diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.shared.configs b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.shared.configs
index 1b9d74b50..f54817c06 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.shared.configs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.shared.configs
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ NVGPU_COMMON_CFLAGS		+= -DCONFIG_NVGPU_CHANNEL_WDT
 CONFIG_NVGPU_KERNEL_MODE_SUBMIT := 1
 NVGPU_COMMON_CFLAGS             += -DCONFIG_NVGPU_KERNEL_MODE_SUBMIT
 
+# Enable fences for safety build till until we switch to user mode submits only
+CONFIG_NVGPU_FENCE              := 1
+
 NVGPU_COMMON_CFLAGS             += -DCONFIG_NVGPU_FIFO_ENGINE_ACTIVITY
 
 # Enable Channel/TSG Scheduling for safety build until devctl whitelisting is done
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.sources b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.sources
index 91412c191..1ee359150 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.sources
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/Makefile.sources
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ srcs += common/utils/enabled.c \
 	common/fifo/pbdma_status.c \
 	common/fifo/userd.c \
 	common/mc/mc.c \
-	common/fence/fence.c \
 	hal/mc/mc_gm20b.c  \
 	hal/mc/mc_gp10b.c  \
 	hal/bus/bus_gk20a.c \
@@ -383,6 +382,10 @@ srcs += common/fifo/submit.c \
 	hal/sync/sema_cmdbuf_gv11b.c
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_NVGPU_FENCE),1)
+srcs += common/fence/fence.c
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_NVGPU_FECS_TRACE),1)
 srcs += common/gr/fecs_trace.c \
 	hal/gr/fecs_trace/fecs_trace_gm20b.c \