diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.c
index 129921ad4..38cb368c8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.c
@@ -827,11 +827,12 @@ static int gk20a_init_error_notifier(struct channel_gk20a *ch,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void gk20a_set_error_notifier(struct channel_gk20a *ch, __u32 error)
+/**
+ * gk20a_set_error_notifier_locked()
+ * Should be called with ch->error_notifier_mutex held
+ */
+void gk20a_set_error_notifier_locked(struct channel_gk20a *ch, __u32 error)
 {
-	bool notifier_set = false;
-
-	mutex_lock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
 	if (ch->error_notifier_ref) {
 		struct timespec time_data;
 		u64 nsec;
@@ -845,13 +846,16 @@ void gk20a_set_error_notifier(struct channel_gk20a *ch, __u32 error)
 		ch->error_notifier->info32 = error;
 		ch->error_notifier->status = 0xffff;
 
-		notifier_set = true;
-	}
-	mutex_unlock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
-
-	if (notifier_set)
 		gk20a_err(dev_from_gk20a(ch->g),
 		    "error notifier set to %d for ch %d", error, ch->hw_chid);
+	}
+}
+
+void gk20a_set_error_notifier(struct channel_gk20a *ch, __u32 error)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
+	gk20a_set_error_notifier_locked(ch, error);
+	mutex_unlock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
 }
 
 static void gk20a_free_error_notifiers(struct channel_gk20a *ch)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.h
index ed0b04eed..0a0d94b7b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_gk20a.h
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ void gk20a_disable_channel(struct channel_gk20a *ch);
 void gk20a_channel_abort(struct channel_gk20a *ch, bool channel_preempt);
 void gk20a_channel_abort_clean_up(struct channel_gk20a *ch);
 void gk20a_set_error_notifier(struct channel_gk20a *ch, __u32 error);
+void gk20a_set_error_notifier_locked(struct channel_gk20a *ch, __u32 error);
 void gk20a_channel_semaphore_wakeup(struct gk20a *g, bool post_events);
 int gk20a_channel_alloc_priv_cmdbuf(struct channel_gk20a *c, u32 size,
 			     struct priv_cmd_entry *entry);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c
index b4fa8f0fb..fb772ebd8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c
@@ -1219,7 +1219,8 @@ static bool gk20a_fifo_set_ctx_mmu_error(struct gk20a *g,
 	if (!ch)
 		return verbose;
 
-	if (ch->error_notifier) {
+	mutex_lock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
+	if (ch->error_notifier_ref) {
 		u32 err = ch->error_notifier->info32;
 		if (ch->error_notifier->status == 0xffff) {
 			/* If error code is already set, this mmu fault
@@ -1230,10 +1231,12 @@ static bool gk20a_fifo_set_ctx_mmu_error(struct gk20a *g,
 			if (err == NVGPU_CHANNEL_FIFO_ERROR_IDLE_TIMEOUT)
 				verbose = ch->timeout_debug_dump;
 		} else {
-			gk20a_set_error_notifier(ch,
+			gk20a_set_error_notifier_locked(ch,
 				NVGPU_CHANNEL_FIFO_ERROR_MMU_ERR_FLT);
 		}
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
+
 	/* mark channel as faulted */
 	ch->has_timedout = true;
 	wmb();
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/vgpu/fifo_vgpu.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/vgpu/fifo_vgpu.c
index 5ffc6a003..e9a2d5822 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/vgpu/fifo_vgpu.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/vgpu/fifo_vgpu.c
@@ -678,17 +678,20 @@ static int vgpu_fifo_force_reset_ch(struct channel_gk20a *ch,
 static void vgpu_fifo_set_ctx_mmu_error(struct gk20a *g,
 		struct channel_gk20a *ch)
 {
-	if (ch->error_notifier) {
+	mutex_lock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
+	if (ch->error_notifier_ref) {
 		if (ch->error_notifier->status == 0xffff) {
 			/* If error code is already set, this mmu fault
 			 * was triggered as part of recovery from other
 			 * error condition.
 			 * Don't overwrite error flag. */
 		} else {
-			gk20a_set_error_notifier(ch,
+			gk20a_set_error_notifier_locked(ch,
 				NVGPU_CHANNEL_FIFO_ERROR_MMU_ERR_FLT);
 		}
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&ch->error_notifier_mutex);
+
 	/* mark channel as faulted */
 	ch->has_timedout = true;
 	wmb();