diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_bb.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_bb.c
index 7172801ee570..3deb2d55f421 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_bb.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_bb.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct xe_bb *xe_bb_new(struct xe_gt *gt, u32 dwords, bool usm)
 	 * space to accomodate the platform-specific hardware prefetch
 	 * requirements.
 	 */
-	bb->bo = xe_sa_bo_new(!usm ? &gt->kernel_bb_pool : &gt->usm.bb_pool,
+	bb->bo = xe_sa_bo_new(!usm ? gt->kernel_bb_pool : gt->usm.bb_pool,
 			      4 * (dwords + 1) + bb_prefetch(gt));
 	if (IS_ERR(bb->bo)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(bb->bo);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt.c
index daaf93e23bbf..4186f7f0d42f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int emit_nop_job(struct xe_gt *gt, struct xe_engine *e)
 	if (IS_ERR(bb))
 		return PTR_ERR(bb);
 
-	batch_ofs = xe_bo_ggtt_addr(gt->kernel_bb_pool.bo);
+	batch_ofs = xe_bo_ggtt_addr(gt->kernel_bb_pool->bo);
 	job = xe_bb_create_wa_job(e, bb, batch_ofs);
 	if (IS_ERR(job)) {
 		xe_bb_free(bb, NULL);
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ static int emit_wa_job(struct xe_gt *gt, struct xe_engine *e)
 		}
 	}
 
-	batch_ofs = xe_bo_ggtt_addr(gt->kernel_bb_pool.bo);
+	batch_ofs = xe_bo_ggtt_addr(gt->kernel_bb_pool->bo);
 	job = xe_bb_create_wa_job(e, bb, batch_ofs);
 	if (IS_ERR(job)) {
 		xe_bb_free(bb, NULL);
@@ -439,26 +439,32 @@ static int all_fw_domain_init(struct xe_gt *gt)
 	if (err)
 		goto err_force_wake;
 
-	/*
-	 * FIXME: This should be ok as SA should only be used by gt->migrate and
-	 * vm->gt->migrate and both should be pointing to a non-media GT. But to
-	 * realy safe, convert gt->kernel_bb_pool to a pointer and point a media
-	 * GT to the kernel_bb_pool on a real tile.
-	 */
 	if (!xe_gt_is_media_type(gt)) {
-		err = xe_sa_bo_manager_init(gt, &gt->kernel_bb_pool, SZ_1M, 16);
-		if (err)
+		gt->kernel_bb_pool = xe_sa_bo_manager_init(gt, SZ_1M, 16);
+		if (IS_ERR(gt->kernel_bb_pool)) {
+			err = PTR_ERR(gt->kernel_bb_pool);
 			goto err_force_wake;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * USM has its only SA pool to non-block behind user operations
 		 */
 		if (gt_to_xe(gt)->info.supports_usm) {
-			err = xe_sa_bo_manager_init(gt, &gt->usm.bb_pool,
-						    SZ_1M, 16);
-			if (err)
+			gt->usm.bb_pool = xe_sa_bo_manager_init(gt, SZ_1M, 16);
+			if (IS_ERR(gt->usm.bb_pool)) {
+				err = PTR_ERR(gt->usm.bb_pool);
 				goto err_force_wake;
+			}
 		}
+	} else {
+		struct xe_gt *full_gt = xe_find_full_gt(gt);
+
+		/*
+		 * Media GT's kernel_bb_pool is only used while recording the
+		 * default context during GT init.  The USM pool should never
+		 * be needed on the media GT.
+		 */
+		gt->kernel_bb_pool = full_gt->kernel_bb_pool;
 	}
 
 	if (!xe_gt_is_media_type(gt)) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_debugfs.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_debugfs.c
index 9fab8017490f..c45486c2015a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_debugfs.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_debugfs.c
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ static int sa_info(struct seq_file *m, void *data)
 	struct xe_gt *gt = node_to_gt(m->private);
 	struct drm_printer p = drm_seq_file_printer(m);
 
-	drm_suballoc_dump_debug_info(&gt->kernel_bb_pool.base, &p,
-				     gt->kernel_bb_pool.gpu_addr);
+	drm_suballoc_dump_debug_info(&gt->kernel_bb_pool->base, &p,
+				     gt->kernel_bb_pool->gpu_addr);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_types.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_types.h
index 9d3117fad2e4..7c47d67aa8be 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_types.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_gt_types.h
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ struct xe_gt {
 		 * behind any user operations which may have resulted in a
 		 * fault.
 		 */
-		struct xe_sa_manager bb_pool;
+		struct xe_sa_manager *bb_pool;
 		/**
 		 * @reserved_bcs_instance: reserved BCS instance used for USM
 		 * operations (e.g. mmigrations, fixing page tables)
@@ -304,8 +304,12 @@ struct xe_gt {
 	/** @hw_engines: hardware engines on the GT */
 	struct xe_hw_engine hw_engines[XE_NUM_HW_ENGINES];
 
