diff --git a/sycl/include/CL/sycl/usm/usm_allocator.hpp b/sycl/include/CL/sycl/usm/usm_allocator.hpp
index f821175205c03..e24a37eeff0d4 100644
--- a/sycl/include/CL/sycl/usm/usm_allocator.hpp
+++ b/sycl/include/CL/sycl/usm/usm_allocator.hpp
@@ -56,16 +56,16 @@ class usm_allocator {
   /// object.
   /// \param Val is a value to initialize the newly constructed object.
   template <
-      usm::alloc AllocT = AllocKind,
+      typename... ArgsT, usm::alloc AllocT = AllocKind,
       typename std::enable_if<AllocT != usm::alloc::device, int>::type = 0>
-  void construct(pointer Ptr, const_reference Val) {
-    new (Ptr) value_type(Val);
+  void construct(pointer Ptr, ArgsT &&... Args) {
+    new (Ptr) value_type(std::forward<ArgsT>(Args)...);
   }
 
   template <
-      usm::alloc AllocT = AllocKind,
+      typename... ArgsT, usm::alloc AllocT = AllocKind,
       typename std::enable_if<AllocT == usm::alloc::device, int>::type = 0>
-  void construct(pointer, const_reference) {
+  void construct(pointer, ArgsT &&...) {
     throw feature_not_supported(
         "Device pointers do not support construct on host",
         PI_INVALID_OPERATION);
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ class usm_allocator {
       usm::alloc AllocT = AllocKind,
       typename std::enable_if<AllocT == usm::alloc::device, int>::type = 0>
   void destroy(pointer) {
-    // This method must be a NOP for device pointers.
+    throw feature_not_supported(
+        "Device pointers do not support construct on host",
+        PI_INVALID_OPERATION);
   }
 
   /// Note:: AllocKind == alloc::device is not allowed.
diff --git a/sycl/test/usm/allocator_vector.cpp b/sycl/test/usm/allocator_vector.cpp
index 265c071e1cf0e..66b707715fa51 100644
--- a/sycl/test/usm/allocator_vector.cpp
+++ b/sycl/test/usm/allocator_vector.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include <CL/sycl.hpp>
 
+#include <memory>
 #include <vector>
 
 using namespace cl::sycl;
@@ -91,15 +92,14 @@ int main() {
   if (dev.get_info<info::device::usm_device_allocations>()) {
     usm_allocator<int, usm::alloc::device> alloc(ctxt, dev);
 
-    std::vector<int, decltype(alloc)> vec(alloc);
-    vec.resize(N);
+    auto AllocDeleter = [&](int *ptr) { alloc.deallocate(ptr, N); };
+    std::unique_ptr<int, decltype(AllocDeleter)> mem(alloc.allocate(N),
+                                                     AllocDeleter);
 
-    int *res = &vec[0];
-    int *vals = &vec[0];
+    int *vals = mem.get();
 
     auto e0 = q.submit([=](handler &h) {
       h.single_task<class baz_init>([=]() {
-        res[0] = 0;
         for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
           vals[i] = i;
         }
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ int main() {
       h.depends_on(e0);
       h.single_task<class baz>([=]() {
         for (int i = 1; i < N; i++) {
-          res[0] += vals[i];
+          vals[0] += vals[i];
         }
       });
     });
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ int main() {
 
     int answer = (N * (N - 1)) / 2;
     int result;
-    q.memcpy(&result, res, sizeof(int));
+    q.memcpy(&result, vals, sizeof(int));
     q.wait();
 
     if (result != answer)