diff --git a/tinygrad/runtime/ops_amd.py b/tinygrad/runtime/ops_amd.py
index 76ee47e397..6f4327e8f8 100644
--- a/tinygrad/runtime/ops_amd.py
+++ b/tinygrad/runtime/ops_amd.py
@@ -351,12 +351,8 @@ class AMDAllocator(HCQCompatAllocator):
   def __init__(self, device:AMDDevice): super().__init__(device, batch_size=SDMA_MAX_COPY_SIZE)
 
   def _alloc(self, size:int, options:BufferOptions) -> HCQCompatAllocRes:
-    try:
-      if options.host: return self.device._gpu_alloc(size, kfd.KFD_IOC_ALLOC_MEM_FLAGS_USERPTR, public=True)
-      return self.device._gpu_alloc(size, kfd.KFD_IOC_ALLOC_MEM_FLAGS_VRAM, public=options.cpu_access)
-    except OSError as e:
-      if e.errno == errno.ENOMEM: raise MemoryError("Cannot allocate memory") from e
-      raise
+    if options.host: return self.device._gpu_alloc(size, kfd.KFD_IOC_ALLOC_MEM_FLAGS_USERPTR, public=True)
+    return self.device._gpu_alloc(size, kfd.KFD_IOC_ALLOC_MEM_FLAGS_VRAM, public=options.cpu_access)
 
   def _free(self, opaque, options:BufferOptions): self.device._gpu_free(opaque)
 
@@ -394,7 +390,14 @@ class AMDDevice(HCQCompatCompiled):
     else:
       buf, addr = 0, libc.mmap(0, size, 0, mmap.MAP_PRIVATE|mmap.MAP_ANONYMOUS|MAP_NORESERVE, -1, 0)
     assert addr != 0xffffffffffffffff
-    mem = kio.alloc_memory_of_gpu(self.kfd, va_addr=addr, size=size, base=addr, length=size, gpu_id=self.gpu_id, flags=flags, mmap_offset=buf)
+
+    try: mem = kio.alloc_memory_of_gpu(self.kfd, va_addr=addr, size=size, base=addr, length=size, gpu_id=self.gpu_id, flags=flags, mmap_offset=buf)
+    except OSError as e:
+      if e.errno == errno.EINVAL and (flags & kfd.KFD_IOC_ALLOC_MEM_FLAGS_VRAM) and public:
+        raise MemoryError("Cannot allocate host-visible VRAM. Ensure the resizable BAR option is enabled on your system.") from e
+      if e.errno == errno.ENOMEM: raise MemoryError("Cannot allocate memory: no memory is available.") from e
+      raise
+
     if not (flags & kfd.KFD_IOC_ALLOC_MEM_FLAGS_USERPTR):
       buf = libc.mmap(mem.va_addr, mem.size, mmap.PROT_READ|mmap.PROT_WRITE, mmap.MAP_SHARED|MAP_FIXED, self.drm_fd, mem.mmap_offset)
       assert addr == buf == mem.va_addr