diff --git a/wgpu-core/src/device/global.rs b/wgpu-core/src/device/global.rs
index 09bbef413a..5046c00ad6 100644
--- a/wgpu-core/src/device/global.rs
+++ b/wgpu-core/src/device/global.rs
@@ -180,11 +180,6 @@ impl Global {
                 trace.add(trace::Action::CreateBuffer(fid.id(), desc));
             }
 
-            if desc.usage.is_empty() {
-                // Per spec, `usage` must not be zero.
-                break 'error CreateBufferError::InvalidUsage(desc.usage);
-            }
-
             let buffer = match device.create_buffer(desc, false) {
                 Ok(buffer) => buffer,
                 Err(e) => {
diff --git a/wgpu-core/src/device/resource.rs b/wgpu-core/src/device/resource.rs
index 086ad86c2f..c0739e60c4 100644
--- a/wgpu-core/src/device/resource.rs
+++ b/wgpu-core/src/device/resource.rs
@@ -580,8 +580,6 @@ impl<A: HalApi> Device<A> {
             self.require_downlevel_flags(wgt::DownlevelFlags::UNRESTRICTED_INDEX_BUFFER)?;
         }
 
-        let mut usage = conv::map_buffer_usage(desc.usage);
-
         if desc.usage.is_empty() || desc.usage.contains_invalid_bits() {
             return Err(resource::CreateBufferError::InvalidUsage(desc.usage));
         }
@@ -600,6 +598,8 @@ impl<A: HalApi> Device<A> {
             }
         }
 
+        let mut usage = conv::map_buffer_usage(desc.usage);
+
         if desc.mapped_at_creation {
             if desc.size % wgt::COPY_BUFFER_ALIGNMENT != 0 {
                 return Err(resource::CreateBufferError::UnalignedSize);