diff --git a/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmm.cxx b/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmm.cxx
index e870341ff..6e3038122 100644
--- a/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmm.cxx
+++ b/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmm.cxx
@@ -94,10 +94,13 @@ void spmm_optimize(sycl::queue &queue, oneapi::mkl::transpose opA, oneapi::mkl::
                    oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmm_descr_t /*spmm_descr*/,
                    sycl::buffer<std::uint8_t, 1> /*workspace*/) {
     check_valid_spmm(__FUNCTION__, queue, opA, A_view, A_handle, B_handle, C_handle, alpha, beta);
+    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
+    if (!internal_A_handle->all_use_buffer()) {
+        detail::throw_incompatible_container(__FUNCTION__);
+    }
     if (alg == oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmm_alg::no_optimize_alg) {
         return;
     }
-    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
     internal_A_handle->can_be_reset = false;
     // TODO: Add support for spmm_optimize once the close-source oneMKL backend supports it.
 }
@@ -112,10 +115,13 @@ sycl::event spmm_optimize(sycl::queue &queue, oneapi::mkl::transpose opA,
                           oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmm_descr_t /*spmm_descr*/, void * /*workspace*/,
                           const std::vector<sycl::event> &dependencies) {
     check_valid_spmm(__FUNCTION__, queue, opA, A_view, A_handle, B_handle, C_handle, alpha, beta);
+    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
+    if (internal_A_handle->all_use_buffer()) {
+        detail::throw_incompatible_container(__FUNCTION__);
+    }
     if (alg == oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmm_alg::no_optimize_alg) {
         return detail::collapse_dependencies(queue, dependencies);
     }
-    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
     internal_A_handle->can_be_reset = false;
     // TODO: Add support for spmm_optimize once the close-source oneMKL backend supports it.
     return detail::collapse_dependencies(queue, dependencies);
diff --git a/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmv.cxx b/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmv.cxx
index 73efe4e7d..6950dc700 100644
--- a/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmv.cxx
+++ b/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spmv.cxx
@@ -80,11 +80,14 @@ void spmv_optimize(sycl::queue &queue, oneapi::mkl::transpose opA, const void *a
                    oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmv_descr_t /*spmv_descr*/,
                    sycl::buffer<std::uint8_t, 1> /*workspace*/) {
     check_valid_spmv(__FUNCTION__, queue, A_view, A_handle, x_handle, y_handle, alpha, beta);
+    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
+    if (!internal_A_handle->all_use_buffer()) {
+        detail::throw_incompatible_container(__FUNCTION__);
+    }
     if (alg == oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmv_alg::no_optimize_alg) {
         return;
     }
     sycl::event event;
-    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
     internal_A_handle->can_be_reset = false;
     if (A_view.type_view == matrix_descr::triangular) {
         event = oneapi::mkl::sparse::optimize_trmv(queue, A_view.uplo_view, opA, A_view.diag_view,
@@ -111,10 +114,13 @@ sycl::event spmv_optimize(sycl::queue &queue, oneapi::mkl::transpose opA, const
                           oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmv_descr_t /*spmv_descr*/, void * /*workspace*/,
                           const std::vector<sycl::event> &dependencies) {
     check_valid_spmv(__FUNCTION__, queue, A_view, A_handle, x_handle, y_handle, alpha, beta);
+    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
+    if (internal_A_handle->all_use_buffer()) {
+        detail::throw_incompatible_container(__FUNCTION__);
+    }
     if (alg == oneapi::mkl::sparse::spmv_alg::no_optimize_alg) {
         return detail::collapse_dependencies(queue, dependencies);
     }
-    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
     internal_A_handle->can_be_reset = false;
     if (A_view.type_view == matrix_descr::triangular) {
         return oneapi::mkl::sparse::optimize_trmv(queue, A_view.uplo_view, opA, A_view.diag_view,
diff --git a/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spsv.cxx b/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spsv.cxx
index bd8094f90..8fef1339d 100644
--- a/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spsv.cxx
+++ b/src/sparse_blas/backends/mkl_common/mkl_spsv.cxx
@@ -80,10 +80,13 @@ void spsv_optimize(sycl::queue &queue, oneapi::mkl::transpose opA, const void *a
                    oneapi::mkl::sparse::spsv_descr_t /*spsv_descr*/,
                    sycl::buffer<std::uint8_t, 1> /*workspace*/) {
     check_valid_spsv(__FUNCTION__, queue, A_view, A_handle, x_handle, y_handle, alpha, alg);
+    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
+    if (!internal_A_handle->all_use_buffer()) {
+        detail::throw_incompatible_container(__FUNCTION__);
+    }
     if (alg == oneapi::mkl::sparse::spsv_alg::no_optimize_alg) {
         return;
     }
-    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
     internal_A_handle->can_be_reset = false;
     auto event = oneapi::mkl::sparse::optimize_trsv(queue, A_view.uplo_view, opA, A_view.diag_view,
                                                     internal_A_handle->backend_handle);
@@ -100,10 +103,13 @@ sycl::event spsv_optimize(sycl::queue &queue, oneapi::mkl::transpose opA, const
                           oneapi::mkl::sparse::spsv_descr_t /*spsv_descr*/, void * /*workspace*/,
                           const std::vector<sycl::event> &dependencies) {
     check_valid_spsv(__FUNCTION__, queue, A_view, A_handle, x_handle, y_handle, alpha, alg);
+    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
+    if (internal_A_handle->all_use_buffer()) {
+        detail::throw_incompatible_container(__FUNCTION__);
+    }
     if (alg == oneapi::mkl::sparse::spsv_alg::no_optimize_alg) {
         return detail::collapse_dependencies(queue, dependencies);
     }
-    auto internal_A_handle = detail::get_internal_handle(A_handle);
     internal_A_handle->can_be_reset = false;
     return oneapi::mkl::sparse::optimize_trsv(queue, A_view.uplo_view, opA, A_view.diag_view,
                                               internal_A_handle->backend_handle, dependencies);
diff --git a/src/sparse_blas/generic_container.hpp b/src/sparse_blas/generic_container.hpp
index 46732722d..53bd50837 100644
--- a/src/sparse_blas/generic_container.hpp
+++ b/src/sparse_blas/generic_container.hpp
@@ -269,6 +269,12 @@ struct generic_sparse_handle {
     }
 };
 
+inline void throw_incompatible_container(const std::string& function_name) {
+    throw oneapi::mkl::invalid_argument(
+        "sparse_blas", function_name,
+        "Incompatible container types. All inputs and outputs must use the same container: buffer or USM");
+}
+
 /**
  * Check that all internal containers use the same container.
 */
@@ -279,9 +285,7 @@ void check_all_containers_use_buffers(const std::string& function_name,
     bool first_use_buffer = first_internal_container->all_use_buffer();
     for (const auto internal_container : { internal_containers... }) {
         if (internal_container->all_use_buffer() != first_use_buffer) {
-            throw oneapi::mkl::invalid_argument(
-                "sparse_blas", function_name,
-                "Incompatible container types. All inputs and outputs must use the same container: buffer or USM");
+            throw_incompatible_container(function_name);
         }
     }
 }