diff --git a/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.cpp b/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.cpp
index 6ad8cf5e0a..3826fe758d 100644
--- a/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.cpp
+++ b/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "VulkanRaytracing.h"
 
+#include "VulkanDeletionQueue.h"
+
 namespace graphics::vulkan {
 
 namespace {
@@ -222,17 +224,36 @@ uint64_t VulkanRaytracingManager::makeKey(int pm_id, int submodel_num)
 
 void VulkanRaytracingManager::destroyBlasEntry(BlasEntry& entry)
 {
-	entry.accelStruct.reset();
+	// TLASes in frames still in flight hold this BLAS's device address, so defer like ensureTlasCapacity does
+	if (entry.accelStruct) {
+		getDeletionQueue()->queueAccelerationStructure(entry.accelStruct.release());
+	}
 
 	if (entry.buffer) {
-		m_device.destroyBuffer(entry.buffer);
+		getDeletionQueue()->queueBuffer(entry.buffer, entry.allocation);
 		entry.buffer = nullptr;
-	}
-	if (entry.allocation.isValid()) {
+		entry.allocation = VulkanAllocation();
+	} else if (entry.allocation.isValid()) {
 		m_memoryManager->freeAllocation(entry.allocation);
 	}
 }
 
+void VulkanRaytracingManager::retireBuiltTlases()
+{
+	// a built TLAS may still point at a retired BLAS, and screens that never rebuild the TLAS would keep binding it
+	for (auto& frame : m_frameTlas) {
+		if (frame.tlas) {
+			getDeletionQueue()->queueAccelerationStructure(frame.tlas.release());
+		}
+		if (frame.tlasBuffer) {
+			getDeletionQueue()->queueBuffer(frame.tlasBuffer, frame.tlasAllocation);
+			frame.tlasBuffer = nullptr;
+			frame.tlasAllocation = VulkanAllocation();
+		}
+		frame.tlasCapacity = 0;
+	}
+}
+
 vk::CommandBuffer VulkanRaytracingManager::beginSingleTimeCommands()
 {
 	vk::CommandBufferAllocateInfo allocInfo;
diff --git a/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.h b/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.h
index 970a108ee8..c1f97fac32 100644
--- a/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.h
+++ b/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracing.h
@@ -93,8 +93,9 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * @brief Purge all cached BLASes for a model and free their GPU resources.
 	 * Called from model_unload()/model_free_all() before the model is destroyed.
+	 * @return true if any BLAS was retired (the shadow TLAS binding must then be refreshed)
 	 */
-	void onModelUnloaded(int pm_id);
+	bool onModelUnloaded(int pm_id);
 
 	/**
 	 * @brief Rebuild the top-level acceleration structure for this frame from
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ private:
 	const BlasEntry* getOrBuildBlasEntry(int pm_id, int submodel_num);
 
 	void destroyBlasEntry(BlasEntry& entry);
+	void retireBuiltTlases();
 
 	bool createRawBuffer(vk::DeviceSize size,
 		vk::BufferUsageFlags usage,
diff --git a/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracingBlas.cpp b/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracingBlas.cpp
index b44d9741ed..b0a8b99fb8 100644
--- a/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracingBlas.cpp
+++ b/code/graphics/vulkan/VulkanRaytracingBlas.cpp
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ const VulkanRaytracingManager::BlasEntry* VulkanRaytracingManager::getOrBuildBla
 		// address) -- destroy and fall through to rebuild.
 		destroyBlasEntry(it->second);
 		m_blasCache.erase(it);
+		retireBuiltTlases();
 	}
 
 	BlasEntry entry;
@@ -236,20 +237,27 @@ void VulkanRaytracingManager::onModelLoaded(int pm_id)
 	}
 }
 
-void VulkanRaytracingManager::onModelUnloaded(int pm_id)
+bool VulkanRaytracingManager::onModelUnloaded(int pm_id)
 {
 	if (!m_enabled) {
-		return;
+		return false;
 	}
 
+	bool retired = false;
 	for (auto it = m_blasCache.begin(); it != m_blasCache.end();) {
 		if (static_cast<int>(it->first >> 32) == pm_id) {
 			destroyBlasEntry(it->second);
 			it = m_blasCache.erase(it);
+			retired = true;
 		} else {
 			++it;
 		}
 	}
+
+	if (retired) {
+		retireBuiltTlases();
+	}
+	return retired;
 }
 
 } // namespace graphics::vulkan
diff --git a/code/graphics/vulkan/gr_vulkan.cpp b/code/graphics/vulkan/gr_vulkan.cpp
index 36bedcb4a0..e046dcd466 100644
--- a/code/graphics/vulkan/gr_vulkan.cpp
+++ b/code/graphics/vulkan/gr_vulkan.cpp
@@ -68,7 +68,10 @@ void vulkan_model_loaded(int pm_id)
 void vulkan_model_unloaded(int pm_id)
 {
 	if (auto* rt = getRaytracingManager()) {
-		rt->onModelUnloaded(pm_id);
+		if (rt->onModelUnloaded(pm_id)) {
+			getDescriptorManager()->setCurrentShadowTlas(rt->getTlasForShaderBinding());
+			getDrawManager()->invalidateGlobalSet();
+		}
 	}
 }