diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c
index 99cd9e4a2aa6..3440fc999f2f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_chan.c
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ nouveau_channel_init(struct nouveau_channel *chan, u32 vram, u32 gart)
 	struct nouveau_software_chan *swch;
 	struct nv_dma_v0 args = {};
 	int ret, i;
+	bool save;
 
 	nvif_object_map(chan->object);
 
@@ -386,7 +387,11 @@ nouveau_channel_init(struct nouveau_channel *chan, u32 vram, u32 gart)
 	}
 
 	/* initialise synchronisation */
-	return nouveau_fence(chan->drm)->context_new(chan);
+	save = cli->base.super;
+	cli->base.super = true; /* hack until fencenv50 fixed */
+	ret = nouveau_fence(chan->drm)->context_new(chan);
+	cli->base.super = save;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int