diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_fence.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_fence.c
index db3fd1303fc4..7fd869520ef2 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_fence.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_fence.c
@@ -69,19 +69,28 @@ static const char *drm_sched_fence_get_timeline_name(struct dma_fence *f)
 	return (const char *)fence->sched->name;
 }
 
-/**
- * drm_sched_fence_free - free up the fence memory
- *
- * @rcu: RCU callback head
- *
- * Free up the fence memory after the RCU grace period.
- */
-void drm_sched_fence_free(struct rcu_head *rcu)
+static void drm_sched_fence_free_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 {
 	struct dma_fence *f = container_of(rcu, struct dma_fence, rcu);
 	struct drm_sched_fence *fence = to_drm_sched_fence(f);
 
-	kmem_cache_free(sched_fence_slab, fence);
+	if (!WARN_ON_ONCE(!fence))
+		kmem_cache_free(sched_fence_slab, fence);
+}
+
+/**
+ * drm_sched_fence_free - free up an uninitialized fence
+ *
+ * @fence: fence to free
+ *
+ * Free up the fence memory. Should only be used if drm_sched_fence_init()
+ * has not been called yet.
+ */
+void drm_sched_fence_free(struct drm_sched_fence *fence)
+{
+	/* This function should not be called if the fence has been initialized. */
+	if (!WARN_ON_ONCE(fence->sched))
+		kmem_cache_free(sched_fence_slab, fence);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -97,7 +106,7 @@ static void drm_sched_fence_release_scheduled(struct dma_fence *f)
 	struct drm_sched_fence *fence = to_drm_sched_fence(f);
 
 	dma_fence_put(fence->parent);
-	call_rcu(&fence->finished.rcu, drm_sched_fence_free);
+	call_rcu(&fence->finished.rcu, drm_sched_fence_free_rcu);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_main.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_main.c
index fbbd3b03902f..6987d412a946 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_main.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_main.c
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ void drm_sched_job_cleanup(struct drm_sched_job *job)
 		dma_fence_put(&job->s_fence->finished);
 	} else {
 		/* aborted job before committing to run it */
-		drm_sched_fence_free(&job->s_fence->finished.rcu);
+		drm_sched_fence_free(job->s_fence);
 	}
 
 	job->s_fence = NULL;
diff --git a/include/drm/gpu_scheduler.h b/include/drm/gpu_scheduler.h
index 7f77a455722c..f011e4c407f2 100644
--- a/include/drm/gpu_scheduler.h
+++ b/include/drm/gpu_scheduler.h
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ struct drm_sched_fence *drm_sched_fence_alloc(
 	struct drm_sched_entity *s_entity, void *owner);
 void drm_sched_fence_init(struct drm_sched_fence *fence,
 			  struct drm_sched_entity *entity);
-void drm_sched_fence_free(struct rcu_head *rcu);
+void drm_sched_fence_free(struct drm_sched_fence *fence);
 
 void drm_sched_fence_scheduled(struct drm_sched_fence *fence);
 void drm_sched_fence_finished(struct drm_sched_fence *fence);