-	/** @kernel_bb_pool: Pool from which batchbuffers are allocated */
-	struct xe_sa_manager kernel_bb_pool;
+	/**
+	 * @kernel_bb_pool: Pool from which batchbuffers are allocated.
+	 *
+	 * Media GT shares a pool with its primary GT.
+	 */
+	struct xe_sa_manager *kernel_bb_pool;
 
 	/** @migrate: Migration helper for vram blits and clearing */
 	struct xe_migrate *migrate;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c
index 13cfb7ad2850..2169d687ba3f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static int xe_migrate_prepare_vm(struct xe_gt *gt, struct xe_migrate *m,
 	u32 num_entries = NUM_PT_SLOTS, num_level = vm->pt_root[id]->level;
 	u32 map_ofs, level, i;
 	struct xe_device *xe = gt_to_xe(m->gt);
-	struct xe_bo *bo, *batch = gt->kernel_bb_pool.bo;
+	struct xe_bo *bo, *batch = gt->kernel_bb_pool->bo;
 	u64 entry;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ static int xe_migrate_prepare_vm(struct xe_gt *gt, struct xe_migrate *m,
 		m->batch_base_ofs = xe_migrate_vram_ofs(batch_addr);
 
 		if (xe->info.supports_usm) {
-			batch = gt->usm.bb_pool.bo;
+			batch = gt->usm.bb_pool->bo;
 			batch_addr = xe_bo_addr(batch, 0, GEN8_PAGE_SIZE,
 						&is_vram);
 			m->usm_batch_base_ofs = xe_migrate_vram_ofs(batch_addr);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.c
index 96c4b0ef24fe..c16f7c14ff52 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.c
@@ -33,13 +33,18 @@ static void xe_sa_bo_manager_fini(struct drm_device *drm, void *arg)
 	sa_manager->bo = NULL;
 }
 
-int xe_sa_bo_manager_init(struct xe_gt *gt,
-			  struct xe_sa_manager *sa_manager,
-			  u32 size, u32 align)
+struct xe_sa_manager *xe_sa_bo_manager_init(struct xe_gt *gt, u32 size, u32 align)
 {
 	struct xe_device *xe = gt_to_xe(gt);
 	u32 managed_size = size - SZ_4K;
 	struct xe_bo *bo;
+	int ret;
+
+	struct xe_sa_manager *sa_manager = drmm_kzalloc(&gt_to_xe(gt)->drm,
+							sizeof(*sa_manager),
+							GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!sa_manager)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	sa_manager->bo = NULL;
 
@@ -49,7 +54,7 @@ int xe_sa_bo_manager_init(struct xe_gt *gt,
 	if (IS_ERR(bo)) {
 		drm_err(&xe->drm, "failed to allocate bo for sa manager: %ld\n",
 			PTR_ERR(bo));
-		return PTR_ERR(bo);
+		return (struct xe_sa_manager *)bo;
 	}
 	sa_manager->bo = bo;
 
@@ -61,15 +66,19 @@ int xe_sa_bo_manager_init(struct xe_gt *gt,
 		if (!sa_manager->cpu_ptr) {
 			xe_bo_unpin_map_no_vm(sa_manager->bo);
 			sa_manager->bo = NULL;
-			return -ENOMEM;
+			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 		}
 	} else {
 		sa_manager->cpu_ptr = bo->vmap.vaddr;
 		memset(sa_manager->cpu_ptr, 0, bo->ttm.base.size);
 	}
 
-	return drmm_add_action_or_reset(&xe->drm, xe_sa_bo_manager_fini,
-					sa_manager);
+	ret = drmm_add_action_or_reset(&xe->drm, xe_sa_bo_manager_fini,
+				       sa_manager);
+	if (ret)
+		return ERR_PTR(ret);
+
+	return sa_manager;
 }
 
 struct drm_suballoc *xe_sa_bo_new(struct xe_sa_manager *sa_manager,
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.h
index 742282ef7179..3063fb34c720 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_sa.h
@@ -11,9 +11,7 @@ struct dma_fence;
 struct xe_bo;
 struct xe_gt;
 
-int xe_sa_bo_manager_init(struct xe_gt *gt,
-			  struct xe_sa_manager *sa_manager,
-			  u32 size, u32 align);
+struct xe_sa_manager *xe_sa_bo_manager_init(struct xe_gt *gt, u32 size, u32 align);
 
 struct drm_suballoc *xe_sa_bo_new(struct xe_sa_manager *sa_manager,
 				  u32 size);