diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c
index ea294738c..cd9cadf87 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c
@@ -488,11 +488,11 @@ static int gk20a_submit_prepare_syncs(struct channel_gk20a *c,
 		if (flags & NVGPU_SUBMIT_GPFIFO_FLAGS_SYNC_FENCE) {
 			wait_fence_fd = fence->id;
 			err = c->sync->wait_fd(c->sync, wait_fence_fd,
-					       job->wait_cmd, job->pre_fence);
+					       job->wait_cmd);
 		} else {
 			err = c->sync->wait_syncpt(c->sync, fence->id,
-						   fence->value, job->wait_cmd,
-						   job->pre_fence);
+						   fence->value,
+						   job->wait_cmd);
 		}
 
 		if (!err) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
index 20460c800..3c12147fe 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ struct gk20a_channel_syncpt {
 };
 
 static int gk20a_channel_syncpt_wait_syncpt(struct gk20a_channel_sync *s,
-		u32 id, u32 thresh, struct priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd,
-		struct gk20a_fence *fence)
+		u32 id, u32 thresh, struct priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd)
 {
 	struct gk20a_channel_syncpt *sp =
 		container_of(s, struct gk20a_channel_syncpt, ops);
@@ -84,8 +83,7 @@ static int gk20a_channel_syncpt_wait_syncpt(struct gk20a_channel_sync *s,
 }
 
 static int gk20a_channel_syncpt_wait_fd(struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, int fd,
-		       struct priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd,
-		       struct gk20a_fence *fence)
+		       struct priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYNC
 	int i;
@@ -456,8 +454,7 @@ static void add_sema_cmd(struct gk20a *g, struct channel_gk20a *c,
 
 static int gk20a_channel_semaphore_wait_syncpt(
 		struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, u32 id,
-		u32 thresh, struct priv_cmd_entry *entry,
-		struct gk20a_fence *fence)
+		u32 thresh, struct priv_cmd_entry *entry)
 {
 	struct gk20a_channel_semaphore *sema =
 		container_of(s, struct gk20a_channel_semaphore, ops);
@@ -521,8 +518,7 @@ put_fence:
 
 static int gk20a_channel_semaphore_wait_fd(
 		struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, int fd,
-		struct priv_cmd_entry *entry,
-		struct gk20a_fence *fence)
+		struct priv_cmd_entry *entry)
 {
 	struct gk20a_channel_semaphore *sema =
 		container_of(s, struct gk20a_channel_semaphore, ops);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h
index dd0213dce..3f44b27aa 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h
@@ -37,24 +37,16 @@ struct gk20a_channel_sync {
 	nvgpu_atomic_t refcount;
 
 	/* Generate a gpu wait cmdbuf from syncpoint.
-	 * Returns
-	 *  - a gpu cmdbuf that performs the wait when executed,
-	 *  - possibly a helper fence that the caller must hold until the
-	 *    cmdbuf is executed.
+	 * Returns a gpu cmdbuf that performs the wait when executed
 	 */
 	int (*wait_syncpt)(struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, u32 id, u32 thresh,
-			   struct priv_cmd_entry *entry,
-			   struct gk20a_fence *fence);
+			   struct priv_cmd_entry *entry);
 
 	/* Generate a gpu wait cmdbuf from sync fd.
-	 * Returns
-	 *  - a gpu cmdbuf that performs the wait when executed,
-	 *  - possibly a helper fence that the caller must hold until the
-	 *    cmdbuf is executed.
+	 * Returns a gpu cmdbuf that performs the wait when executed
 	 */
 	int (*wait_fd)(struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, int fd,
-		       struct priv_cmd_entry *entry,
-		       struct gk20a_fence *fence);
+		       struct priv_cmd_entry *entry);
 
 	/* Increment syncpoint/semaphore.
 	 * Returns