diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
index 53cc4c083d0d..38b1849a450a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
@@ -2547,7 +2547,9 @@ void i915_gem_object_ggtt_unpin(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj);
 
 /* i915_gem_context.c */
 #define ctx_to_ppgtt(ctx) container_of((ctx)->vm, struct i915_hw_ppgtt, base)
+#define vm_to_ppgtt(vm) container_of(vm, struct i915_hw_ppgtt, base)
 int __must_check i915_gem_context_init(struct drm_device *dev);
+void ppgtt_release(struct kref *kref);
 void i915_gem_context_fini(struct drm_device *dev);
 void i915_gem_context_reset(struct drm_device *dev);
 int i915_gem_context_open(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_file *file);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
index 9acb2469116a..63aee412b258 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
@@ -4476,12 +4476,20 @@ struct i915_vma *i915_gem_obj_to_vma(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 
 void i915_gem_vma_destroy(struct i915_vma *vma)
 {
+	struct i915_address_space *vm = NULL;
+	struct i915_hw_ppgtt *ppgtt = NULL;
 	WARN_ON(vma->node.allocated);
 
 	/* Keep the vma as a placeholder in the execbuffer reservation lists */
 	if (!list_empty(&vma->exec_list))
 		return;
 
+	vm = vma->vm;
+	ppgtt = vm_to_ppgtt(vm);
+
+	if (ppgtt)
+		kref_put(&ppgtt->ref, ppgtt_release);
+
 	list_del(&vma->vma_link);
 
 	kfree(vma);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_context.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_context.c
index 7a08f3e9e1ae..a509a4bca991 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_context.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_context.c
@@ -108,30 +108,13 @@ static void do_ppgtt_cleanup(struct i915_hw_ppgtt *ppgtt)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Make sure vmas are unbound before we take down the drm_mm
-	 *
-	 * FIXME: Proper refcounting should take care of this, this shouldn't be
-	 * needed at all.
-	 */
-	if (!list_empty(&vm->active_list)) {
-		struct i915_vma *vma;
-
-		list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->active_list, mm_list)
-			if (WARN_ON(list_empty(&vma->vma_link) ||
-				    list_is_singular(&vma->vma_link)))
-				break;
-
-		i915_gem_evict_vm(&ppgtt->base, true);
-	} else {
-		i915_gem_retire_requests(dev);
-		i915_gem_evict_vm(&ppgtt->base, false);
-	}
+	/* vmas should already be unbound */
+	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&vm->active_list));
 
 	ppgtt->base.cleanup(&ppgtt->base);
 }
 
-static void ppgtt_release(struct kref *kref)
+void ppgtt_release(struct kref *kref)
 {
 	struct i915_hw_ppgtt *ppgtt =
 		container_of(kref, struct i915_hw_ppgtt, ref);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c
index b4b7cfd226b7..76dd3b428483 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c
@@ -2148,10 +2148,15 @@ i915_gem_obj_lookup_or_create_vma(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 				  struct i915_address_space *vm)
 {
 	struct i915_vma *vma;
+	struct i915_hw_ppgtt *ppgtt = NULL;
 
 	vma = i915_gem_obj_to_vma(obj, vm);
 	if (!vma)
 		vma = __i915_gem_vma_create(obj, vm);
 
+	ppgtt = vm_to_ppgtt(vm);
+	if (ppgtt)
+		kref_get(&ppgtt->ref);
+
 	return vma;
 }