diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/regops_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/regops_gk20a.c
index a5595c158..232d01a7d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/regops_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/regops_gk20a.c
@@ -53,6 +53,31 @@ static inline bool linear_search(u32 offset, const u32 *list, int size)
 	return false;
 }
 
+/*
+ * In order to perform a context relative op the context has
+ * to be created already... which would imply that the
+ * context switch mechanism has already been put in place.
+ * So by the time we perform such an opertation it should always
+ * be possible to query for the appropriate context offsets, etc.
+ *
+ * But note: while the dbg_gpu bind requires the a channel fd,
+ * it doesn't require an allocated gr/compute obj at that point...
+ */
+static bool gr_context_info_available(struct gr_gk20a *gr)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	nvgpu_mutex_acquire(&gr->ctx_mutex);
+	err = !gr->ctx_vars.golden_image_initialized;
+	nvgpu_mutex_release(&gr->ctx_mutex);
+	if (err) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+
+}
+
 static bool validate_reg_ops(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
 			     u32 *ctx_rd_count, u32 *ctx_wr_count,
 			     struct nvgpu_dbg_reg_op *ops,
@@ -91,7 +116,6 @@ int exec_regops_gk20a(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
 	ok = validate_reg_ops(dbg_s,
 			      &ctx_rd_count, &ctx_wr_count,
 			      ops, num_ops);
-
 	if (!ok) {
 		nvgpu_err(g, "invalid op(s)");
 		err = -EINVAL;
@@ -99,6 +123,14 @@ int exec_regops_gk20a(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
 		goto clean_up;
 	}
 
+	/* be sure that ctx info is in place if there are ctx ops */
+	if (ctx_wr_count | ctx_rd_count) {
+		if (!gr_context_info_available(&g->gr)) {
+			nvgpu_err(g, "gr context data not available");
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
+	}
+
 	for (i = 0; i < num_ops; i++) {
 		/* if it isn't global then it is done in the ctx ops... */
 		if (ops[i].type != REGOP(TYPE_GLOBAL))
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c
index 1989a5cb4..eadf1f936 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c
@@ -100,9 +100,6 @@ static int alloc_session(struct gk20a *g, struct dbg_session_gk20a_linux **_dbg_
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static bool gr_context_info_available(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
-				      struct gr_gk20a *gr);
-
 static int gk20a_perfbuf_release_locked(struct gk20a *g, u64 offset);
 
 static int nvgpu_ioctl_channel_reg_ops(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
@@ -870,13 +867,6 @@ static int nvgpu_ioctl_channel_reg_ops(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	/* be sure that ctx info is in place */
-	if (!g->is_virtual &&
-		!gr_context_info_available(dbg_s, &g->gr)) {
-		nvgpu_err(g, "gr context data not available");
-		return -ENODEV;
-	}
-
 	/* since exec_reg_ops sends methods to the ucode, it must take the
 	 * global gpu lock to protect against mixing methods from debug sessions
 	 * on other channels */
@@ -1653,29 +1643,6 @@ static void nvgpu_dbg_gpu_ioctl_get_timeout(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
 		args->enable = NVGPU_DBG_GPU_IOCTL_TIMEOUT_DISABLE;
 }
 
-/* In order to perform a context relative op the context has
- * to be created already... which would imply that the
- * context switch mechanism has already been put in place.
- * So by the time we perform such an opertation it should always
- * be possible to query for the appropriate context offsets, etc.
- *
- * But note: while the dbg_gpu bind requires the a channel fd,
- * it doesn't require an allocated gr/compute obj at that point...
- */
-static bool gr_context_info_available(struct dbg_session_gk20a *dbg_s,
-				      struct gr_gk20a *gr)
-{
-	int err;
-
-	nvgpu_mutex_acquire(&gr->ctx_mutex);
-	err = !gr->ctx_vars.golden_image_initialized;
-	nvgpu_mutex_release(&gr->ctx_mutex);
-	if (err)
-		return false;
-	return true;
-
-}
-
 static int gk20a_perfbuf_release_locked(struct gk20a *g, u64 offset)
 {
 	struct mm_gk20a *mm = &g->mm;