diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
index 2c6a4e8c6c5..7b5b475c401 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ vn_instance_init_ring(struct vn_instance *instance)
    return VK_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+static struct vn_renderer_shmem *
+vn_instance_get_reply_shmem_locked(struct vn_instance *instance,
+                                   size_t size,
+                                   void **ptr);
+
 static VkResult
 vn_instance_init_experimental_features(struct vn_instance *instance)
 {
@@ -174,8 +179,37 @@ vn_instance_init_experimental_features(struct vn_instance *instance)
    }
 
    size_t struct_size = sizeof(instance->experimental);
-   vn_call_vkGetVenusExperimentalFeatureData100000MESA(
-      instance, &struct_size, &instance->experimental);
+
+   /* prepare the reply shmem */
+   const size_t reply_size =
+      vn_sizeof_vkGetVenusExperimentalFeatureData100000MESA_reply(
+         &struct_size, &instance->experimental);
+   void *reply_ptr;
+   struct vn_renderer_shmem *reply_shmem =
+      vn_instance_get_reply_shmem_locked(instance, reply_size, &reply_ptr);
+   if (!reply_shmem)
+      return VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY;
+
+   /* encode the command */
+   uint32_t local_data[16];
+   struct vn_cs_encoder local_enc =
+      VN_CS_ENCODER_INITIALIZER_LOCAL(local_data, sizeof(local_data));
+   vn_encode_vkGetVenusExperimentalFeatureData100000MESA(
+      &local_enc, VK_COMMAND_GENERATE_REPLY_BIT_EXT, &struct_size,
+      &instance->experimental);
+
+   VkResult result = vn_renderer_submit_simple_sync(
+      instance->renderer, local_data, vn_cs_encoder_get_len(&local_enc));
+   if (result != VK_SUCCESS) {
+      vn_renderer_shmem_unref(instance->renderer, reply_shmem);
+      return result;
+   }
+
+   struct vn_cs_decoder reply_dec =
+      VN_CS_DECODER_INITIALIZER(reply_ptr, reply_size);
+   vn_decode_vkGetVenusExperimentalFeatureData100000MESA_reply(
+      &reply_dec, &struct_size, &instance->experimental);
+   vn_renderer_shmem_unref(instance->renderer, reply_shmem);
 
    VkVenusExperimentalFeatures100000MESA *exp_feats = &instance->experimental;
 
@@ -545,7 +579,6 @@ vn_instance_get_reply_shmem_locked(struct vn_instance *instance,
 {
    VN_TRACE_FUNC();
    struct vn_renderer_shmem_pool *pool = &instance->reply_shmem_pool;
-   const struct vn_renderer_shmem *saved_pool_shmem = pool->shmem;
 
    size_t offset;
    struct vn_renderer_shmem *shmem =
@@ -556,7 +589,14 @@ vn_instance_get_reply_shmem_locked(struct vn_instance *instance,
    assert(shmem == pool->shmem);
    *out_ptr = shmem->mmap_ptr + offset;
 
-   if (shmem != saved_pool_shmem) {
+   bool needs_set_stream = false;
+   if (likely(instance->ring.id)) {
+      needs_set_stream = shmem != instance->ring.reply_shmem;
+   } else {
+      needs_set_stream = shmem != instance->renderer_reply_shmem;
+   }
+
+   if (needs_set_stream) {
       uint32_t set_reply_command_stream_data[16];
       struct vn_cs_encoder local_enc = VN_CS_ENCODER_INITIALIZER_LOCAL(
          set_reply_command_stream_data,
@@ -567,7 +607,19 @@ vn_instance_get_reply_shmem_locked(struct vn_instance *instance,
       };
       vn_encode_vkSetReplyCommandStreamMESA(&local_enc, 0, &stream);
       vn_cs_encoder_commit(&local_enc);
-      vn_instance_ring_submit_locked(instance, &local_enc, NULL, NULL);
+
+      /* vn_instance_init_experimental_features calls this before the ring is
+       * created
+       */
+      if (likely(instance->ring.id)) {
+         vn_instance_ring_submit_locked(instance, &local_enc, NULL, NULL);
+         instance->ring.reply_shmem = shmem;
+      } else {
+         vn_renderer_submit_simple(instance->renderer,
+                                   set_reply_command_stream_data,
+                                   vn_cs_encoder_get_len(&local_enc));
+         instance->renderer_reply_shmem = shmem;
+      }
    }
 
    /* TODO avoid this seek command and go lock-free? */
@@ -576,7 +628,17 @@ vn_instance_get_reply_shmem_locked(struct vn_instance *instance,
       seek_reply_command_stream_data, sizeof(seek_reply_command_stream_data));
    vn_encode_vkSeekReplyCommandStreamMESA(&local_enc, 0, offset);
    vn_cs_encoder_commit(&local_enc);
-   vn_instance_ring_submit_locked(instance, &local_enc, NULL, NULL);
+
+   /* vn_instance_init_experimental_features calls this before the ring is
+    * created
+    */
+   if (likely(instance->ring.id)) {
+      vn_instance_ring_submit_locked(instance, &local_enc, NULL, NULL);
+   } else {
+      vn_renderer_submit_simple(instance->renderer,
+                                seek_reply_command_stream_data,
+                                vn_cs_encoder_get_len(&local_enc));
+   }
 
    return shmem;
 }
@@ -712,11 +774,11 @@ vn_CreateInstance(const VkInstanceCreateInfo *pCreateInfo,
    vn_renderer_shmem_pool_init(instance->renderer,
                                &instance->reply_shmem_pool, 1u << 20);
 
-   result = vn_instance_init_ring(instance);
+   result = vn_instance_init_experimental_features(instance);
    if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
       goto fail;
 
-   result = vn_instance_init_experimental_features(instance);
+   result = vn_instance_init_ring(instance);
    if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
       goto fail;
 
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
index c4f3419cde1..86d2001957c 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
@@ -40,16 +40,24 @@ struct vn_instance {
    struct vn_renderer *renderer;
 
    struct vn_renderer_shmem_pool reply_shmem_pool;
+   /* cache "set" stream for renderer submission replies */
+   const struct vn_renderer_shmem *renderer_reply_shmem;
 
    mtx_t ring_idx_mutex;
    uint64_t ring_idx_used_mask;
 
+   /* XXX staged features to be merged to core venus protocol */
+   VkVenusExperimentalFeatures100000MESA experimental;
+
    struct {
       mtx_t mutex;
       struct vn_renderer_shmem *shmem;
       struct vn_ring ring;
       uint64_t id;
 
+      /* cache "set" stream for ring submission replies */
+      const struct vn_renderer_shmem *reply_shmem;
+
       struct vn_cs_encoder upload;
       uint32_t command_dropped;
 
@@ -58,9 +66,6 @@ struct vn_instance {
       uint64_t roundtrip_next;
    } ring;
 
-   /* XXX staged features to be merged to core venus protocol */
-   VkVenusExperimentalFeatures100000MESA experimental;
-
    /* Between the driver and the app, VN_MAX_API_VERSION is what we advertise
     * and base.base.app_info.api_version is what the app requests.
     *