diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c
index 1d4afcc8e..07bb393e2 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/channel.c
@@ -469,6 +469,8 @@ static int gk20a_submit_prepare_syncs(struct channel_gk20a *c,
 	 * this condition.
 	 */
 	if (flags & NVGPU_SUBMIT_GPFIFO_FLAGS_FENCE_WAIT) {
+		int max_wait_cmds = c->deterministic ? 1 : 0;
+
 		if (!pre_alloc_enabled)
 			job->wait_cmd = nvgpu_kzalloc(g,
 				sizeof(struct priv_cmd_entry));
@@ -481,7 +483,7 @@ 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->wait_cmd, max_wait_cmds);
 		} else {
 			err = c->sync->wait_syncpt(c->sync, fence->id,
 						   fence->value,
@@ -758,8 +760,7 @@ int gk20a_submit_channel_gpfifo(struct channel_gk20a *c,
 		need_sync_framework = force_need_sync_fence ||
 			gk20a_channel_sync_needs_sync_framework(g) ||
 			(flags & NVGPU_SUBMIT_GPFIFO_FLAGS_SYNC_FENCE &&
-			(flags & NVGPU_SUBMIT_GPFIFO_FLAGS_FENCE_WAIT ||
-			 flags & NVGPU_SUBMIT_GPFIFO_FLAGS_FENCE_GET));
+			 flags & NVGPU_SUBMIT_GPFIFO_FLAGS_FENCE_GET);
 
 		/*
 		 * Deferred clean-up is necessary for any of the following
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
index 236ddaaf4..25c576813 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.c
@@ -83,7 +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 priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd, int max_wait_cmds)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYNC
 	int i;
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ static int gk20a_channel_syncpt_wait_fd(struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, int fd,
 	if (!sync_fence)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	if (max_wait_cmds && sync_fence->num_fences > max_wait_cmds) {
+		sync_fence_put(sync_fence);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	/* validate syncpt ids */
 	for (i = 0; i < sync_fence->num_fences; i++) {
 		pt = sync_pt_from_fence(sync_fence->cbs[i].sync_pt);
@@ -473,7 +478,7 @@ static int gk20a_channel_semaphore_wait_syncpt(
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYNC
 static int semaphore_wait_fd_native(struct channel_gk20a *c, int fd,
-		struct priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd)
+		struct priv_cmd_entry *wait_cmd, int max_wait_cmds)
 {
 	struct sync_fence *sync_fence;
 	int err;
@@ -491,6 +496,11 @@ static int semaphore_wait_fd_native(struct channel_gk20a *c, int fd,
 		goto put_fence;
 	}
 
+	if (max_wait_cmds && sync_fence->num_fences > max_wait_cmds) {
+		err = -EINVAL;
+		goto put_fence;
+	}
+
 	err = gk20a_channel_alloc_priv_cmdbuf(c,
 			wait_cmd_size * num_wait_cmds,
 			wait_cmd);
@@ -526,14 +536,13 @@ put_fence:
 
 static int gk20a_channel_semaphore_wait_fd(
 		struct gk20a_channel_sync *s, int fd,
-		struct priv_cmd_entry *entry)
+		struct priv_cmd_entry *entry, int max_wait_cmds)
 {
 	struct gk20a_channel_semaphore *sema =
 		container_of(s, struct gk20a_channel_semaphore, ops);
 	struct channel_gk20a *c = sema->c;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYNC
-
-	return semaphore_wait_fd_native(c, fd, entry);
+	return semaphore_wait_fd_native(c, fd, entry, max_wait_cmds);
 #else
 	nvgpu_err(c->g,
 		  "trying to use sync fds with CONFIG_SYNC disabled");
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h
index da8cb2512..adbecbe1b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/channel_sync_gk20a.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ struct gk20a_channel_sync {
 	 * 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 priv_cmd_entry *entry, int max_wait_cmds);
 
 	/* Increment syncpoint/semaphore.
 	 * Returns