diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c
index 5f0bc57fdaab5e..7ce3fde4074312 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_gem.c
@@ -379,6 +379,25 @@ validate_init(struct nouveau_channel *chan, struct drm_file *file_priv,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+validate_sync(struct nouveau_channel *chan, struct nouveau_bo *nvbo)
+{
+	struct nouveau_fence *fence = NULL;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	spin_lock(&nvbo->bo.bdev->fence_lock);
+	if (nvbo->bo.sync_obj)
+		fence = nouveau_fence_ref(nvbo->bo.sync_obj);
+	spin_unlock(&nvbo->bo.bdev->fence_lock);
+
+	if (fence) {
+		ret = nouveau_fence_sync(fence, chan);
+		nouveau_fence_unref(&fence);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int
 validate_list(struct nouveau_channel *chan, struct list_head *list,
 	      struct drm_nouveau_gem_pushbuf_bo *pbbo, uint64_t user_pbbo_ptr)
@@ -393,7 +412,7 @@ validate_list(struct nouveau_channel *chan, struct list_head *list,
 	list_for_each_entry(nvbo, list, entry) {
 		struct drm_nouveau_gem_pushbuf_bo *b = &pbbo[nvbo->pbbo_index];
 
-		ret = nouveau_fence_sync(nvbo->bo.sync_obj, chan);
+		ret = validate_sync(chan, nvbo);
 		if (unlikely(ret)) {
 			NV_ERROR(dev, "fail pre-validate sync\n");
 			return ret;
@@ -416,7 +435,7 @@ validate_list(struct nouveau_channel *chan, struct list_head *list,
 			return ret;
 		}
 
-		ret = nouveau_fence_sync(nvbo->bo.sync_obj, chan);
+		ret = validate_sync(chan, nvbo);
 		if (unlikely(ret)) {
 			NV_ERROR(dev, "fail post-validate sync\n");
 			return ret;