diff --git a/hipamd/vdi/hip_module.cpp b/hipamd/vdi/hip_module.cpp
index 66955fcf3d..b92155e518 100644
--- a/hipamd/vdi/hip_module.cpp
+++ b/hipamd/vdi/hip_module.cpp
@@ -528,6 +528,10 @@ hipError_t hipModuleGetTexRef(textureReference** texRef, hipModule_t hmod, const
     HIP_RETURN(hipErrorNotFound);
   }
 
+  // Texture references created by HIP driver API
+  // have the default read mode set to normalized float.
+  (*texRef)->readMode = hipReadModeNormalizedFloat;
+
   HIP_RETURN(hipSuccess);
 }
 
diff --git a/hipamd/vdi/hip_platform.cpp b/hipamd/vdi/hip_platform.cpp
index 57a37b02a5..4b0db00b1a 100644
--- a/hipamd/vdi/hip_platform.cpp
+++ b/hipamd/vdi/hip_platform.cpp
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@ bool PlatformState::getTexRef(const char* hostVar, hipModule_t hmod, textureRefe
     return false;
   }
 
-  *texRef = reinterpret_cast<textureReference *>(dvar->shadowVptr);
+  *texRef = new (dvar->shadowVptr) texture<char>{};
+
   return true;
 }