diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_release.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_release.c
index 2b43e5deb051..e85c4d274dc0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_release.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_release.c
@@ -350,7 +350,6 @@ void qxl_release_fence_buffer_objects(struct qxl_release *release)
 
 		ttm_bo_add_to_lru(bo);
 		__ttm_bo_unreserve(bo);
-		entry->reserved = false;
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&bdev->fence_lock);
 	spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.c
index 39a11bbd2bac..6db47a72667e 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.c
@@ -32,20 +32,12 @@
 #include <linux/sched.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 
-static void ttm_eu_backoff_reservation_locked(struct list_head *list)
+static void ttm_eu_backoff_reservation_reverse(struct list_head *list,
+					      struct ttm_validate_buffer *entry)
 {
-	struct ttm_validate_buffer *entry;
-
-	list_for_each_entry(entry, list, head) {
+	list_for_each_entry_continue_reverse(entry, list, head) {
 		struct ttm_buffer_object *bo = entry->bo;
-		if (!entry->reserved)
-			continue;
 
-		entry->reserved = false;
-		if (entry->removed) {
-			ttm_bo_add_to_lru(bo);
-			entry->removed = false;
-		}
 		__ttm_bo_unreserve(bo);
 	}
 }
@@ -56,27 +48,9 @@ static void ttm_eu_del_from_lru_locked(struct list_head *list)
 
 	list_for_each_entry(entry, list, head) {
 		struct ttm_buffer_object *bo = entry->bo;
-		if (!entry->reserved)
-			continue;
+		unsigned put_count = ttm_bo_del_from_lru(bo);
 
-		if (!entry->removed) {
-			entry->put_count = ttm_bo_del_from_lru(bo);
-			entry->removed = true;
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-static void ttm_eu_list_ref_sub(struct list_head *list)
-{
-	struct ttm_validate_buffer *entry;
-
-	list_for_each_entry(entry, list, head) {
-		struct ttm_buffer_object *bo = entry->bo;
-
-		if (entry->put_count) {
-			ttm_bo_list_ref_sub(bo, entry->put_count, true);
-			entry->put_count = 0;
-		}
+		ttm_bo_list_ref_sub(bo, put_count, true);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -91,11 +65,18 @@ void ttm_eu_backoff_reservation(struct ww_acquire_ctx *ticket,
 
 	entry = list_first_entry(list, struct ttm_validate_buffer, head);
 	glob = entry->bo->glob;
+
 	spin_lock(&glob->lru_lock);
-	ttm_eu_backoff_reservation_locked(list);
+	list_for_each_entry(entry, list, head) {
+		struct ttm_buffer_object *bo = entry->bo;
+
+		ttm_bo_add_to_lru(bo);
+		__ttm_bo_unreserve(bo);
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
+
 	if (ticket)
 		ww_acquire_fini(ticket);
-	spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ttm_eu_backoff_reservation);
 
@@ -121,64 +102,55 @@ int ttm_eu_reserve_buffers(struct ww_acquire_ctx *ticket,
 	if (list_empty(list))
 		return 0;
 
-	list_for_each_entry(entry, list, head) {
-		entry->reserved = false;
-		entry->put_count = 0;
-		entry->removed = false;
-	}
-
 	entry = list_first_entry(list, struct ttm_validate_buffer, head);
 	glob = entry->bo->glob;
 
 	if (ticket)
 		ww_acquire_init(ticket, &reservation_ww_class);
-retry:
+
 	list_for_each_entry(entry, list, head) {
 		struct ttm_buffer_object *bo = entry->bo;
 
-		/* already slowpath reserved? */
-		if (entry->reserved)
-			continue;
-
 		ret = __ttm_bo_reserve(bo, intr, (ticket == NULL), true,
 				       ticket);
+		if (!ret && unlikely(atomic_read(&bo->cpu_writers) > 0)) {
+			__ttm_bo_unreserve(bo);
 
