diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/include/BufferPool.hpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/include/BufferPool.hpp
index 657c5351c49d..68b48ced0187 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/include/BufferPool.hpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/include/BufferPool.hpp
@@ -44,9 +44,6 @@ struct SlabSlot {
 // builds no longer sweeps the large ones out. Free slots are kept per size, usage and memory
 // properties, so a lookup does not scan the other slots. Reuse is safe because a Buffer is only released once
 // the GPU work using it completed (kept until the batch fence, or after a CommandBatch wait).
-// APS5_NO_BUFFER_CLASSES=1 matches exact sizes only, as before; APS5_BUFFER_POOL_SLOTS=<n> sets the
-// slot count (the bound applies to each tier below, and is held to a sixth of the device's
-// maxMemoryAllocationCount so the three tiers keep half of it free).
 //
 // The size classes and the exact-size allocations are retained in two tiers with a budget each:
 // the multi-MiB texture scratch buffers that come back from a batch (GPU-direct uploads and
@@ -123,8 +120,6 @@ class BufferPool {
         std::uint64_t misses = 0;
         std::uint64_t evictions = 0;
     };
-    // The tier a buffer of `capacity` and `properties` is retained in (the large one for everything
-    // when shared; the device tier for device-local memory while it has a budget).
     Tier& tierFor(std::size_t capacity, VkMemoryPropertyFlags properties);
     static bool DeviceTierEnabled();
     static VkDeviceSize deviceBudget(const Context& context);
@@ -157,6 +152,7 @@ class BufferPool {
     Tier smallTier;
     Tier largeTier;
     Tier deviceTier;
+    Tier smallDeviceTier;
     std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point heapRead{};
     bool heapOver = false;
     VkDeviceSize imageBudget = 0;
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/src/BufferPool.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/src/BufferPool.cpp
index 128970a898fa..cc9e4cd7122f 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/src/BufferPool.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/Graphics/src/BufferPool.cpp
@@ -38,10 +38,11 @@ constexpr VkBufferUsageFlags deviceUsage = VK_BUFFER_USAGE_STORAGE_BUFFER_BIT |
 
 }
 
-BufferPool::BufferPool(const Context& context) : maxSlots(std::max<std::size_t>(1, std::min<std::size_t>(MaxSlots(), context.limits.maxMemoryAllocationCount / 6u))), cacheReclaim(context.cacheReclaim), device(context.device), unmap(context.Function<PFN_vkUnmapMemory>("vkUnmapMemory")), destroyBuffer(context.Function<PFN_vkDestroyBuffer>("vkDestroyBuffer")), freeMemory(context.Function<PFN_vkFreeMemory>("vkFreeMemory")), allocateMemory(context.Function<PFN_vkAllocateMemory>("vkAllocateMemory")), mapMemory(context.Function<PFN_vkMapMemory>("vkMapMemory")), physical(context.physical), memoryProperties(context.memory), memoryProperties2(context.memoryProperties2) {
+BufferPool::BufferPool(const Context& context) : maxSlots(std::max<std::size_t>(1, std::min<std::size_t>(MaxSlots(), context.limits.maxMemoryAllocationCount / 8u))), cacheReclaim(context.cacheReclaim), device(context.device), unmap(context.Function<PFN_vkUnmapMemory>("vkUnmapMemory")), destroyBuffer(context.Function<PFN_vkDestroyBuffer>("vkDestroyBuffer")), freeMemory(context.Function<PFN_vkFreeMemory>("vkFreeMemory")), allocateMemory(context.Function<PFN_vkAllocateMemory>("vkAllocateMemory")), mapMemory(context.Function<PFN_vkMapMemory>("vkMapMemory")), physical(context.physical), memoryProperties(context.memory), memoryProperties2(context.memoryProperties2) {
     smallTier.budget = smallBudget;
     largeTier.budget = budget;
     deviceTier.budget = deviceBudget(context);
+    smallDeviceTier.budget = std::max<VkDeviceSize>(smallBudget, deviceTier.budget / 8u);
     memoryProperties = context.memory;
     physical = context.physical;
     memoryProperties2 = context.memoryProperties2;
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ BufferPool::BufferPool(const Context& context) : maxSlots(std::max<std::size_t>(
 }
 
 BufferPool::~BufferPool() {
-    for (auto* tier : {&smallTier, &largeTier, &deviceTier}) {
+    for (auto* tier : {&smallTier, &largeTier, &deviceTier, &smallDeviceTier}) {
         for (const auto& [key, slots] : tier->free) {
             for (const auto& slot : slots) destroy(slot.allocation);
         }
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ VkBufferUsageFlags BufferPool::Usage(VkBufferUsageFlags usage, VkMemoryPropertyF
 }
 
 BufferPool::Tier& BufferPool::tierFor(std::size_t capacity, VkMemoryPropertyFlags properties) {
-    if (DeviceTiered(properties) && (sharedTiers() || capacity >= classLimit)) return deviceTier;
+    if (DeviceTiered(properties)) return sharedTiers() || capacity >= classLimit ? deviceTier : smallDeviceTier;
     return !sharedTiers() && capacity < classLimit ? smallTier : largeTier;
 }
 
