diff --git a/include/gpgmm_d3d12.h b/include/gpgmm_d3d12.h
index 1154d5eba..bcbd8c5b8 100644
--- a/include/gpgmm_d3d12.h
+++ b/include/gpgmm_d3d12.h
@@ -779,7 +779,11 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
 
         /** \brief Specifies the adapter used by this allocator.
 
-        Required parameter. Use EnumAdapters to get the adapter.
+        The adapter is used to detect for additional device capabilities (by GPU vendor).
+        If the adapter is left unspecified, the capabiltities will not be detected and disabled by
+        CheckFeatureSupport.
+
+        Optional parameter. Use EnumAdapters to get the adapter.
         */
         Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<IDXGIAdapter> Adapter;
 
diff --git a/src/gpgmm/d3d12/CapsD3D12.cpp b/src/gpgmm/d3d12/CapsD3D12.cpp
index ac8066e5b..68026e5c1 100644
--- a/src/gpgmm/d3d12/CapsD3D12.cpp
+++ b/src/gpgmm/d3d12/CapsD3D12.cpp
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
 
     // static
     HRESULT Caps::CreateCaps(ID3D12Device* device, IDXGIAdapter* adapter, Caps** capsOut) {
-        DXGI_ADAPTER_DESC adapterDesc;
-        ReturnIfFailed(adapter->GetDesc(&adapterDesc));
+        if (device == nullptr) {
+            return E_INVALIDARG;
+        }
 
         std::unique_ptr<Caps> caps(new Caps());
         ReturnIfFailed(SetMaxResourceSize(device, &caps->mMaxResourceSize));
@@ -97,12 +98,23 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
         caps->mIsAdapterUMA = arch.UMA;
         caps->mIsAdapterCacheCoherentUMA = arch.CacheCoherentUMA;
 
-        // D3D12 has no feature to detect support and must be set manually.
-        if (adapterDesc.VendorId == static_cast<uint32_t>(GPUVendor::kIntel_VkVendor)) {
-            caps->mIsResourceAllocationWithinCoherent = true;
+        if (adapter != nullptr) {
+            DXGI_ADAPTER_DESC adapterDesc;
+            ReturnIfFailed(adapter->GetDesc(&adapterDesc));
+
+            // D3D12 has no feature to detect support and must be set manually.
+            if (adapterDesc.VendorId == static_cast<uint32_t>(GPUVendor::kIntel_VkVendor)) {
+                caps->mIsResourceAllocationWithinCoherent = true;
+            }
+        } else {
+            gpgmm::WarningLog()
+                << "DXGIAdapter was left unspecified. Not device capabilities could be detected.";
+        }
+
+        if (capsOut != nullptr) {
+            *capsOut = caps.release();
         }
 
-        *capsOut = caps.release();
         return S_OK;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/gpgmm/d3d12/ResourceAllocatorD3D12.cpp b/src/gpgmm/d3d12/ResourceAllocatorD3D12.cpp
index 8e6f92dc3..49a615cb0 100644
--- a/src/gpgmm/d3d12/ResourceAllocatorD3D12.cpp
+++ b/src/gpgmm/d3d12/ResourceAllocatorD3D12.cpp
@@ -381,23 +381,24 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
     HRESULT ResourceAllocator::CreateResourceAllocator(const ALLOCATOR_DESC& allocatorDescriptor,
                                                        IResourceAllocator** ppResourceAllocatorOut,
                                                        IResidencyManager** ppResidencyManagerOut) {
-        if (allocatorDescriptor.Device == nullptr || allocatorDescriptor.Adapter == nullptr) {
+        if (allocatorDescriptor.Device == nullptr) {
             return E_INVALIDARG;
         }
 
         ComPtr<IResidencyManager> residencyManager;
         if (ppResidencyManagerOut != nullptr) {
+            RESIDENCY_DESC residencyDesc = {};
+            residencyDesc.Device = allocatorDescriptor.Device;
+            ReturnIfFailed(allocatorDescriptor.Adapter.As(&residencyDesc.Adapter));
+
             std::unique_ptr<Caps> caps;
             {
                 Caps* ptr = nullptr;
-                ReturnIfFailed(Caps::CreateCaps(allocatorDescriptor.Device.Get(),
-                                                allocatorDescriptor.Adapter.Get(), &ptr));
+                ReturnIfFailed(Caps::CreateCaps(residencyDesc.Device.Get(),
+                                                residencyDesc.Adapter.Get(), &ptr));
                 caps.reset(ptr);
             }
 