-		if (ret == -EDEADLK) {
-			/* uh oh, we lost out, drop every reservation and try
-			 * to only reserve this buffer, then start over if
-			 * this succeeds.
-			 */
-			BUG_ON(ticket == NULL);
-			spin_lock(&glob->lru_lock);
-			ttm_eu_backoff_reservation_locked(list);
-			spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
-			ttm_eu_list_ref_sub(list);
-
-			if (intr) {
-				ret = ww_mutex_lock_slow_interruptible(&bo->resv->lock,
-								       ticket);
-				if (unlikely(ret != 0)) {
-					if (ret == -EINTR)
-						ret = -ERESTARTSYS;
-					goto err_fini;
-				}
-			} else
-				ww_mutex_lock_slow(&bo->resv->lock, ticket);
-
-			entry->reserved = true;
-			if (unlikely(atomic_read(&bo->cpu_writers) > 0)) {
-				ret = -EBUSY;
-				goto err;
-			}
-			goto retry;
-		} else if (ret)
-			goto err;
-
-		entry->reserved = true;
-		if (unlikely(atomic_read(&bo->cpu_writers) > 0)) {
 			ret = -EBUSY;
-			goto err;
 		}
+
+		if (!ret)
+			continue;
+
+		/* uh oh, we lost out, drop every reservation and try
+		 * to only reserve this buffer, then start over if
+		 * this succeeds.
+		 */
+		ttm_eu_backoff_reservation_reverse(list, entry);
+
+		if (ret == -EDEADLK && intr) {
+			ret = ww_mutex_lock_slow_interruptible(&bo->resv->lock,
+							       ticket);
+		} else if (ret == -EDEADLK) {
+			ww_mutex_lock_slow(&bo->resv->lock, ticket);
+			ret = 0;
+		}
+
+		if (unlikely(ret != 0)) {
+			if (ret == -EINTR)
+				ret = -ERESTARTSYS;
+			if (ticket) {
+				ww_acquire_done(ticket);
+				ww_acquire_fini(ticket);
+			}
+			return ret;
+		}
+
+		/* move this item to the front of the list,
+		 * forces correct iteration of the loop without keeping track
+		 */
+		list_del(&entry->head);
+		list_add(&entry->head, list);
 	}
 
 	if (ticket)
@@ -186,20 +158,7 @@ retry:
 	spin_lock(&glob->lru_lock);
 	ttm_eu_del_from_lru_locked(list);
 	spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
-	ttm_eu_list_ref_sub(list);
 	return 0;
-
-err:
-	spin_lock(&glob->lru_lock);
-	ttm_eu_backoff_reservation_locked(list);
-	spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
-	ttm_eu_list_ref_sub(list);
-err_fini:
-	if (ticket) {
-		ww_acquire_done(ticket);
-		ww_acquire_fini(ticket);
-	}
-	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ttm_eu_reserve_buffers);
 
@@ -229,7 +188,6 @@ void ttm_eu_fence_buffer_objects(struct ww_acquire_ctx *ticket,
 		bo->sync_obj = driver->sync_obj_ref(sync_obj);
 		ttm_bo_add_to_lru(bo);
 		__ttm_bo_unreserve(bo);
-		entry->reserved = false;
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&bdev->fence_lock);
 	spin_unlock(&glob->lru_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_execbuf.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_execbuf.c
index 24f067bf438d..b19b2b980cb4 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_execbuf.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vmwgfx/vmwgfx_execbuf.c
@@ -346,7 +346,6 @@ static int vmw_bo_to_validate_list(struct vmw_sw_context *sw_context,
 		++sw_context->cur_val_buf;
 		val_buf = &vval_buf->base;
 		val_buf->bo = ttm_bo_reference(bo);
-		val_buf->reserved = false;
 		list_add_tail(&val_buf->head, &sw_context->validate_nodes);
 		vval_buf->validate_as_mob = validate_as_mob;
 	}
diff --git a/include/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.h b/include/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.h
index fd95fd569ca3..8490cb8ee0d8 100644
--- a/include/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.h
+++ b/include/drm/ttm/ttm_execbuf_util.h
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@
 struct ttm_validate_buffer {
 	struct list_head head;
 	struct ttm_buffer_object *bo;
-	bool reserved;
-	bool removed;
-	int put_count;
 	void *old_sync_obj;
 };
 
