diff --git a/src/core/platform.cpp b/src/core/platform.cpp
index 45ea16582..14a58c64e 100644
--- a/src/core/platform.cpp
+++ b/src/core/platform.cpp
@@ -181,6 +181,14 @@ device_t::buildKernel(const std::string &filename,
   return _kernel;
 }
 occa::memory
+device_t::mallocHost(const dlong Nbytes)
+{
+  occa::properties props;
+  props["host"] = true;
+  occa::memory h_scratch = occa::device::malloc(Nbytes, props);
+  return h_scratch;
+}
+occa::memory
 device_t::malloc(const dlong Nbytes, const occa::properties& properties)
 {
   return occa::device::malloc(Nbytes, nullptr, properties);
diff --git a/src/core/platform.hpp b/src/core/platform.hpp
index 87f25184c..491fc53ea 100644
--- a/src/core/platform.hpp
+++ b/src/core/platform.hpp
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ class device_t : public occa::device{
     occa::memory malloc(const dlong Nbytes, const occa::properties& properties);
     occa::memory malloc(const dlong Nwords, const dlong wordSize, occa::memory src);
     occa::memory malloc(const dlong Nwords, const dlong wordSize);
+
+    occa::memory mallocHost(const dlong Nbytes);
+
     int id() const { return _device_id; }
   private:
     dlong bufferSize;
diff --git a/src/elliptic/linearSolver/PGMRES.cpp b/src/elliptic/linearSolver/PGMRES.cpp
index bbfd868b3..cb27b9cb7 100644
--- a/src/elliptic/linearSolver/PGMRES.cpp
+++ b/src/elliptic/linearSolver/PGMRES.cpp
@@ -56,9 +56,7 @@ GmresData::GmresData(elliptic_t* elliptic)
   const dlong Nbytes = restart * Nblock * sizeof(dfloat);
   //pinned scratch buffer
   {
-    occa::properties props = platform->kernelInfo;
-    props["host"] = true;
-    h_scratch = platform->device.malloc(Nbytes, props);
+    h_scratch = platform->device.mallocHost(Nbytes);
     scratch = (dfloat*) h_scratch.ptr();
   }
   o_scratch = platform->device.malloc(Nbytes);
diff --git a/src/linAlg/linAlg.cpp b/src/linAlg/linAlg.cpp
index f88c5381f..a8761ef8b 100644
--- a/src/linAlg/linAlg.cpp
+++ b/src/linAlg/linAlg.cpp
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ void linAlg_t::reallocScratch(const dlong Nbytes)
   if(o_scratch.size()) o_scratch.free();
   //pinned scratch buffer
   {
-    occa::properties props = kernelInfo;
-    props["host"] = true;
-    h_scratch = device.malloc(Nbytes, props);
+    h_scratch = device.mallocHost(Nbytes);
     scratch = (dfloat*) h_scratch.ptr();
   }
   o_scratch = device.malloc(Nbytes);