diff --git a/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.h b/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.h
index a0047a8..5189a53 100644
--- a/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.h
+++ b/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #define DAWNNATIVE_METAL_COMMANDRECORDINGCONTEXT_H_
 
 #include "common/NSRef.h"
+#include "common/NonCopyable.h"
+#include "dawn_native/Error.h"
 
 #import <Metal/Metal.h>
 
@@ -22,21 +24,16 @@
 
     // This class wraps a MTLCommandBuffer and tracks which Metal encoder is open.
     // Only one encoder may be open at a time.
-    class CommandRecordingContext {
+    class CommandRecordingContext : NonMovable {
       public:
         CommandRecordingContext();
-        CommandRecordingContext(NSPRef<id<MTLCommandBuffer>> commands);
-
-        CommandRecordingContext(const CommandRecordingContext& rhs) = delete;
-        CommandRecordingContext& operator=(const CommandRecordingContext& rhs) = delete;
-
-        CommandRecordingContext(CommandRecordingContext&& rhs);
-        CommandRecordingContext& operator=(CommandRecordingContext&& rhs);
-
         ~CommandRecordingContext();
 
         id<MTLCommandBuffer> GetCommands();
+        void MarkUsed();
+        bool WasUsed() const;
 
+        MaybeError PrepareNextCommandBuffer(id<MTLCommandQueue> queue);
         NSPRef<id<MTLCommandBuffer>> AcquireCommands();
 
         id<MTLBlitCommandEncoder> EnsureBlit();
@@ -54,6 +51,7 @@
         NSPRef<id<MTLComputeCommandEncoder>> mCompute;
         NSPRef<id<MTLRenderCommandEncoder>> mRender;
         bool mInEncoder = false;
+        bool mUsed = false;
     };
 
 }}  // namespace dawn_native::metal
diff --git a/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.mm b/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.mm
index decb650..f07c48c 100644
--- a/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.mm
+++ b/src/dawn_native/metal/CommandRecordingContext.mm
@@ -20,19 +20,6 @@
 
     CommandRecordingContext::CommandRecordingContext() = default;
 
-    CommandRecordingContext::CommandRecordingContext(NSPRef<id<MTLCommandBuffer>> commands)
-        : mCommands(std::move(commands)) {
-    }
-
-    CommandRecordingContext::CommandRecordingContext(CommandRecordingContext&& rhs)
-        : mCommands(rhs.AcquireCommands()) {
-    }
-
-    CommandRecordingContext& CommandRecordingContext::operator=(CommandRecordingContext&& rhs) {
-        mCommands = rhs.AcquireCommands();
-        return *this;
-    }
-
     CommandRecordingContext::~CommandRecordingContext() {
         // Commands must be acquired.
         ASSERT(mCommands == nullptr);
@@ -42,6 +29,28 @@
         return mCommands.Get();
     }
 
+    void CommandRecordingContext::MarkUsed() {
+        mUsed = true;
+    }
+    bool CommandRecordingContext::WasUsed() const {
+        return mUsed;
+    }
+
+    MaybeError CommandRecordingContext::PrepareNextCommandBuffer(id<MTLCommandQueue> queue) {
+        ASSERT(mCommands == nil);
+        ASSERT(!mUsed);
+
+        // The MTLCommandBuffer will be autoreleased by default.
+        // The autorelease pool may drain before the command buffer is submitted. Retain so it stays
+        // alive.
+        mCommands = AcquireNSPRef([[queue commandBuffer] retain]);
+        if (mCommands == nil) {
+            return DAWN_INTERNAL_ERROR("Failed to allocate an MTLCommandBuffer");
+        }
+
+        return {};
+    }
+
     NSPRef<id<MTLCommandBuffer>> CommandRecordingContext::AcquireCommands() {
         // A blit encoder can be left open from WriteBuffer, make sure we close it.
         if (mCommands != nullptr) {
@@ -49,6 +58,7 @@
         }
 
         ASSERT(!mInEncoder);
+        mUsed = false;
         return std::move(mCommands);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.h b/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.h
index 4427418..d1881e5 100644
--- a/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.h
+++ b/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
         id<MTLCommandQueue> GetMTLQueue();
 
