diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
index 6090ca21c0e..0dc7d55a986 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_common.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ vn_relax_fini(struct vn_relax_state *state)
 struct vn_relax_state
 vn_relax_init(struct vn_instance *instance, const char *reason)
 {
-   struct vn_ring *ring = &instance->ring.ring;
+   struct vn_ring *ring = instance->ring.ring;
    struct vn_watchdog *watchdog = &instance->ring.watchdog;
    if (vn_watchdog_acquire(watchdog, true))
       vn_ring_unset_status_bits(ring, VK_RING_STATUS_ALIVE_BIT_MESA);
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ vn_relax(struct vn_relax_state *state)
       struct vn_instance *instance = state->instance;
       vn_log(instance, "stuck in %s wait with iter at %d", reason, *iter);
 
-      struct vn_ring *ring = &instance->ring.ring;
+      struct vn_ring *ring = instance->ring.ring;
       const uint32_t status = vn_ring_load_status(ring);
       if (status & VK_RING_STATUS_FATAL_BIT_MESA) {
          vn_log(instance, "aborting on ring fatal error at iter %d", *iter);
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device_memory.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device_memory.c
index 46bb6935f58..f61f753fc86 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device_memory.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_device_memory.c
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ vn_device_memory_wait_alloc(struct vn_device *dev,
     * - mem alloc is done upon bo map or export
     * - mem import is done upon bo destroy
     */
-   if (vn_ring_get_seqno_status(&dev->instance->ring.ring,
-                                mem->bo_ring_seqno))
+   if (vn_ring_get_seqno_status(dev->instance->ring.ring, mem->bo_ring_seqno))
       return VK_SUCCESS;
 
    /* fine to false it here since renderer submission failure is fatal */
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
index 351337010d9..87e44086f64 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
@@ -127,11 +127,9 @@ vn_instance_fini_ring(struct vn_instance *instance)
 
    vn_watchdog_fini(&instance->ring.watchdog);
 
-   vn_ring_fini(&instance->ring.ring);
-
    mtx_destroy(&instance->ring.mutex);
 
-   vn_renderer_shmem_unref(instance->renderer, instance->ring.shmem);
+   vn_ring_destroy(instance->ring.ring);
 }
 
 static VkResult
@@ -142,21 +140,14 @@ vn_instance_init_ring(struct vn_instance *instance)
    struct vn_ring_layout layout;
    vn_ring_get_layout(VN_INSTANCE_RING_SIZE, extra_size, &layout);
 
-   instance->ring.shmem =
-      vn_renderer_shmem_create(instance->renderer, layout.shmem_size);
-   if (!instance->ring.shmem) {
-      if (VN_DEBUG(INIT))
-         vn_log(instance, "failed to allocate/map ring shmem");
+   instance->ring.ring = vn_ring_create(instance, &layout);
+   if (!instance->ring.ring)
       return VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY;
-   }
+
+   instance->ring.id = (uintptr_t)instance->ring.ring;
 
    mtx_init(&instance->ring.mutex, mtx_plain);
 
-   struct vn_ring *ring = &instance->ring.ring;
-   vn_ring_init(instance, ring, &layout, instance->ring.shmem->mmap_ptr);
-
-   instance->ring.id = (uintptr_t)ring;
-
    vn_watchdog_init(&instance->ring.watchdog);
 
    const struct VkRingMonitorInfoMESA monitor_info = {
@@ -166,7 +157,7 @@ vn_instance_init_ring(struct vn_instance *instance)
    const struct VkRingCreateInfoMESA info = {
       .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RING_CREATE_INFO_MESA,
       .pNext = &monitor_info,
-      .resourceId = instance->ring.shmem->res_id,
+      .resourceId = instance->ring.ring->shmem->res_id,
       .size = layout.shmem_size,
       .idleTimeout = 5ull * 1000 * 1000,
       .headOffset = layout.head_offset,
@@ -399,7 +390,7 @@ vn_instance_submission_prepare(struct vn_instance *instance,
       return VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY;
 
    submit->submit = vn_instance_submission_get_ring_submit(
-      &instance->ring.ring, cs, extra_shmem, direct);
+      instance->ring.ring, cs, extra_shmem, direct);
    if (!submit->submit) {
       vn_instance_submission_cleanup(instance, submit);
       return VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY;
@@ -444,7 +435,7 @@ vn_instance_ring_submit_locked(struct vn_instance *instance,
                                struct vn_renderer_shmem *extra_shmem,
                                uint32_t *ring_seqno)
 {
-   struct vn_ring *ring = &instance->ring.ring;
+   struct vn_ring *ring = instance->ring.ring;
 
