diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.c
index e946408f945b..77c739a55b19 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ nouveau_fence_context_kill(struct nouveau_fence_chan *fctx, int error)
 		if (nouveau_fence_signal(fence))
 			nvif_event_block(&fctx->event);
 	}
+	fctx->killed = 1;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&fctx->lock, flags);
 }
 
@@ -229,6 +230,12 @@ nouveau_fence_emit(struct nouveau_fence *fence, struct nouveau_channel *chan)
 		dma_fence_get(&fence->base);
 		spin_lock_irq(&fctx->lock);
 
+		if (unlikely(fctx->killed)) {
+			spin_unlock_irq(&fctx->lock);
+			dma_fence_put(&fence->base);
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
+
 		if (nouveau_fence_update(chan, fctx))
 			nvif_event_block(&fctx->event);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.h
index 7c73c7c9834a..2c72d96ef17d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_fence.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ struct nouveau_fence_chan {
 	char name[32];
 
 	struct nvif_event event;
-	int notify_ref, dead;
+	int notify_ref, dead, killed;
 };
 
 struct nouveau_fence_priv {