@@ -398,11 +399,11 @@ std::optional<BufferAllocation> BufferPool::Take(std::size_t bytes, VkBufferUsag
         const auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
         if (now - lastReport > std::chrono::seconds(10)) {
             lastReport = now;
-            AgcDriver::ProfilePrint_nid_no_patch("[bufferpool] small: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB); large: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB)%s; device: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB of %llu); images: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB of %llu)\n", static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallTier.evictions), smallTier.slots, smallTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(largeTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(largeTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(largeTier.evictions), largeTier.slots, largeTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, sharedTiers() ? " (shared)" : "", static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.evictions), deviceTier.slots, deviceTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.budget >> 20u), static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageHits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageMisses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageEvictions), imageSlots, imageBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageBudget >> 20u));
+            AgcDriver::ProfilePrint_nid_no_patch("[bufferpool] small: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB); large: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB)%s; device: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB of %llu); small device: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB of %llu); images: %llu hits, %llu misses, %llu evictions, %zu retained (%.0f MiB of %llu)\n", static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallTier.evictions), smallTier.slots, smallTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(largeTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(largeTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(largeTier.evictions), largeTier.slots, largeTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, sharedTiers() ? " (shared)" : "", static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.evictions), deviceTier.slots, deviceTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(deviceTier.budget >> 20u), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallDeviceTier.hits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallDeviceTier.misses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallDeviceTier.evictions), smallDeviceTier.slots, smallDeviceTier.retainedBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(smallDeviceTier.budget >> 20u), static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageHits), static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageMisses), static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageEvictions), imageSlots, imageBytes / 1048576.0, static_cast<unsigned long long>(imageBudget >> 20u));
         }
     }
     auto& tier = tierFor(capacity, properties);
-    const auto largest = &tier == &deviceTier && !exactSizes() && bytes <= std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max() / 2 ? std::max(capacity, bytes * 2) : capacity;
+    const auto largest = (&tier == &deviceTier || &tier == &smallDeviceTier) && !exactSizes() && bytes <= std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max() / 2 ? std::max(capacity, bytes * 2) : capacity;
     auto found = tier.free.end();
     for (auto size = capacity; size <= largest && found == tier.free.end(); size = NextCapacity(size)) found = tier.free.find({size, usage, properties});
     if (found == tier.free.end() || found->second.empty()) {
@@ -469,9 +470,10 @@ VkDeviceSize BufferPool::trim() {
     Tier retiredSmall;
     Tier retiredLarge;
     Tier retiredDevice;
+    Tier retiredSmallDevice;
     {
         std::lock_guard lock(mutex);
-        for (const auto& [tier, retired] : {std::pair{&smallTier, &retiredSmall}, std::pair{&largeTier, &retiredLarge}, std::pair{&deviceTier, &retiredDevice}}) {
+        for (const auto& [tier, retired] : {std::pair{&smallTier, &retiredSmall}, std::pair{&largeTier, &retiredLarge}, std::pair{&deviceTier, &retiredDevice}, std::pair{&smallDeviceTier, &retiredSmallDevice}}) {
             tier->free.swap(retired->free);
             tier->evictions += tier->slots;
             tier->retainedBytes = 0;
@@ -483,7 +485,7 @@ VkDeviceSize BufferPool::trim() {
         imageOrder.clear();
     }
     VkDeviceSize bytes = 0;
-    for (const auto* tier : {&retiredSmall, &retiredLarge, &retiredDevice}) {
+    for (const auto* tier : {&retiredSmall, &retiredLarge, &retiredDevice, &retiredSmallDevice}) {
         for (const auto& [key, slots] : tier->free) {
             for (const auto& slot : slots) bytes += destroy(slot.allocation);
         }
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/tests/BufferPool.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/tests/BufferPool.cpp
index abdf8f0166f4..d9bb3d3f8e65 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/tests/BufferPool.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libSceAgcDriver/tests/BufferPool.cpp
@@ -324,6 +324,26 @@ void SmallDeviceRetention() {
     Expect(mock.liveBytes == 0 && mock.liveBuffers.empty(), "device pool tier retention leaked Vulkan objects");
 }
 
+void SmallDeviceOwnTier() {
+    mock = MockDevice{};
+    {
+        auto context = mockContext();
+        constexpr auto usage = VK_BUFFER_USAGE_STORAGE_BUFFER_BIT | VK_BUFFER_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT;
+        VkDeviceMemory small = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+        {
+            DeviceBuffer buffer(context, 256 * 1024, usage);
+            small = MemoryOf(buffer.Handle());
+        }
+        std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Buffer>> host;
+        for (int i = 0; i < 160; ++i) host.push_back(std::make_unique<Buffer>(context, 512 * 1024, VK_BUFFER_USAGE_TRANSFER_SRC_BIT, HostVisible));
+        host.clear();
+        const auto made = mock.allocations;
+        DeviceBuffer again(context, 256 * 1024, usage);
+        Expect(MemoryOf(again.Handle()) == small && mock.allocations == made, "small host buffer churn evicted a retained small device buffer");
+    }
+    Expect(mock.liveBytes == 0 && mock.liveBuffers.empty(), "the small device tier leaked Vulkan objects");
+}
+
 void LargerClass() {
     mock = MockDevice{};
     auto context = mockContext();
@@ -1021,6 +1041,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         LargerClass();
         KeptUntilFence();
         SmallDeviceRetention();
+        SmallDeviceOwnTier();
         Budget();
         AddressAndHostUnchanged();
         SmallDeviceClasses();