diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_serialise.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_serialise.cpp
index 9f14bcb31..f08a01fcc 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_serialise.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/d3d12/d3d12_serialise.cpp
@@ -1920,7 +1920,9 @@ void DoSerialise(SerialiserType &ser, D3D12_BUILD_RAYTRACING_ACCELERATION_STRUCT
         }
       }
 
-      SERIALISE_ELEMENT_ARRAY(tempDescs, el.NumDescs).Named("ppGeometryDescs");
+      // not using SERIALISE_ELEMENT_ARRAY so we can deliberately avoid allocation and so that the
+      // array isn't immediately freed
+      ser.Serialise("ppGeometryDescs"_lit, tempDescs, el.NumDescs, SerialiserFlags::NoFlags);
 
       if(ser.IsReading())
       {