diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/cik_sdma.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/cik_sdma.c
index 76f73ab9294e..0079916e6d93 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/cik_sdma.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/cik_sdma.c
@@ -448,7 +448,12 @@ static int cik_sdma_gfx_resume(struct amdgpu_device *adev)
 		WREG32(mmSDMA0_GFX_IB_CNTL + sdma_offsets[i], ib_cntl);
 
 		ring->ready = true;
+	}
 
+	cik_sdma_enable(adev, true);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < adev->sdma.num_instances; i++) {
+		ring = &adev->sdma.instance[i].ring;
 		r = amdgpu_ring_test_ring(ring);
 		if (r) {
 			ring->ready = false;
@@ -531,8 +536,8 @@ static int cik_sdma_start(struct amdgpu_device *adev)
 	if (r)
 		return r;
 
-	/* unhalt the MEs */
-	cik_sdma_enable(adev, true);
+	/* halt the engine before programing */
+	cik_sdma_enable(adev, false);
 
 	/* start the gfx rings and rlc compute queues */
 	r = cik_sdma_gfx_resume(adev);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v2_4.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v2_4.c
index e11a37416e19..f6014b024f2a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v2_4.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v2_4.c
@@ -491,7 +491,11 @@ static int sdma_v2_4_gfx_resume(struct amdgpu_device *adev)
 		WREG32(mmSDMA0_GFX_IB_CNTL + sdma_offsets[i], ib_cntl);
 
 		ring->ready = true;
+	}
 
+	sdma_v2_4_enable(adev, true);
+	for (i = 0; i < adev->sdma.num_instances; i++) {
+		ring = &adev->sdma.instance[i].ring;
 		r = amdgpu_ring_test_ring(ring);
 		if (r) {
 			ring->ready = false;
@@ -582,8 +586,8 @@ static int sdma_v2_4_start(struct amdgpu_device *adev)
 			return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	/* unhalt the MEs */
-	sdma_v2_4_enable(adev, true);
+	/* halt the engine before programing */
+	sdma_v2_4_enable(adev, false);
 
 	/* start the gfx rings and rlc compute queues */
 	r = sdma_v2_4_gfx_resume(adev);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v3_0.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v3_0.c
index 585d8fe22bae..33605d4ac2d9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v3_0.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/sdma_v3_0.c
@@ -713,7 +713,15 @@ static int sdma_v3_0_gfx_resume(struct amdgpu_device *adev)
 		WREG32(mmSDMA0_GFX_IB_CNTL + sdma_offsets[i], ib_cntl);
 
 		ring->ready = true;
+	}
 
+	/* unhalt the MEs */
+	sdma_v3_0_enable(adev, true);
+	/* enable sdma ring preemption */
+	sdma_v3_0_ctx_switch_enable(adev, true);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < adev->sdma.num_instances; i++) {
+		ring = &adev->sdma.instance[i].ring;
 		r = amdgpu_ring_test_ring(ring);
 		if (r) {
 			ring->ready = false;
@@ -806,10 +814,9 @@ static int sdma_v3_0_start(struct amdgpu_device *adev)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* unhalt the MEs */
-	sdma_v3_0_enable(adev, true);
-	/* enable sdma ring preemption */
-	sdma_v3_0_ctx_switch_enable(adev, true);
+	/* disble sdma engine before programing it */
+	sdma_v3_0_ctx_switch_enable(adev, false);
+	sdma_v3_0_enable(adev, false);
 
 	/* start the gfx rings and rlc compute queues */
 	r = sdma_v3_0_gfx_resume(adev);