diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_cmd_pool.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_cmd_pool.c
index c652c520861..1751fededd4 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_cmd_pool.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_cmd_pool.c
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ nvk_cmd_mem_create(struct nvk_cmd_pool *pool, bool force_gart, struct nvk_cmd_me
    if (mem == NULL)
       return vk_error(pool, VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY);
 
-   uint32_t flags = NVKMD_MEM_GART;
-   if (force_gart)
-      assert(flags & NVKMD_MEM_GART);
+   const uint32_t flags = force_gart ? NVKMD_MEM_GART
+                                     : NVKMD_MEM_LOCAL;
+
    result = nvkmd_dev_alloc_mapped_mem(dev->nvkmd, &pool->vk.base,
                                        NVK_CMD_MEM_SIZE, 0,
                                        flags, NVKMD_MEM_MAP_WR,