diff --git a/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-graphics-device.js b/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-graphics-device.js
index 8730ad4c93a..d817370840f 100644
--- a/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-graphics-device.js
+++ b/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-graphics-device.js
@@ -151,6 +151,14 @@ class WebgpuGraphicsDevice extends GraphicsDevice {
      */
     emptyBindGroup;
 
+    /**
+     * Monotonically increasing counter incremented each time queue.submit() is called.
+     *
+     * @type {number}
+     * @ignore
+     */
+    submitVersion = 0;
+
     /**
      * Current command buffer encoder.
      *
@@ -1117,6 +1125,7 @@ class WebgpuGraphicsDevice extends GraphicsDevice {
 
             this.wgpu.queue.submit(this.commandBuffers);
             this.commandBuffers.length = 0;
+            this.submitVersion++;
 
             // notify dynamic buffers
             this.dynamicBuffers.onCommandBuffersSubmitted();
diff --git a/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-upload-stream.js b/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-upload-stream.js
index 5c8e5a03ab5..72b9591eb6f 100644
--- a/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-upload-stream.js
+++ b/src/platform/graphics/webgpu/webgpu-upload-stream.js
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ class WebgpuUploadStream {
 
     _destroyed = false;
 
+    /**
+     * The device's _submitVersion at the time the last staging copy was recorded.
+     * Used to detect whether the copy has been submitted before the next upload.
+     *
+     * @type {number}
+     * @private
+     */
+    _lastUploadSubmitVersion = -1;
+
     /**
      * @param {UploadStream} uploadStream - The upload stream.
      */
@@ -138,6 +147,18 @@ class WebgpuUploadStream {
         const byteOffset = offset * data.BYTES_PER_ELEMENT;
         const byteSize = size * data.BYTES_PER_ELEMENT;
 
+        // Detect when a previous staging copy is still on an unsubmitted command buffer.
+        // update() will call mapAsync on that buffer, putting it in "mapping pending" state,
+        // which causes WebGPU validation errors ("buffer used in submit while mapped") when
+        // the command buffer is eventually submitted.
+        if (this.pendingStagingBuffers.length > 0) {
+            // @ts-ignore - submitVersion is available on WebgpuGraphicsDevice
+            Debug.assert(device.submitVersion !== this._lastUploadSubmitVersion,
+                'UploadStream: each instance can only upload once per submit. A previous staging ' +
+                'buffer copy has not been submitted yet. This causes WebGPU "buffer used in submit ' +
+                'while mapped" errors. Ensure the caller defers uploads to one per frame.');
+        }
+
         // Update staging buffers
         this.update(byteSize);
 
@@ -170,15 +191,11 @@ class WebgpuUploadStream {
             byteSize
         );
 
-        // Detect multiple uploads per frame (indicates command buffer hasn't been submitted yet)
-        Debug.assert(
-            this.pendingStagingBuffers.length === 0,
-            'Multiple WebGPU staging buffer uploads detected in the same frame before command buffer submission. ' +
-            'This can cause "buffer used while mapped" errors. Ensure only one upload occurs per frame.'
-        );
-
         // Track for recycling
         this.pendingStagingBuffers.push(buffer);
+
+        // @ts-ignore - submitVersion is available on WebgpuGraphicsDevice
+        this._lastUploadSubmitVersion = device.submitVersion;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-instance.js b/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-instance.js
index f66b92dc69f..d2a44e72319 100644
--- a/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-instance.js
+++ b/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-instance.js
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ class GSplatInstance {
     }
 
     update() {
+
+        // Apply deferred sort results (at most one upload per frame).
+        this.sorter?.applyPendingSorted();
+
         if (this.cameras.length > 0) {
 
             // sort by the first camera it's visible for
diff --git a/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-sorter.js b/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-sorter.js
index b13e71f3eb8..6d35ab265ca 100644
--- a/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-sorter.js
+++ b/src/scene/gsplat/gsplat-sorter.js
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ class GSplatSorter extends EventHandler {
     /** @type {UploadStream} */
     uploadStream;
 
+    /**
+     * Pending sorted result from the worker, applied on the next applyPendingSorted() call.
+     * When multiple results arrive between frames, only the latest is kept.
+     *
+     * @type {{ count: number, data: Uint32Array }|null}
+     */
+    pendingSorted = null;
+
     /**
      * @param {GraphicsDevice} device - The graphics device.
      * @param {import('../scene.js').Scene} [scene] - The scene to fire sort timing events on.
@@ -49,12 +57,13 @@ class GSplatSorter extends EventHandler {
                 order: oldOrder
             }, [oldOrder]);
 
-            // upload new order data to GPU
-            const data = new Uint32Array(newOrder);
+            // Store result for deferred application. Only the latest result is kept,
+            // avoiding redundant uploads when multiple worker messages arrive between frames.
             this.orderData = newOrder;
-            this.uploadStream.upload(data, this.target);
-
-            this.fire('updated', msgData.count);
+            this.pendingSorted = {
+                count: msgData.count,
+                data: new Uint32Array(newOrder)
+            };
         };
 
         const workerSource = `(${SortWorker.toString()})()`;
@@ -108,6 +117,19 @@ class GSplatSorter extends EventHandler {
         this.worker.postMessage(obj, transfer);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Applies the most recent pending sorted result (if any), uploading to GPU
+     * and firing the 'updated' event. Call once per frame from the instance's update().
+     */
+    applyPendingSorted() {
+        if (this.pendingSorted) {
+            const { count, data } = this.pendingSorted;
+            this.pendingSorted = null;
+            this.uploadStream.upload(data, this.target);
+            this.fire('updated', count);
+        }
+    }
+
     setMapping(mapping) {
         if (mapping) {
             const centers = new Float32Array(mapping.length * 3);