diff --git a/src/client/refresh/vk/header/qvk.h b/src/client/refresh/vk/header/qvk.h
index 91f7e84d..f0352e35 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/vk/header/qvk.h
+++ b/src/client/refresh/vk/header/qvk.h
@@ -294,8 +294,8 @@ VkResult	QVk_CreateBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, const qvkbu
 void		QVk_FreeBuffer(qvkbuffer_t *buffer);
 VkResult	QVk_CreateStagingBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags);
 VkResult	QVk_CreateUniformBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags);
-void		QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, qvkbuffer_t *stagingBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags);
-void		QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, qvkbuffer_t *stagingBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags);
+void		QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags);
+void		QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags);
 qvkshader_t QVk_CreateShader(const uint32_t *shaderSrc, size_t shaderCodeSize, VkShaderStageFlagBits shaderStage);
 void		QVk_CreatePipeline(const VkDescriptorSetLayout *descriptorLayout, const uint32_t desLayoutCount, const VkPipelineVertexInputStateCreateInfo *vertexInputInfo, qvkpipeline_t *pipeline, const qvkrenderpass_t *renderpass, const qvkshader_t *shaders, uint32_t shaderCount, VkPushConstantRange *pcRange);
 void		QVk_DestroyPipeline(qvkpipeline_t *pipeline);
diff --git a/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_buffer.c b/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_buffer.c
index 01bac0fd..0f02aeef 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_buffer.c
+++ b/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_buffer.c
@@ -38,15 +38,12 @@ static void copyBuffer(const VkBuffer *src, VkBuffer *dst, VkDeviceSize size)
 }
 
 // internal helper
-static void createStagedBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, qvkbufferopts_t bufferOpts, qvkbuffer_t *stagingBuffer)
+static void createStagedBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, qvkbufferopts_t bufferOpts)
 {
-	qvkbuffer_t *stgBuffer = stagingBuffer;
-	// create/release internal staging buffer if NULL has been passed
-	if (!stagingBuffer)
-	{
-		stgBuffer = (qvkbuffer_t *)malloc(sizeof(qvkbuffer_t));
-		VK_VERIFY(QVk_CreateStagingBuffer(size, stgBuffer, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT | VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_COHERENT_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT));
-	}
+	qvkbuffer_t *stgBuffer;
+	// create/release internal staging buffer
+	stgBuffer = (qvkbuffer_t *)malloc(sizeof(qvkbuffer_t));
+	VK_VERIFY(QVk_CreateStagingBuffer(size, stgBuffer, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT | VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_COHERENT_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT));
 
 	if (data)
 	{
@@ -60,11 +57,8 @@ static void createStagedBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t
 	VK_VERIFY(QVk_CreateBuffer(size, dstBuffer, bufferOpts));
 	copyBuffer(&stgBuffer->buffer, &dstBuffer->buffer, size);
 
-	if (!stagingBuffer)
-	{
-		QVk_FreeBuffer(stgBuffer);
-		free(stgBuffer);
-	}
+	QVk_FreeBuffer(stgBuffer);
+	free(stgBuffer);
 }
 
 VkResult QVk_CreateBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, const qvkbufferopts_t options)
@@ -142,7 +136,7 @@ VkResult QVk_CreateUniformBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMe
 	return QVk_CreateBuffer(size, dstBuffer, dstOpts);
 }
 
-void QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, qvkbuffer_t *stagingBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags)
+void QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags)
 {
 	qvkbufferopts_t dstOpts = {
 		.usage = VK_BUFFER_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT | VK_BUFFER_USAGE_VERTEX_BUFFER_BIT,
@@ -152,10 +146,10 @@ void QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *ds
 		.vmaFlags = 0
 	};
 
-	createStagedBuffer(data, size, dstBuffer, dstOpts, stagingBuffer);
+	createStagedBuffer(data, size, dstBuffer, dstOpts);
 }
 
-void QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, qvkbuffer_t *stagingBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags)
+void QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dstBuffer, VkMemoryPropertyFlags reqMemFlags, VkMemoryPropertyFlags prefMemFlags)
 {
 	qvkbufferopts_t dstOpts = {
 		.usage = VK_BUFFER_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT | VK_BUFFER_USAGE_INDEX_BUFFER_BIT,
@@ -165,5 +159,5 @@ void QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(const void *data, VkDeviceSize size, qvkbuffer_t *dst
 		.vmaFlags = 0
 	};
 
