diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_execbuffer.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_execbuffer.c
index 6b3013d20851b..c643eec4dca0f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_execbuffer.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_execbuffer.c
@@ -1822,7 +1822,7 @@ static int eb_parse_pipeline(struct i915_execbuffer *eb,
 	dma_resv_add_excl_fence(shadow->resv, &pw->base.dma);
 	dma_resv_unlock(shadow->resv);
 
-	dma_fence_work_commit(&pw->base);
+	dma_fence_work_commit_imm(&pw->base);
 	return 0;
 
 err_batch_unlock:
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c
index 997b2998f1f21..a3a81bb8f2c36 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ fence_notify(struct i915_sw_fence *fence, enum i915_sw_fence_notify state)
 
 		if (!f->dma.error) {
 			dma_fence_get(&f->dma);
-			queue_work(system_unbound_wq, &f->work);
+			if (test_bit(DMA_FENCE_WORK_IMM, &f->dma.flags))
+				fence_work(&f->work);
+			else
+				queue_work(system_unbound_wq, &f->work);
 		} else {
 			fence_complete(f);
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h
index 3a22b287e2019..2c409f11c5c59 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ struct dma_fence_work {
 	const struct dma_fence_work_ops *ops;
 };
 
+enum {
+	DMA_FENCE_WORK_IMM = DMA_FENCE_FLAG_USER_BITS,
+};
+
 void dma_fence_work_init(struct dma_fence_work *f,
 			 const struct dma_fence_work_ops *ops);
 int dma_fence_work_chain(struct dma_fence_work *f, struct dma_fence *signal);
@@ -41,4 +45,23 @@ static inline void dma_fence_work_commit(struct dma_fence_work *f)
 	i915_sw_fence_commit(&f->chain);
 }
 
+/**
+ * dma_fence_work_commit_imm: Commit the fence, and if possible execute locally.
+ * @f: the fenced worker
+ *
+ * Instead of always scheduling a worker to execute the callback (see
+ * dma_fence_work_commit()), we try to execute the callback immediately in
+ * the local context. It is required that the fence be committed before it
+ * is published, and that no other threads try to tamper with the number
+ * of asynchronous waits on the fence (or else the callback will be
+ * executed in the wrong context, i.e. not the callers).
+ */
+static inline void dma_fence_work_commit_imm(struct dma_fence_work *f)
+{
+	if (atomic_read(&f->chain.pending) <= 1)
+		__set_bit(DMA_FENCE_WORK_IMM, &f->dma.flags);
+
+	dma_fence_work_commit(f);
+}
+
 #endif /* I915_SW_FENCE_WORK_H */
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
index 08699fa069aa6..191577a983900 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ int i915_vma_pin(struct i915_vma *vma, u64 size, u64 alignment, u64 flags)
 	mutex_unlock(&vma->vm->mutex);
 err_fence:
 	if (work)
-		dma_fence_work_commit(&work->base);
+		dma_fence_work_commit_imm(&work->base);
 	if (wakeref)
 		intel_runtime_pm_put(&vma->vm->i915->runtime_pm, wakeref);
 err_pages: