diff --git a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c
index 4eda0332d..5a975a3b9 100644
--- a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c
+++ b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.c
@@ -557,8 +557,13 @@ vk_init_cmd_buffer(struct vk_bundle *vk, VkCommandBuffer *out_cmd_buffer)
 	    .commandBufferCount = 1,
 	};
 
+	os_mutex_lock(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
+
 	ret = vk->vkAllocateCommandBuffers(vk->device, &cmd_buffer_info,
 	                                   &cmd_buffer);
+
+	os_mutex_unlock(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
+
 	if (ret != VK_SUCCESS) {
 		VK_ERROR(vk, "vkAllocateCommandBuffers: %s",
 		         vk_result_string(ret));
@@ -665,7 +670,9 @@ vk_submit_cmd_buffer(struct vk_bundle *vk, VkCommandBuffer cmd_buffer)
 out_fence:
 	vk->vkDestroyFence(vk->device, fence, NULL);
 out:
+	os_mutex_lock(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
 	vk->vkFreeCommandBuffers(vk->device, vk->cmd_pool, 1, &cmd_buffer);
+	os_mutex_unlock(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h
index 28d65199e..dfa30f76c 100644
--- a/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h
+++ b/src/xrt/auxiliary/vk/vk_helpers.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ struct vk_bundle
 
 	VkCommandPool cmd_pool;
 
+	struct os_mutex cmd_pool_mutex;
+
 	// clang-format off
 	// Loader functions
 	PFN_vkGetInstanceProcAddr vkGetInstanceProcAddr;
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c
index 916a03bdc..f561973e3 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/main/comp_compositor.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ compositor_destroy(struct xrt_compositor *xc)
 	}
 
 	os_mutex_destroy(&vk->queue_mutex);
+	os_mutex_destroy(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
 
 	if (vk->instance != VK_NULL_HANDLE) {
 		vk->vkDestroyInstance(vk->instance, NULL);
@@ -939,6 +940,10 @@ compositor_init_vulkan(struct comp_compositor *c)
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	if (os_mutex_init(&c->vk.cmd_pool_mutex) != 0) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	if (ret != VK_SUCCESS) {
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/src/xrt/compositor/render/comp_rendering.c b/src/xrt/compositor/render/comp_rendering.c
index 26ea7d96d..badf0a22b 100644
--- a/src/xrt/compositor/render/comp_rendering.c
+++ b/src/xrt/compositor/render/comp_rendering.c
@@ -216,9 +216,15 @@ create_command_buffer(struct vk_bundle *vk, VkCommandBuffer *out_cmd)
 	};
 
 	VkCommandBuffer cmd = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+
+	os_mutex_lock(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
+
 	ret = vk->vkAllocateCommandBuffers(vk->device,       //
 	                                   &cmd_buffer_info, //
 	                                   &cmd);            //
+
+	os_mutex_unlock(&vk->cmd_pool_mutex);
+
 	if (ret != VK_SUCCESS) {
 		VK_ERROR(vk, "vkCreateFramebuffer failed: %s",
 		         vk_result_string(ret));