diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv04/crtc.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv04/crtc.c
index 4310ad71870b..438e3ec6e1ca 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv04/crtc.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv04/crtc.c
@@ -617,9 +617,15 @@ nv_crtc_swap_fbs(struct drm_crtc *crtc, struct drm_framebuffer *old_fb)
 
 	ret = nouveau_bo_pin(nvbo, NOUVEAU_GEM_DOMAIN_VRAM, false);
 	if (ret == 0) {
-		if (disp->image[nv_crtc->index])
-			nouveau_bo_unpin(disp->image[nv_crtc->index]);
-		nouveau_bo_ref(nvbo, &disp->image[nv_crtc->index]);
+		if (disp->image[nv_crtc->index]) {
+			struct nouveau_bo *bo = disp->image[nv_crtc->index];
+
+			nouveau_bo_unpin(bo);
+			drm_gem_object_put(&bo->bo.base);
+		}
+
+		drm_gem_object_get(&nvbo->bo.base);
+		disp->image[nv_crtc->index] = nvbo;
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -754,13 +760,17 @@ static void nv_crtc_destroy(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 
 	drm_crtc_cleanup(crtc);
 
-	if (disp->image[nv_crtc->index])
-		nouveau_bo_unpin(disp->image[nv_crtc->index]);
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &disp->image[nv_crtc->index]);
+	if (disp->image[nv_crtc->index]) {
+		struct nouveau_bo *bo = disp->image[nv_crtc->index];
+
+		nouveau_bo_unpin(bo);
+		drm_gem_object_put(&bo->bo.base);
+		disp->image[nv_crtc->index] = NULL;
+	}
 
 	nouveau_bo_unmap(nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
 	nouveau_bo_unpin(nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
+	nouveau_bo_fini(nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
 	nvif_event_dtor(&nv_crtc->vblank);
 	nvif_head_dtor(&nv_crtc->head);
 	kfree(nv_crtc);
@@ -794,9 +804,14 @@ nv_crtc_disable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 {
 	struct nv04_display *disp = nv04_display(crtc->dev);
 	struct nouveau_crtc *nv_crtc = nouveau_crtc(crtc);
-	if (disp->image[nv_crtc->index])
-		nouveau_bo_unpin(disp->image[nv_crtc->index]);
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &disp->image[nv_crtc->index]);
+
+	if (disp->image[nv_crtc->index]) {
+		struct nouveau_bo *bo = disp->image[nv_crtc->index];
+
+		nouveau_bo_unpin(bo);
+		drm_gem_object_put(&bo->bo.base);
+		disp->image[nv_crtc->index] = NULL;
+	}
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1210,7 +1225,11 @@ nv04_crtc_page_flip(struct drm_crtc *crtc, struct drm_framebuffer *fb,
 		PUSH_NVSQ(push, NV05F, 0x0130, 0);
 	}
 
-	nouveau_bo_ref(new_bo, &dispnv04->image[head]);
+	if (dispnv04->image[head])
+		drm_gem_object_put(&dispnv04->image[head]->bo.base);
+
+	drm_gem_object_get(&new_bo->bo.base);
+	dispnv04->image[head] = new_bo;
 
 	ret = nv04_page_flip_emit(chan, old_bo, new_bo, s, &fence);
 	if (ret)
@@ -1329,7 +1348,7 @@ nv04_crtc_create(struct drm_device *dev, int crtc_num)
 				nouveau_bo_unpin(nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
 		}
 		if (ret)
-			nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
+			nouveau_bo_fini(nv_crtc->cursor.nvbo);
 	}
 
 	nv04_cursor_init(nv_crtc);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv50/disp.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv50/disp.c
index ac9657d7e92d..6d20d3c68fa7 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv50/disp.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/dispnv50/disp.c
@@ -2819,7 +2819,7 @@ nv50_display_destroy(struct drm_device *dev)
 	nouveau_bo_unmap(disp->sync);
 	if (disp->sync)
 		nouveau_bo_unpin(disp->sync);
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &disp->sync);
+	nouveau_bo_fini(disp->sync);
 
 	nouveau_display(dev)->priv = NULL;
 	kfree(disp);
@@ -2862,7 +2862,7 @@ nv50_display_create(struct drm_device *dev)
 				nouveau_bo_unpin(disp->sync);
 		}
 		if (ret)
-			nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &disp->sync);
+			nouveau_bo_fini(disp->sync);
 	}
 
