diff --git a/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c b/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c
index 29951c609595c..394ed0d2636c6 100644
--- a/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c
+++ b/src/gpu/vulkan/SDL_gpu_vulkan.c
@@ -10292,19 +10292,6 @@ static bool VULKAN_Submit(
         CHECK_VULKAN_ERROR_AND_RETURN(vulkanResult, vkQueueSubmit, false)
     }
 
-    // Mark command buffers as submitted
-
-    if (renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount + 1 >= renderer->submittedCommandBufferCapacity) {
-        renderer->submittedCommandBufferCapacity = renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount + 1;
-
-        renderer->submittedCommandBuffers = SDL_realloc(
-            renderer->submittedCommandBuffers,
-            sizeof(VulkanCommandBuffer *) * renderer->submittedCommandBufferCapacity);
-    }
-
-    renderer->submittedCommandBuffers[renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount] = vulkanCommandBuffer;
-    renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount += 1;
-
     // Present, if applicable
     bool result = true;
 
@@ -10391,6 +10378,20 @@ static bool VULKAN_Submit(
         result = VULKAN_INTERNAL_DefragmentMemory(renderer);
     }
 
+    // Mark command buffer as submitted
+    // This must happen after defrag, because it will try to acquire new command buffers.
+
+    if (renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount + 1 >= renderer->submittedCommandBufferCapacity) {
+        renderer->submittedCommandBufferCapacity = renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount + 1;
+
+        renderer->submittedCommandBuffers = SDL_realloc(
+            renderer->submittedCommandBuffers,
+            sizeof(VulkanCommandBuffer *) * renderer->submittedCommandBufferCapacity);
+    }
+
+    renderer->submittedCommandBuffers[renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount] = vulkanCommandBuffer;
+    renderer->submittedCommandBufferCount += 1;
+
     SDL_UnlockMutex(renderer->submitLock);
 
     return result;