diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c
index a2846d2a9..de1c82dc0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.c
@@ -1051,10 +1051,10 @@ int gk20a_init_fifo_support(struct gk20a *g)
 }
 
 /* return with a reference to the channel, caller must put it back */
-static struct channel_gk20a *
-channel_from_inst_ptr(struct fifo_gk20a *f, u64 inst_ptr)
+struct channel_gk20a *
+gk20a_refch_from_inst_ptr(struct gk20a *g, u64 inst_ptr)
 {
-	struct gk20a *g = f->g;
+	struct fifo_gk20a *f = &g->fifo;
 	unsigned int ci;
 	if (unlikely(!f->channel))
 		return NULL;
@@ -1531,7 +1531,7 @@ static bool gk20a_fifo_handle_mmu_fault(
 			}
 		} else {
 			/* read channel based on instruction pointer */
-			ch = channel_from_inst_ptr(&g->fifo, f.inst_ptr);
+			ch = gk20a_refch_from_inst_ptr(g, f.inst_ptr);
 			referenced_channel = ch;
 		}
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
index c67ab4567..30d0caba1 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
@@ -331,4 +331,6 @@ void gk20a_dump_eng_status(struct gk20a *g,
 const char *gk20a_decode_ccsr_chan_status(u32 index);
 const char *gk20a_decode_pbdma_chan_eng_ctx_status(u32 index);
 
+struct channel_gk20a *gk20a_refch_from_inst_ptr(struct gk20a *g, u64 inst_ptr);
+
 #endif /*__GR_GK20A_H__*/