diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
index 5e1b63a4086..3be1a6ca970 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.c
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ vn_DestroyInstance(VkInstance _instance,
    if (!instance)
       return;
 
-   if (instance->physical_device.devices) {
+   if (instance->physical_device.initialized) {
       for (uint32_t i = 0; i < instance->physical_device.device_count; i++)
          vn_physical_device_fini(&instance->physical_device.devices[i]);
       vk_free(alloc, instance->physical_device.devices);
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
index 82a03bf095d..226cc0e2da8 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_instance.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ struct vn_instance {
 
    struct {
       mtx_t mutex;
+      bool initialized;
 
       struct vn_physical_device *devices;
       uint32_t device_count;
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_physical_device.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_physical_device.c
index 46bd8e5393c..6ce785dd138 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_physical_device.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_physical_device.c
@@ -1267,10 +1267,11 @@ vn_instance_enumerate_physical_devices(struct vn_instance *instance)
 
    mtx_lock(&instance->physical_device.mutex);
 
-   if (instance->physical_device.devices) {
+   if (instance->physical_device.initialized) {
       result = VK_SUCCESS;
       goto out;
    }
+   instance->physical_device.initialized = true;
 
    uint32_t count;
    result = vn_call_vkEnumeratePhysicalDevices(