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_bo.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_bo.h
index 3b8dfbb621da..596a63a50a20 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_bo.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_bo.h
@@ -53,25 +53,10 @@ nouveau_bo(struct ttm_buffer_object *bo)
 	return container_of(bo, struct nouveau_bo, bo);
 }
 
-static inline int
-nouveau_bo_ref(struct nouveau_bo *ref, struct nouveau_bo **pnvbo)
+static inline void
+nouveau_bo_fini(struct nouveau_bo *bo)
 {
-	struct nouveau_bo *prev;
-
-	if (!pnvbo)
-		return -EINVAL;
-	prev = *pnvbo;
-
-	if (ref) {
-		ttm_bo_get(&ref->bo);
-		*pnvbo = nouveau_bo(&ref->bo);
-	} else {
-		*pnvbo = NULL;
-	}
-	if (prev)
-		ttm_bo_put(&prev->bo);
-
-	return 0;
+	ttm_bo_put(&bo->bo);
 }
 
 extern struct ttm_device_funcs nouveau_bo_driver;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c
index 66fca95c10c7..f568ea251e3b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ nouveau_channel_del(struct nouveau_channel **pchan)
 		nouveau_bo_unmap(chan->push.buffer);
 		if (chan->push.buffer && chan->push.buffer->bo.pin_count)
 			nouveau_bo_unpin(chan->push.buffer);
-		nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &chan->push.buffer);
+		nouveau_bo_fini(chan->push.buffer);
 		kfree(chan);
 	}
 	*pchan = NULL;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dmem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dmem.c
index 6719353e2e13..7b3b8f4630a2 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dmem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dmem.c
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ nouveau_dmem_chunk_alloc(struct nouveau_drm *drm, struct page **ppage)
 out_bo_unpin:
 	nouveau_bo_unpin(chunk->bo);
 out_bo_free:
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &chunk->bo);
+	nouveau_bo_fini(chunk->bo);
 out_release:
 	release_mem_region(chunk->pagemap.range.start, range_len(&chunk->pagemap.range));
 out_free:
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ nouveau_dmem_fini(struct nouveau_drm *drm)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(chunk, tmp, &drm->dmem->chunks, list) {
 		nouveau_dmem_evict_chunk(chunk);
 		nouveau_bo_unpin(chunk->bo);
-		nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &chunk->bo);
+		nouveau_bo_fini(chunk->bo);
 		WARN_ON(chunk->callocated);
 		list_del(&chunk->list);
 		memunmap_pages(&chunk->pagemap);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv10_fence.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv10_fence.c
index c6a0db5b9e21..1a53b8b80467 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv10_fence.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv10_fence.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ nv10_fence_destroy(struct nouveau_drm *drm)
 	nouveau_bo_unmap(priv->bo);
 	if (priv->bo)
 		nouveau_bo_unpin(priv->bo);
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &priv->bo);
+	nouveau_bo_fini(priv->bo);
 	drm->fence = NULL;
 	kfree(priv);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv17_fence.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv17_fence.c
index 07c2e0878c24..2c99f2c1ddcd 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv17_fence.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv17_fence.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ nv17_fence_create(struct nouveau_drm *drm)
 				nouveau_bo_unpin(priv->bo);
 		}
 		if (ret)
-			nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &priv->bo);
+			nouveau_bo_fini(priv->bo);
 	}
 
 	if (ret) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv50_fence.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv50_fence.c
index ea1e1f480bfe..6fa18f9d26b6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv50_fence.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv50_fence.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ nv50_fence_create(struct nouveau_drm *drm)
 				nouveau_bo_unpin(priv->bo);
 		}
 		if (ret)
-			nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &priv->bo);
+			nouveau_bo_fini(priv->bo);
 	}
 
 	if (ret) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv84_fence.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv84_fence.c
index 812b8c62eeba..9ce4c2d60fe3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv84_fence.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nv84_fence.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ nv84_fence_destroy(struct nouveau_drm *drm)
 	nouveau_bo_unmap(priv->bo);
 	if (priv->bo)
 		nouveau_bo_unpin(priv->bo);
-	nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &priv->bo);
+	nouveau_bo_fini(priv->bo);
 	drm->fence = NULL;
 	kfree(priv);
 }
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ nv84_fence_create(struct nouveau_drm *drm)
 				nouveau_bo_unpin(priv->bo);
 		}
 		if (ret)
-			nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &priv->bo);
+			nouveau_bo_fini(priv->bo);
 	}
 
 	if (ret)