diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_bo.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_bo.c
index 8832e4de86f1..6d48aacf6d01 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_bo.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_bo.c
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@ static void vmw_bo_release(struct vmw_bo *vbo)
 			mutex_lock(&res->dev_priv->cmdbuf_mutex);
 			(void)vmw_resource_reserve(res, false, true);
 			vmw_resource_mob_detach(res);
+			if (res->dirty)
+				res->func->dirty_free(res);
 			if (res->coherent)
 				vmw_bo_dirty_release(res->guest_memory_bo);
 			res->guest_memory_bo = NULL;
 			res->guest_memory_offset = 0;
-			vmw_resource_unreserve(res, false, false, false, NULL,
+			vmw_resource_unreserve(res, true, false, false, NULL,
 					       0);
 			mutex_unlock(&res->dev_priv->cmdbuf_mutex);
 		}
@@ -73,9 +75,9 @@ static void vmw_bo_free(struct ttm_buffer_object *bo)
 {
 	struct vmw_bo *vbo = to_vmw_bo(&bo->base);
 
-	WARN_ON(vbo->dirty);
 	WARN_ON(!RB_EMPTY_ROOT(&vbo->res_tree));
 	vmw_bo_release(vbo);
+	WARN_ON(vbo->dirty);
 	kfree(vbo);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_resource.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_resource.c
index a73af8a355fb..c4d5fe5f330f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_resource.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_resource.c
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ int vmw_user_resource_lookup_handle(struct vmw_private *dev_priv,
 		goto out_bad_resource;
 
 	res = converter->base_obj_to_res(base);
-	kref_get(&res->kref);
+	vmw_resource_reference(res);
 
 	*p_res = res;
 	ret = 0;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c
index 02ab65cc63ec..a9c14b8389cb 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_surface.c
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ static void vmw_user_surface_free(struct vmw_resource *res)
 	struct vmw_user_surface *user_srf =
 	    container_of(srf, struct vmw_user_surface, srf);
 
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(res->dirty);
+	WARN_ON(res->dirty);
 	if (user_srf->master)
 		drm_master_put(&user_srf->master);
 	kfree(srf->offsets);
@@ -670,8 +670,7 @@ static void vmw_user_surface_base_release(struct ttm_base_object **p_base)
 	 * Dumb buffers own the resource and they'll unref the
 	 * resource themselves
 	 */
-	if (res && res->guest_memory_bo && res->guest_memory_bo->is_dumb)
-		return;
+	WARN_ON(res && res->guest_memory_bo && res->guest_memory_bo->is_dumb);
 
 	vmw_resource_unreference(&res);
 }
@@ -2337,12 +2336,19 @@ int vmw_dumb_create(struct drm_file *file_priv,
 	vbo = res->guest_memory_bo;
 	vbo->is_dumb = true;
 	vbo->dumb_surface = vmw_res_to_srf(res);
-
+	drm_gem_object_put(&vbo->tbo.base);
+	/*
+	 * Unset the user surface dtor since this in not actually exposed
+	 * to userspace. The suface is owned via the dumb_buffer's GEM handle
+	 */
+	struct vmw_user_surface *usurf = container_of(vbo->dumb_surface,
+						struct vmw_user_surface, srf);
+	usurf->prime.base.refcount_release = NULL;
 err:
 	if (res)
 		vmw_resource_unreference(&res);
-	if (ret)
-		ttm_ref_object_base_unref(tfile, arg.rep.handle);
+
+	ttm_ref_object_base_unref(tfile, arg.rep.handle);
 
 	return ret;
 }