diff --git a/filament/backend/CMakeLists.txt b/filament/backend/CMakeLists.txt
index be00e2b07b3..9283f20f7a1 100644
--- a/filament/backend/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/filament/backend/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -526,6 +526,8 @@ if (APPLE AND NOT IOS)
 
 add_executable(metal_utils_test test/MetalTest.mm)
 
+target_compile_options(metal_utils_test PRIVATE "-fobjc-arc")
+
 target_link_libraries(metal_utils_test PRIVATE
         backend
         getopt
diff --git a/filament/backend/src/metal/MetalState.h b/filament/backend/src/metal/MetalState.h
index 1e14cddc258..3948c78aec9 100644
--- a/filament/backend/src/metal/MetalState.h
+++ b/filament/backend/src/metal/MetalState.h
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ class MetalBufferBindings {
 
 private:
     static_assert(N <= 8);
-    std::array<__unsafe_unretained id<MTLBuffer>, N> mBuffers = { nil };
+    std::array<__weak id<MTLBuffer>, N> mBuffers = { nil };
     std::array<NSUInteger, N> mOffsets = { 0 };
     utils::bitset8 mDirtyBuffers;
     utils::bitset8 mDirtyOffsets;