diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-context.m b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-context.m
index af9ff21436079..02147a0ea4a52 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-context.m
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-context.m
@@ -222,7 +222,28 @@ void ggml_metal_synchronize(ggml_metal_t ctx) {
         ctx->cmd_buf_last = nil;
     }
 
-    // release any completed command buffers
+    // check status of all command buffers
+    {
+        const int n_cb = ctx->n_cb;
+
+        for (int cb_idx = 0; cb_idx <= n_cb; ++cb_idx) {
+            id<MTLCommandBuffer> cmd_buf = ctx->cmd_bufs[cb_idx].obj;
+            if (!cmd_buf) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            MTLCommandBufferStatus status = [cmd_buf status];
+            if (status != MTLCommandBufferStatusCompleted) {
+                GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: error: command buffer %d failed with status %d\n", __func__, cb_idx, (int) status);
+                if (status == MTLCommandBufferStatusError) {
+                    GGML_LOG_ERROR("error: %s\n", [[cmd_buf error].localizedDescription UTF8String]);
+                }
+                GGML_ABORT("fatal error");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // release any completed extra command buffers
     if (ctx->cmd_bufs_ext.count > 0) {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < ctx->cmd_bufs_ext.count; ++i) {
             id<MTLCommandBuffer> cmd_buf = ctx->cmd_bufs_ext[i];
@@ -260,6 +281,8 @@ void ggml_metal_set_tensor_async(ggml_metal_t ctx, struct ggml_tensor * tensor,
                                                          length:size
                                                         options:MTLResourceStorageModeShared];
 
+        GGML_ASSERT(buf_src);
+
         struct ggml_metal_buffer_id bid_dst = ggml_metal_get_buffer_id(tensor);
         if (bid_dst.metal == nil) {
             GGML_ABORT("%s: failed to find buffer for tensor '%s'\n", __func__, tensor->name);
@@ -299,6 +322,8 @@ void ggml_metal_get_tensor_async(ggml_metal_t ctx, const struct ggml_tensor * te
                                                               options:MTLResourceStorageModeShared
                                                           deallocator:nil];
 
+        GGML_ASSERT(buf_dst);
+
         struct ggml_metal_buffer_id bid_src = ggml_metal_get_buffer_id(tensor);
         if (bid_src.metal == nil) {
             GGML_ABORT("%s: failed to find buffer for tensor '%s'\n", __func__, tensor->name);
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.m b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.m
index 5f744d1a0bd96..9c7e1f2c8fa47 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.m
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.m
@@ -1176,6 +1176,8 @@ void ggml_metal_buffer_set_tensor(ggml_metal_buffer_t buf, struct ggml_tensor *
                                                               options:MTLResourceStorageModeShared
                                                           deallocator:nil];
 
+        GGML_ASSERT(buf_src);
+
         // dst
         struct ggml_metal_buffer_id bid_dst = ggml_metal_buffer_get_id(buf, tensor);
         bid_dst.offs += offset;
@@ -1232,6 +1234,8 @@ void ggml_metal_buffer_get_tensor(ggml_metal_buffer_t buf, const struct ggml_ten
                                                               options:MTLResourceStorageModeShared
                                                           deallocator:nil];
 
+        GGML_ASSERT(buf_dst);
+
         id<MTLCommandQueue>  queue   = buf->queue;
         id<MTLCommandBuffer> cmd_buf = [queue commandBufferWithUnretainedReferences];