diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
index c4ed72e2716..4b5114f5f81 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ static inline void
 vn_instance_submit_command(struct vn_instance *instance,
                            struct vn_instance_submit_command *submit)
 {
-   vn_ring_submit_command(instance->ring.ring, submit);
+   vn_ring_submit_command(instance->ring.ring,
+                          (struct vn_ring_submit_command *)submit);
 }
 
 static inline struct vn_cs_decoder *
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
index f56c962d621..8dbd92beeda 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ vn_ring_set_reply_shmem_locked(struct vn_ring *ring,
 
 void
 vn_ring_submit_command(struct vn_ring *ring,
-                       struct vn_instance_submit_command *submit)
+                       struct vn_ring_submit_command *submit)
 {
    assert(!vn_cs_encoder_is_empty(&submit->command));
 
@@ -651,3 +651,11 @@ vn_ring_submit_command(struct vn_ring *ring,
          vn_ring_wait_seqno(ring, submit->ring_seqno);
    }
 }
+
+void
+vn_ring_free_command_reply(struct vn_ring *ring,
+                           struct vn_ring_submit_command *submit)
+{
+   assert(submit->reply_shmem);
+   vn_renderer_shmem_unref(ring->instance->renderer, submit->reply_shmem);
+}
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
index b06b4b5630f..ac8acb7b7fd 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
@@ -63,12 +63,52 @@ vn_ring_unset_status_bits(struct vn_ring *ring, uint32_t mask);
 bool
 vn_ring_get_seqno_status(struct vn_ring *ring, uint32_t seqno);
 
-/* forward declaration before updating protocol to submit via ring */
-struct vn_instance_submit_command;
+struct vn_ring_submit_command {
+   /* empty command implies errors */
+   struct vn_cs_encoder command;
+   struct vn_cs_encoder_buffer buffer;
+   /* non-zero implies waiting */
+   size_t reply_size;
+
+   /* when reply_size is non-zero, NULL can be returned on errors */
+   struct vn_renderer_shmem *reply_shmem;
+   struct vn_cs_decoder reply;
+
+   /* valid when instance ring submission succeeds */
+   bool ring_seqno_valid;
+   uint32_t ring_seqno;
+};
+
+static inline struct vn_cs_encoder *
+vn_ring_submit_command_init(struct vn_ring *ring,
+                            struct vn_ring_submit_command *submit,
+                            void *cmd_data,
+                            size_t cmd_size,
+                            size_t reply_size)
+{
+   submit->buffer = VN_CS_ENCODER_BUFFER_INITIALIZER(cmd_data);
+   submit->command = VN_CS_ENCODER_INITIALIZER(&submit->buffer, cmd_size);
+
+   submit->reply_size = reply_size;
+   submit->reply_shmem = NULL;
+
+   return &submit->command;
+}
+
+static inline struct vn_cs_decoder *
+vn_ring_get_command_reply(struct vn_ring *ring,
+                          struct vn_ring_submit_command *submit)
+{
+   return submit->reply_shmem ? &submit->reply : NULL;
+}
+
+void
+vn_ring_free_command_reply(struct vn_ring *ring,
+                           struct vn_ring_submit_command *submit);
 
 void
 vn_ring_submit_command(struct vn_ring *ring,
-                       struct vn_instance_submit_command *submit);
+                       struct vn_ring_submit_command *submit);
 
 VkResult
 vn_ring_submit_command_simple(struct vn_ring *ring,