diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_exec.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_exec.c
index e05dabfcd43c..d5293bc33a67 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_exec.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_exec.c
@@ -292,13 +292,23 @@ int xe_exec_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data, struct drm_file *file)
 		goto err_exec;
 	}
 
-	/* Wait behind rebinds */
+	/*
+	 * Wait behind rebinds and any kernel operations (evictions, defrag
+	 * moves, ...) on the VM and all external BOs. The VM's private BOs
+	 * carry their kernel ops in the VM dma-resv KERNEL slot, while each
+	 * external BO carries them in its own dma-resv KERNEL slot; both are
+	 * covered by iterating every object locked by the exec, mirroring the
+	 * drm_gpuvm_resv_add_fence() below.
+	 */
 	if (!xe_vm_in_lr_mode(vm)) {
-		err = xe_sched_job_add_deps(job,
-					    xe_vm_resv(vm),
-					    DMA_RESV_USAGE_KERNEL);
-		if (err)
-			goto err_put_job;
+		struct drm_gem_object *obj;
+
+		drm_exec_for_each_locked_object(exec, obj) {
+			err = xe_sched_job_add_deps(job, obj->resv,
+						    DMA_RESV_USAGE_KERNEL);
+			if (err)
+				goto err_put_job;
+		}
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < num_syncs && !err; i++)