diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
index e4972610e..98363c88b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ static int gk20a_channel_semaphore_wait_fd(
 			*fence = gk20a_fence_from_semaphore(sema->timeline,
 							    fp_sema,
 							    &c->semaphore_wq,
-							    NULL, false);
+							    NULL, false, false);
 		else
 			/*
 			 * Allocate an empty fence. It will instantly return
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ static int gk20a_channel_semaphore_wait_fd(
 	   semaphore while the job is in flight. */
 	*fence = gk20a_fence_from_semaphore(sema->timeline, w->sema,
 					    &c->semaphore_wq,
-					    NULL, false);
+					    NULL, false, false);
 
 skip_slow_path:
 	*entry = wait_cmd;
@@ -734,7 +734,8 @@ static int __gk20a_channel_semaphore_incr(
 
 	*fence = gk20a_fence_from_semaphore(sp->timeline, semaphore,
 					    &c->semaphore_wq,
-					    dependency, wfi_cmd);
+					    dependency, wfi_cmd,
+					    need_sync_fence);
 	*entry = incr_cmd;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c
index fbbaa2a7a..596dc549c 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c
@@ -148,17 +148,19 @@ struct gk20a_fence *gk20a_fence_from_semaphore(
 		struct gk20a_semaphore *semaphore,
 		wait_queue_head_t *semaphore_wq,
 		struct sync_fence *dependency,
-		bool wfi)
+		bool wfi, bool need_sync_fence)
 {
 	struct gk20a_fence *f;
 	struct sync_fence *sync_fence = NULL;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYNC
-	sync_fence = gk20a_sync_fence_create(timeline, semaphore,
+	if (need_sync_fence) {
+		sync_fence = gk20a_sync_fence_create(timeline, semaphore,
 					dependency, "f-gk20a-0x%04x",
 					gk20a_semaphore_gpu_ro_va(semaphore));
-	if (!sync_fence)
-		return NULL;
+		if (!sync_fence)
+			return NULL;
+	}
 #endif
 
 	f  = gk20a_alloc_fence(&gk20a_semaphore_fence_ops, sync_fence, wfi);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h
index ff00bcf1a..35488ea36 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ struct gk20a_fence *gk20a_fence_from_semaphore(
 		struct gk20a_semaphore *semaphore,
 		wait_queue_head_t *semaphore_wq,
 		struct sync_fence *dependency,
-		bool wfi);
+		bool wfi, bool need_sync_fence);
 
 struct gk20a_fence *gk20a_fence_from_syncpt(
 		struct platform_device *host1x_pdev,