diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/panthor/panthor_mmu.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/panthor/panthor_mmu.c
index 58fead90533a..6a41dfd7aaf3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/panthor/panthor_mmu.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/panthor/panthor_mmu.c
@@ -1147,6 +1147,20 @@ static void panthor_vm_cleanup_op_ctx(struct panthor_vm_op_ctx *op_ctx,
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+panthor_vm_op_ctx_return_vma(struct panthor_vm_op_ctx *op_ctx,
+			     struct panthor_vma *vma)
+{
+	for (u32 i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(op_ctx->preallocated_vmas); i++) {
+		if (!op_ctx->preallocated_vmas[i]) {
+			op_ctx->preallocated_vmas[i] = vma;
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(1);
+}
+
 static struct panthor_vma *
 panthor_vm_op_ctx_get_vma(struct panthor_vm_op_ctx *op_ctx)
 {
@@ -2082,8 +2096,10 @@ static int panthor_gpuva_sm_step_map(struct drm_gpuva_op *op, void *priv)
 	ret = panthor_vm_map_pages(vm, op->map.va.addr, flags_to_prot(vma->flags),
 				   op_ctx->map.sgt, op->map.gem.offset,
 				   op->map.va.range);
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
+		panthor_vm_op_ctx_return_vma(op_ctx, vma);
 		return ret;
+	}
 
 	/* Ref owned by the mapping now, clear the obj field so we don't release the
 	 * pinning/obj ref behind GPUVA's back.