-            RESIDENCY_DESC residencyDesc = {};
-            residencyDesc.Device = allocatorDescriptor.Device;
-            ReturnIfFailed(allocatorDescriptor.Adapter.As(&residencyDesc.Adapter));
             residencyDesc.IsUMA = caps->IsAdapterUMA();
             residencyDesc.MinLogLevel = allocatorDescriptor.MinLogLevel;
             residencyDesc.RecordOptions = allocatorDescriptor.RecordOptions;
@@ -426,7 +427,7 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
         const ALLOCATOR_DESC& allocatorDescriptor,
         IResidencyManager* pResidencyManager,
         IResourceAllocator** ppResourceAllocatorOut) {
-        if (allocatorDescriptor.Adapter == nullptr || allocatorDescriptor.Device == nullptr) {
+        if (allocatorDescriptor.Device == nullptr) {
             return E_INVALIDARG;
         }
 
@@ -439,7 +440,7 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
         }
 
         if (allocatorDescriptor.ResourceHeapTier > caps->GetMaxResourceHeapTierSupported()) {
-            gpgmm::ErrorLog() << "Resource heap tier exceeds the capabilities of the adapter "
+            gpgmm::ErrorLog() << "Resource heap tier exceeds the capabilities of the device "
                                  "(ResourceHeapTier:"
                               << allocatorDescriptor.ResourceHeapTier << " vs "
                               << caps->GetMaxResourceHeapTierSupported()
@@ -449,7 +450,7 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
 
         if (allocatorDescriptor.ResourceHeapTier < caps->GetMaxResourceHeapTierSupported()) {
             gpgmm::DebugLog()
-                << "Resource heap tier requested was lower than what the adapter "
+                << "Resource heap tier requested was lower than what the device "
                    "supports. This is allowed but not recommended because it prevents "
                    "resources of different categories from sharing the same heap.";
         }
@@ -489,7 +490,7 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
 
             gpgmm::DebugLog()
                 << "ALLOCATOR_FLAG_ALWAYS_IN_BUDGET was not requested but enabled "
-                   "anyway because the adapter did not support creating non-resident heaps.";
+                   "anyway because the device did not support creating non-resident heaps.";
         }
 
         newDescriptor.MaxResourceHeapSize =
@@ -508,7 +509,7 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
 
         if (newDescriptor.PreferredResourceHeapSize > newDescriptor.MaxResourceHeapSize) {
             gpgmm::ErrorLog() << "Requested preferred resource heap size exceeded the capabilities "
-                                 "of the adapter. This is probably not what the developer intended "
+                                 "of the device. This is probably not what the developer intended "
                                  "to do. Please consider using a smaller resource heap size.";
             return E_INVALIDARG;
         }
diff --git a/src/mvi/gpgmm_d3d12.cpp b/src/mvi/gpgmm_d3d12.cpp
index 9a108dc88..f138225fc 100644
--- a/src/mvi/gpgmm_d3d12.cpp
+++ b/src/mvi/gpgmm_d3d12.cpp
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ namespace gpgmm::d3d12 {
     HRESULT ResourceAllocator::CreateResourceAllocator(const ALLOCATOR_DESC& allocatorDescriptor,
                                                        IResourceAllocator** ppResourceAllocatorOut,
                                                        IResidencyManager** ppResidencyManagerOut) {
-        if (allocatorDescriptor.Device == nullptr || allocatorDescriptor.Adapter == nullptr) {
+        if (allocatorDescriptor.Device == nullptr) {
             return E_INVALIDARG;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/end2end/D3D12ResourceAllocatorTests.cpp b/src/tests/end2end/D3D12ResourceAllocatorTests.cpp
index 073aa3854..9de329d2a 100644
--- a/src/tests/end2end/D3D12ResourceAllocatorTests.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/end2end/D3D12ResourceAllocatorTests.cpp
@@ -117,14 +117,15 @@ TEST_F(D3D12ResourceAllocatorTests, CreateResourceAllocator) {
         EXPECT_EQ(resourceAllocator, nullptr);
     }
 
-    // Creating an allocator without an adapter should always fail.
+    // Creating an allocator without the adapter should always succeed.
+    // Should output warning messages that some capabilities were not detected.
     {
         ALLOCATOR_DESC desc = CreateBasicAllocatorDesc();
         desc.Adapter = nullptr;
 
         ComPtr<IResourceAllocator> resourceAllocator;
-        EXPECT_FAILED(CreateResourceAllocator(desc, &resourceAllocator, nullptr));
-        EXPECT_EQ(resourceAllocator, nullptr);
+        EXPECT_SUCCEEDED(CreateResourceAllocator(desc, &resourceAllocator, nullptr));
+        EXPECT_NE(resourceAllocator, nullptr);
     }
 
     // Creating a new allocator using the defaults should always succeed.