diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
index f17c09ead7d7..5839e1f55f00 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ static void __i915_vma_retire(struct i915_active *ref)
 static struct i915_vma *
 vma_create(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 	   struct i915_address_space *vm,
-	   const struct i915_gtt_view *view)
+	   const struct i915_gtt_view *view,
+	   bool skip_lookup_cache)
 {
 	struct i915_vma *pos = ERR_PTR(-E2BIG);
 	struct i915_vma *vma;
@@ -196,6 +197,9 @@ vma_create(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 		__set_bit(I915_VMA_GGTT_BIT, __i915_vma_flags(vma));
 	}
 
+	if (skip_lookup_cache)
+		goto skip_rb_insert;
+
 	rb = NULL;
 	p = &obj->vma.tree.rb_node;
 	while (*p) {
@@ -220,6 +224,7 @@ vma_create(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 	rb_link_node(&vma->obj_node, rb, p);
 	rb_insert_color(&vma->obj_node, &obj->vma.tree);
 
+skip_rb_insert:
 	if (i915_vma_is_ggtt(vma))
 		/*
 		 * We put the GGTT vma at the start of the vma-list, followed
@@ -299,7 +304,34 @@ i915_vma_instance(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 
 	/* vma_create() will resolve the race if another creates the vma */
 	if (unlikely(!vma))
-		vma = vma_create(obj, vm, view);
+		vma = vma_create(obj, vm, view, false);
+
+	GEM_BUG_ON(!IS_ERR(vma) && i915_vma_compare(vma, vm, view));
+	return vma;
+}
+
+/**
+ * i915_vma_create_persistent - create a persistent VMA
+ * @obj: parent &struct drm_i915_gem_object to be mapped
+ * @vm: address space in which the mapping is located
+ * @view: additional mapping requirements
+ *
+ * Creates a persistent vma.
+ *
+ * Returns the vma, or an error pointer.
+ */
+struct i915_vma *
+i915_vma_create_persistent(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
+			   struct i915_address_space *vm,
+			   const struct i915_gtt_view *view)
+{
+	struct i915_vma *vma;
+
+	GEM_BUG_ON(!kref_read(&vm->ref));
+
+	vma = vma_create(obj, vm, view, true);
+	if (!IS_ERR(vma))
+		i915_vma_set_persistent(vma);
 
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!IS_ERR(vma) && i915_vma_compare(vma, vm, view));
 	return vma;
@@ -1666,7 +1698,8 @@ static void release_references(struct i915_vma *vma, struct intel_gt *gt,
 
 	spin_lock(&obj->vma.lock);
 	list_del(&vma->obj_link);
-	if (!RB_EMPTY_NODE(&vma->obj_node))
+	if (!i915_vma_is_persistent(vma) &&
+	    !RB_EMPTY_NODE(&vma->obj_node))
 		rb_erase(&vma->obj_node, &obj->vma.tree);
 
 	spin_unlock(&obj->vma.lock);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.h
index aecd9c64486b..51e712de380a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.h
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ struct i915_vma *
 i915_vma_instance(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 		  struct i915_address_space *vm,
 		  const struct i915_gtt_view *view);
+struct i915_vma *
+i915_vma_create_persistent(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
+			   struct i915_address_space *vm,
+			   const struct i915_gtt_view *view);
 
 void i915_vma_unpin_and_release(struct i915_vma **p_vma, unsigned int flags);
 #define I915_VMA_RELEASE_MAP BIT(0)
@@ -138,6 +142,16 @@ static inline u32 i915_ggtt_pin_bias(struct i915_vma *vma)
 	return i915_vm_to_ggtt(vma->vm)->pin_bias;
 }
 
+static inline bool i915_vma_is_persistent(const struct i915_vma *vma)
+{
+	return test_bit(I915_VMA_PERSISTENT_BIT, __i915_vma_flags(vma));
+}
+
+static inline void i915_vma_set_persistent(struct i915_vma *vma)
+{
+	set_bit(I915_VMA_PERSISTENT_BIT, __i915_vma_flags(vma));
+}
+
 static inline struct i915_vma *i915_vma_get(struct i915_vma *vma)
 {
 	i915_gem_object_get(vma->obj);
@@ -164,8 +178,6 @@ i915_vma_compare(struct i915_vma *vma,
 {
 	ptrdiff_t cmp;
 
-	GEM_BUG_ON(view && !i915_is_ggtt_or_dpt(vm));
-
 	cmp = ptrdiff(vma->vm, vm);
 	if (cmp)
 		return cmp;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma_types.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma_types.h
index ec0f6c9f57d0..2200f1f103ba 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma_types.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma_types.h
@@ -264,6 +264,13 @@ struct i915_vma {
 #define I915_VMA_SCANOUT_BIT	17
 #define I915_VMA_SCANOUT	((int)BIT(I915_VMA_SCANOUT_BIT))
 
+/**
+ * I915_VMA_PERSISTENT_BIT:
+ * The vma is persistent (created with VM_BIND call).
+ */
+#define I915_VMA_PERSISTENT_BIT	19
+#define I915_VMA_PERSISTENT	((int)BIT(I915_VMA_PERSISTENT_BIT))
+
 	struct i915_active active;
 
 #define I915_VMA_PAGES_BIAS 24
