-									  ctx->framebuffers.size);
+	__auto_type cmdBuffers = QFV_AllocCommandBufferSet (ctx->framebuffers.size,
+														alloca);
+	QFV_AllocateCommandBuffers (device, cmdpool, 0, cmdBuffers);
 
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < ctx->framebuffers.size; i++) {
 		attachments->a[2] = sc->imageViews->a[i];
@@ -420,7 +420,6 @@ Vulkan_CreateFramebuffers (vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 		frame->subCommand = malloc (sizeof (qfv_cmdbufferset_t));
 		DARRAY_INIT (frame->subCommand, 4);
 	}
-	free (cmdBuffers);
 }
 
 void