diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/fifo/tsg.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/fifo/tsg.c
index 0f1dd206b..b49bef912 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/fifo/tsg.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/fifo/tsg.c
@@ -185,11 +185,12 @@ static int nvgpu_tsg_unbind_channel_common(struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
 	nvgpu_rwsem_up_write(&tsg->ch_list_lock);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVGPU_DEBUGGER
-	if (ch->mmu_debug_mode_enabled) {
-		err = nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(tsg, ch, false);
+	while (ch->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt > 0U) {
+		err = nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(ch, false);
 		if (err != 0) {
 			nvgpu_err(g, "disable mmu debug mode failed ch:%u",
 				ch->chid);
+			break;
 		}
 	}
 #endif
@@ -887,13 +888,14 @@ void nvgpu_tsg_reset_faulted_eng_pbdma(struct gk20a *g, struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVGPU_DEBUGGER
-int nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
-		struct nvgpu_channel *ch, bool enable)
+int nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(struct nvgpu_channel *ch, bool enable)
 {
 	struct gk20a *g;
 	int err = 0;
+	u32 ch_refcnt;
 	u32 tsg_refcnt;
 	u32 fb_refcnt;
+	struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg = nvgpu_tsg_from_ch(ch);
 
 	if ((ch == NULL) || (tsg == NULL)) {
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -906,17 +908,11 @@ int nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
 	}
 
 	if (enable) {
-		if (ch->mmu_debug_mode_enabled) {
-			/* already enabled for this channel */
-			return 0;
-		}
+		ch_refcnt = ch->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt + 1U;
 		tsg_refcnt = tsg->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt + 1U;
 		fb_refcnt = g->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt + 1U;
 	} else {
-		if (!ch->mmu_debug_mode_enabled) {
-			/* already disabled for this channel */
-			return 0;
-		}
+		ch_refcnt = ch->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt - 1U;
 		tsg_refcnt = tsg->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt - 1U;
 		fb_refcnt = g->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt - 1U;
 	}
@@ -941,7 +937,7 @@ int nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
 		g->ops.fb.set_mmu_debug_mode(g, fb_refcnt > 0U);
 	}
 
-	ch->mmu_debug_mode_enabled = enable;
+	ch->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt = ch_refcnt;
 	tsg->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt = tsg_refcnt;
 	g->mmu_debug_mode_refcnt = fb_refcnt;
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel.h
index b53e5d1e9..1d13385bb 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel.h
@@ -597,9 +597,9 @@ struct nvgpu_channel {
 	bool is_privileged_channel;
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVGPU_DEBUGGER
 	/**
-	 * MMU Debugger Mode is enabled for this channel.
+	 * MMU Debugger Mode is enabled for this channel if refcnt > 0
 	 */
-	bool mmu_debug_mode_enabled;
+	u32 mmu_debug_mode_refcnt;
 #endif
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/tsg.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/tsg.h
index 6cba6f20a..9f46201d3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/tsg.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/tsg.h
@@ -622,7 +622,6 @@ void nvgpu_tsg_abort(struct gk20a *g, struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg, bool preempt);
 void nvgpu_tsg_reset_faulted_eng_pbdma(struct gk20a *g, struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
 		bool eng, bool pbdma);
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVGPU_DEBUGGER
-int nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(struct nvgpu_tsg *tsg,
-		struct nvgpu_channel *ch, bool enable);
+int nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(struct nvgpu_channel *ch, bool enable);
 #endif
 #endif /* NVGPU_TSG_H */
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c
index 6030d4faa..a23dedbb9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_dbg.c
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ static int nvgpu_dbg_gpu_ioctl_set_mmu_debug_mode(
 		goto clean_up;
 	}
 
-	err = nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(nvgpu_tsg_from_ch(ch), ch, enable);
+	err = nvgpu_tsg_set_mmu_debug_mode(ch, enable);
 	if (err) {
 		nvgpu_err(g, "set mmu debug mode failed, err=%d", err);
 	}