    const bool direct = vn_instance_submission_can_direct(instance, cs);
    if (!direct && cs->storage_type == VN_CS_ENCODER_STORAGE_POINTER) {
@@ -543,7 +534,7 @@ vn_instance_submit_command(struct vn_instance *instance,
       submit->reply =
          VN_CS_DECODER_INITIALIZER(reply_ptr, submit->reply_size);
       if (submit->ring_seqno_valid)
-         vn_ring_wait_seqno(&instance->ring.ring, submit->ring_seqno);
+         vn_ring_wait_seqno(instance->ring.ring, submit->ring_seqno);
    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
index c512a5fcf88..e1ab750e11a 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
@@ -49,10 +49,9 @@ struct vn_instance {
    uint64_t ring_idx_used_mask;
 
    struct {
-      mtx_t mutex;
-      struct vn_renderer_shmem *shmem;
-      struct vn_ring ring;
+      struct vn_ring *ring;
       uint64_t id;
+      mtx_t mutex;
 
       struct vn_cs_encoder upload;
 
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
index 9015c701104..84c60d83f28 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
@@ -181,13 +181,29 @@ vn_ring_get_layout(size_t buf_size,
    layout->shmem_size = layout->extra_offset + layout->extra_size;
 }
 
-void
-vn_ring_init(struct vn_instance *instance,
-             struct vn_ring *ring,
-             const struct vn_ring_layout *layout,
-             void *shared)
+struct vn_ring *
+vn_ring_create(struct vn_instance *instance,
+               const struct vn_ring_layout *layout)
 {
-   memset(ring, 0, sizeof(*ring));
+   VN_TRACE_FUNC();
+
+   const VkAllocationCallbacks *alloc = &instance->base.base.alloc;
+
+   struct vn_ring *ring = vk_zalloc(alloc, sizeof(*ring), VN_DEFAULT_ALIGN,
+                                    VK_SYSTEM_ALLOCATION_SCOPE_INSTANCE);
+   if (!ring)
+      return NULL;
+
+   ring->shmem =
+      vn_renderer_shmem_create(instance->renderer, layout->shmem_size);
+   if (!ring->shmem) {
+      if (VN_DEBUG(INIT))
+         vn_log(instance, "failed to allocate/map ring shmem");
+      vk_free(alloc, ring);
+      return NULL;
+   }
+
+   void *shared = ring->shmem->mmap_ptr;
    memset(shared, 0, layout->shmem_size);
 
    ring->instance = instance;
@@ -205,11 +221,15 @@ vn_ring_init(struct vn_instance *instance,
 
    list_inithead(&ring->submits);
    list_inithead(&ring->free_submits);
+
+   return ring;
 }
 
 void
-vn_ring_fini(struct vn_ring *ring)
+vn_ring_destroy(struct vn_ring *ring)
 {
+   VN_TRACE_FUNC();
+
    const VkAllocationCallbacks *alloc = &ring->instance->base.base.alloc;
 
    vn_ring_retire_submits(ring, ring->cur);
@@ -218,6 +238,8 @@ vn_ring_fini(struct vn_ring *ring)
    list_for_each_entry_safe(struct vn_ring_submit, submit,
                             &ring->free_submits, head)
       vk_free(alloc, submit);
+
+   vk_free(alloc, ring);
 }
 
 struct vn_ring_submit *
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
index 9d2943df075..86b2542edf5 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct vn_ring_submit {
 
 struct vn_ring {
    struct vn_instance *instance;
+   struct vn_renderer_shmem *shmem;
 
    uint32_t buffer_size;
    uint32_t buffer_mask;
@@ -77,14 +78,12 @@ vn_ring_get_layout(size_t buf_size,
                    size_t extra_size,
                    struct vn_ring_layout *layout);
 
-void
-vn_ring_init(struct vn_instance *instance,
-             struct vn_ring *ring,
-             const struct vn_ring_layout *layout,
-             void *shared);
+struct vn_ring *
+vn_ring_create(struct vn_instance *instance,
+               const struct vn_ring_layout *layout);
 
 void
-vn_ring_fini(struct vn_ring *ring);
+vn_ring_destroy(struct vn_ring *ring);
 
 struct vn_ring_submit *
 vn_ring_get_submit(struct vn_ring *ring, uint32_t shmem_count);