-	createStagedBuffer(data, size, dstBuffer, dstOpts, stagingBuffer);
+	createStagedBuffer(data, size, dstBuffer, dstOpts);
 }
diff --git a/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c b/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c
index 06cd675f..2e397932 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c
+++ b/src/client/refresh/vk/vk_common.c
@@ -929,8 +929,8 @@ static void CreateDynamicBuffers()
 {
 	for (int i = 0; i < NUM_DYNBUFFERS; ++i)
 	{
-		QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.vertex_buffer_size, &vk_dynVertexBuffers[i], NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
-		QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.index_buffer_size, &vk_dynIndexBuffers[i], NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
+		QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.vertex_buffer_size, &vk_dynVertexBuffers[i], VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
+		QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.index_buffer_size, &vk_dynIndexBuffers[i], VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
 		VK_VERIFY(QVk_CreateUniformBuffer(vk_config.uniform_buffer_size, &vk_dynUniformBuffers[i], VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT));
 		// keep dynamic buffers persistently mapped
 		VK_VERIFY(vmaMapMemory(vk_malloc, vk_dynVertexBuffers[i].allocation, &vk_dynVertexBuffers[i].allocInfo.pMappedData));
@@ -1096,9 +1096,9 @@ static void CreateStaticBuffers()
 
 	const uint32_t indices[] = { 0, 1, 2, 0, 3, 1 };
 
-	QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(texVerts, sizeof(texVerts), &vk_texRectVbo, NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_DEVICE_LOCAL_BIT, 0);
-	QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(colorVerts, sizeof(colorVerts), &vk_colorRectVbo, NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_DEVICE_LOCAL_BIT, 0);
-	QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(indices, sizeof(indices), &vk_rectIbo, NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_DEVICE_LOCAL_BIT, 0);
+	QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(texVerts, sizeof(texVerts), &vk_texRectVbo, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_DEVICE_LOCAL_BIT, 0);
+	QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(colorVerts, sizeof(colorVerts), &vk_colorRectVbo, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_DEVICE_LOCAL_BIT, 0);
+	QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(indices, sizeof(indices), &vk_rectIbo, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_DEVICE_LOCAL_BIT, 0);
 
 	QVk_DebugSetObjectName((uint64_t)vk_texRectVbo.buffer, VK_OBJECT_TYPE_BUFFER, "Static Buffer: Textured Rectangle VBO");
 	QVk_DebugSetObjectName((uint64_t)vk_texRectVbo.allocInfo.deviceMemory, VK_OBJECT_TYPE_DEVICE_MEMORY, "Memory: Textured Rectangle VBO");
@@ -2036,7 +2036,7 @@ uint8_t *QVk_GetVertexBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, VkBuffer *dstBuffer, VkDeviceSiz
 			vk_swapBuffers[vk_activeSwapBufferIdx][swapBufferOffset + i] = vk_dynVertexBuffers[i];
 			vmaUnmapMemory(vk_malloc, vk_dynVertexBuffers[i].allocation);
 
-			QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.vertex_buffer_size, &vk_dynVertexBuffers[i], NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
+			QVk_CreateVertexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.vertex_buffer_size, &vk_dynVertexBuffers[i], VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
 			VK_VERIFY(vmaMapMemory(vk_malloc, vk_dynVertexBuffers[i].allocation, &vk_dynVertexBuffers[i].allocInfo.pMappedData));
 
 			QVk_DebugSetObjectName((uint64_t)vk_dynVertexBuffers[i].buffer, VK_OBJECT_TYPE_BUFFER, va("Dynamic Vertex Buffer #%d", i));
@@ -2079,7 +2079,7 @@ static uint8_t *QVk_GetIndexBuffer(VkDeviceSize size, VkDeviceSize *dstOffset)
 			vk_swapBuffers[vk_activeSwapBufferIdx][swapBufferOffset + i] = vk_dynIndexBuffers[i];
 			vmaUnmapMemory(vk_malloc, vk_dynIndexBuffers[i].allocation);
 
-			QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.index_buffer_size, &vk_dynIndexBuffers[i], NULL, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
+			QVk_CreateIndexBuffer(NULL, vk_config.index_buffer_size, &vk_dynIndexBuffers[i], VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_VISIBLE_BIT, VK_MEMORY_PROPERTY_HOST_CACHED_BIT);
 			VK_VERIFY(vmaMapMemory(vk_malloc, vk_dynIndexBuffers[i].allocation, &vk_dynIndexBuffers[i].allocInfo.pMappedData));
 
 			QVk_DebugSetObjectName((uint64_t)vk_dynIndexBuffers[i].buffer, VK_OBJECT_TYPE_BUFFER, va("Dynamic Index Buffer #%d", i));