         CommandRecordingContext* GetPendingCommandContext();
-        void SubmitPendingCommandBuffer();
+        MaybeError SubmitPendingCommandBuffer();
 
         Ref<Texture> CreateTextureWrappingIOSurface(const ExternalImageDescriptor* descriptor,
                                                     IOSurfaceRef ioSurface,
diff --git a/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.mm b/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.mm
index 0359698..359dfda 100644
--- a/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.mm
+++ b/src/dawn_native/metal/DeviceMTL.mm
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@
         InitTogglesFromDriver();
 
         mCommandQueue.Acquire([*mMtlDevice newCommandQueue]);
+        if (mCommandQueue == nil) {
+            return DAWN_INTERNAL_ERROR("Failed to allocate MTLCommandQueue.");
+        }
+
+        DAWN_TRY(mCommandContext.PrepareNextCommandBuffer(*mCommandQueue));
 
         if (GetAdapter()->GetSupportedExtensions().IsEnabled(Extension::TimestampQuery)) {
             // Make a best guess of timestamp period based on device vendor info, and converge it to
@@ -281,9 +286,7 @@
     }
 
     MaybeError Device::TickImpl() {
-        if (mCommandContext.GetCommands() != nullptr) {
-            SubmitPendingCommandBuffer();
-        }
+        DAWN_TRY(SubmitPendingCommandBuffer());
 
         // Just run timestamp period calculation when timestamp extension is enabled.
         if (IsExtensionEnabled(Extension::TimestampQuery)) {
@@ -305,20 +308,13 @@
     }
 
     CommandRecordingContext* Device::GetPendingCommandContext() {
-        if (mCommandContext.GetCommands() == nullptr) {
-            TRACE_EVENT0(GetPlatform(), General, "[MTLCommandQueue commandBuffer]");
-            // The MTLCommandBuffer will be autoreleased by default.
-            // The autorelease pool may drain before the command buffer is submitted. Retain so it
-            // stays alive.
-            mCommandContext =
-                CommandRecordingContext(AcquireNSPRef([[*mCommandQueue commandBuffer] retain]));
-        }
+        mCommandContext.MarkUsed();
         return &mCommandContext;
     }
 
-    void Device::SubmitPendingCommandBuffer() {
-        if (mCommandContext.GetCommands() == nullptr) {
-            return;
+    MaybeError Device::SubmitPendingCommandBuffer() {
+        if (!mCommandContext.WasUsed()) {
+            return {};
         }
 
         IncrementLastSubmittedCommandSerial();
@@ -359,6 +355,8 @@
         TRACE_EVENT_ASYNC_BEGIN0(GetPlatform(), GPUWork, "DeviceMTL::SubmitPendingCommandBuffer",
                                  uint64_t(pendingSerial));
         [*pendingCommands commit];
+
+        return mCommandContext.PrepareNextCommandBuffer(*mCommandQueue);
     }
 
     ResultOrError<std::unique_ptr<StagingBufferBase>> Device::CreateStagingBuffer(size_t size) {
@@ -432,7 +430,9 @@
     }
 
     void Device::WaitForCommandsToBeScheduled() {
-        SubmitPendingCommandBuffer();
+        if (ConsumedError(SubmitPendingCommandBuffer())) {
+            return;
+        }
 
         // Only lock the object while we take a reference to it, otherwise we could block further
         // progress if the driver calls the scheduled handler (which also acquires the lock) before
diff --git a/src/dawn_native/metal/QueueMTL.mm b/src/dawn_native/metal/QueueMTL.mm
index bfa33ac..ad1fad6 100644
--- a/src/dawn_native/metal/QueueMTL.mm
+++ b/src/dawn_native/metal/QueueMTL.mm
@@ -42,8 +42,7 @@
         }
         TRACE_EVENT_END0(GetDevice()->GetPlatform(), Recording, "CommandBufferMTL::FillCommands");
 
-        device->SubmitPendingCommandBuffer();
-        return {};
+        return device->SubmitPendingCommandBuffer();
     }
 
 }}  // namespace dawn_native::metal