diff --git a/drivers/dma-buf/dma-fence.c b/drivers/dma-buf/dma-fence.c
index d64fc03929be..6081eb962490 100644
--- a/drivers/dma-buf/dma-fence.c
+++ b/drivers/dma-buf/dma-fence.c
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ EXPORT_TRACEPOINT_SYMBOL(dma_fence_signaled);
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(dma_fence_stub_lock);
 static struct dma_fence dma_fence_stub;
 
+struct drm_fence_private_stub {
+	struct dma_fence base;
+	spinlock_t lock;
+};
+
 /*
  * fence context counter: each execution context should have its own
  * fence context, this allows checking if fences belong to the same
@@ -123,7 +128,9 @@ static const struct dma_fence_ops dma_fence_stub_ops = {
 /**
  * dma_fence_get_stub - return a signaled fence
  *
- * Return a stub fence which is already signaled.
+ * Return a stub fence which is already signaled. The fence's
+ * timestamp corresponds to the first time after boot this
+ * function is called.
  */
 struct dma_fence *dma_fence_get_stub(void)
 {
@@ -141,6 +148,30 @@ struct dma_fence *dma_fence_get_stub(void)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(dma_fence_get_stub);
 
+/**
+ * dma_fence_allocate_private_stub - return a private, signaled fence
+ *
+ * Return a newly allocated and signaled stub fence.
+ */
+struct dma_fence *dma_fence_allocate_private_stub(void)
+{
+	struct drm_fence_private_stub *fence;
+
+	fence = kzalloc(sizeof(*fence), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (fence == NULL)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+
+	spin_lock_init(&fence->lock);
+	dma_fence_init(&fence->base,
+		       &dma_fence_stub_ops,
+		       &fence->lock,
+		       0, 0);
+	dma_fence_signal(&fence->base);
+
+	return &fence->base;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(dma_fence_allocate_private_stub);
+
 /**
  * dma_fence_context_alloc - allocate an array of fence contexts
  * @num: amount of contexts to allocate
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_syncobj.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_syncobj.c
index 349146049849..a54aa850d143 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_syncobj.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_syncobj.c
@@ -350,12 +350,16 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_syncobj_replace_fence);
  *
  * Assign a already signaled stub fence to the sync object.
  */
-static void drm_syncobj_assign_null_handle(struct drm_syncobj *syncobj)
+static int drm_syncobj_assign_null_handle(struct drm_syncobj *syncobj)
 {
-	struct dma_fence *fence = dma_fence_get_stub();
+	struct dma_fence *fence = dma_fence_allocate_private_stub();
+
+	if (IS_ERR(fence))
+		return PTR_ERR(fence);
 
 	drm_syncobj_replace_fence(syncobj, fence);
 	dma_fence_put(fence);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /* 5s default for wait submission */
@@ -469,6 +473,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_syncobj_free);
 int drm_syncobj_create(struct drm_syncobj **out_syncobj, uint32_t flags,
 		       struct dma_fence *fence)
 {
+	int ret;
 	struct drm_syncobj *syncobj;
 
 	syncobj = kzalloc(sizeof(struct drm_syncobj), GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -479,8 +484,13 @@ int drm_syncobj_create(struct drm_syncobj **out_syncobj, uint32_t flags,
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&syncobj->cb_list);
 	spin_lock_init(&syncobj->lock);
 
-	if (flags & DRM_SYNCOBJ_CREATE_SIGNALED)
-		drm_syncobj_assign_null_handle(syncobj);
+	if (flags & DRM_SYNCOBJ_CREATE_SIGNALED) {
+		ret = drm_syncobj_assign_null_handle(syncobj);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			drm_syncobj_put(syncobj);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (fence)
 		drm_syncobj_replace_fence(syncobj, fence);
@@ -1322,8 +1332,11 @@ drm_syncobj_signal_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < args->count_handles; i++)
-		drm_syncobj_assign_null_handle(syncobjs[i]);
+	for (i = 0; i < args->count_handles; i++) {
+		ret = drm_syncobj_assign_null_handle(syncobjs[i]);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			break;
+	}
 
 	drm_syncobj_array_free(syncobjs, args->count_handles);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/dma-fence.h b/include/linux/dma-fence.h
index 9f12efaaa93a..6ffb4b2c6371 100644
--- a/include/linux/dma-fence.h
+++ b/include/linux/dma-fence.h
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@ static inline signed long dma_fence_wait(struct dma_fence *fence, bool intr)
 }
 
 struct dma_fence *dma_fence_get_stub(void);
+struct dma_fence *dma_fence_allocate_private_stub(void);
 u64 dma_fence_context_alloc(unsigned num);
 
 #define DMA_FENCE_TRACE(f, fmt, args...) \
