diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c
index 2edf2b15885f7..e4285d5a0360a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c
@@ -1090,12 +1090,6 @@ static int live_hwsp_read(void *arg)
 			}
 			count++;
 
-			if (8 * watcher[1].rq->ring->emit >
-			    3 * watcher[1].rq->ring->size) {
-				i915_request_put(rq);
-				break;
-			}
-
 			/* Flush the timeline before manually wrapping again */
 			if (i915_request_wait(rq,
 					      I915_WAIT_INTERRUPTIBLE,
@@ -1104,9 +1098,14 @@ static int live_hwsp_read(void *arg)
 				i915_request_put(rq);
 				goto out;
 			}
-
 			retire_requests(tl);
 			i915_request_put(rq);
+
+			/* Single requests are limited to half a ring at most */
+			if (8 * watcher[1].rq->ring->emit >
+			    3 * watcher[1].rq->ring->size)
+				break;
+
 		} while (!__igt_timeout(end_time, NULL));
 		WRITE_ONCE(*(u32 *)tl->hwsp_seqno, 0xdeadbeef);