diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.c
index d21d05279..714b494f6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.c
@@ -545,15 +545,29 @@ int gk20a_sim_esc_read(struct gk20a *g, char *path, u32 index, u32 count, u32 *d
 static irqreturn_t gk20a_intr_isr_stall(int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
 	struct gk20a *g = dev_id;
+	irqreturn_t ret;
 
-	return g->ops.mc.isr_stall(g);
+	ret = g->ops.mc.isr_stall(g);
+	if (ret == IRQ_WAKE_THREAD) {
+		/* balanced in gk20a_intr_thread_stall() */
+		gk20a_busy_noresume(g->dev);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static irqreturn_t gk20a_intr_isr_nonstall(int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
 	struct gk20a *g = dev_id;
+	irqreturn_t ret;
 
-	return g->ops.mc.isr_nonstall(g);
+	ret = g->ops.mc.isr_nonstall(g);
+	if (ret == IRQ_WAKE_THREAD) {
+		/* balanced in gk20a_intr_thread_nonstall() */
+		gk20a_busy_noresume(g->dev);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 void gk20a_pbus_isr(struct gk20a *g)
@@ -593,13 +607,27 @@ void gk20a_pbus_isr(struct gk20a *g)
 static irqreturn_t gk20a_intr_thread_stall(int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
 	struct gk20a *g = dev_id;
-	return g->ops.mc.isr_thread_stall(g);
+	irqreturn_t ret;
+
+	ret = g->ops.mc.isr_thread_stall(g);
+
+	/* refcount taken in gk20a_intr_isr_stall() */
+	gk20a_idle_nosuspend(g->dev);
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static irqreturn_t gk20a_intr_thread_nonstall(int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
 	struct gk20a *g = dev_id;
-	return g->ops.mc.isr_thread_nonstall(g);
+	irqreturn_t ret;
+
+	ret = g->ops.mc.isr_thread_nonstall(g);
+
+	/* refcount taken in gk20a_intr_isr_nonstall() */
+	gk20a_idle_nosuspend(g->dev);
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 void gk20a_remove_support(struct device *dev)
@@ -1842,6 +1870,11 @@ fail:
 	return ret < 0 ? ret : 0;
 }
 
+void gk20a_idle_nosuspend(struct device *dev)
+{
+	pm_runtime_put_noidle(dev);
+}
+
 void gk20a_idle(struct device *dev)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_PM
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h
index b7f3f6f15..c7d12f862 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h
@@ -1060,6 +1060,7 @@ void gk20a_remove_sysfs(struct device *dev);
 
 void gk20a_busy_noresume(struct device *dev);
 int __must_check gk20a_busy(struct device *dev);
+void gk20a_idle_nosuspend(struct device *dev);
 void gk20a_idle(struct device *dev);
 void gk20a_disable(struct gk20a *g, u32 units);
 void gk20a_enable(struct gk20a *g, u32 units);