diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
index da403f4fc679..fa199b7e51b5 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_drv.h
@@ -2352,23 +2352,9 @@ i915_gem_request_reference(struct drm_i915_gem_request *req)
 static inline void
 i915_gem_request_unreference(struct drm_i915_gem_request *req)
 {
-	WARN_ON(!mutex_is_locked(&req->engine->dev->struct_mutex));
 	kref_put(&req->ref, i915_gem_request_free);
 }
 
-static inline void
-i915_gem_request_unreference__unlocked(struct drm_i915_gem_request *req)
-{
-	struct drm_device *dev;
-
-	if (!req)
-		return;
-
-	dev = req->engine->dev;
-	if (kref_put_mutex(&req->ref, i915_gem_request_free, &dev->struct_mutex))
-		mutex_unlock(&dev->struct_mutex);
-}
-
 static inline void i915_gem_request_assign(struct drm_i915_gem_request **pdst,
 					   struct drm_i915_gem_request *src)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
index 239452933a89..c1df696f9002 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
@@ -1410,10 +1410,31 @@ i915_gem_request_remove_from_client(struct drm_i915_gem_request *request)
 	request->pid = NULL;
 }
 
+static void __i915_gem_request_release(struct drm_i915_gem_request *request)
+{
+	if (i915.enable_execlists) {
+		if (request->ctx != request->i915->kernel_context)
+			intel_lr_context_unpin(request->ctx, request->engine);
+	}
+
+	i915_gem_request_remove_from_client(request);
+
+	i915_gem_context_unreference(request->ctx);
+	i915_gem_request_unreference(request);
+}
+
+void i915_gem_request_cancel(struct drm_i915_gem_request *req)
+{
+	intel_ring_reserved_space_cancel(req->ringbuf);
+	__i915_gem_request_release(req);
+}
+
 static void i915_gem_request_retire(struct drm_i915_gem_request *request)
 {
 	trace_i915_gem_request_retire(request);
 
+	list_del_init(&request->list);
+
 	/* We know the GPU must have read the request to have
 	 * sent us the seqno + interrupt, so use the position
 	 * of tail of the request to update the last known position
@@ -1424,10 +1445,7 @@ static void i915_gem_request_retire(struct drm_i915_gem_request *request)
 	 */
 	request->ringbuf->last_retired_head = request->postfix;
 
-	list_del_init(&request->list);
-	i915_gem_request_remove_from_client(request);
-
-	i915_gem_request_unreference(request);
+	__i915_gem_request_release(request);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2723,18 +2741,7 @@ static void i915_set_reset_status(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 void i915_gem_request_free(struct kref *req_ref)
 {
 	struct drm_i915_gem_request *req = container_of(req_ref,
-						 typeof(*req), ref);
-	struct intel_context *ctx = req->ctx;
-
-	if (req->file_priv)
-		i915_gem_request_remove_from_client(req);
-
-	if (ctx) {
-		if (i915.enable_execlists && ctx != req->i915->kernel_context)
-			intel_lr_context_unpin(ctx, req->engine);
-
-		i915_gem_context_unreference(ctx);
-	}
+							typeof(*req), ref);
 
 	kmem_cache_free(req->i915->requests, req);
 }
@@ -2830,13 +2837,6 @@ i915_gem_request_alloc(struct intel_engine_cs *engine,
 	return err ? ERR_PTR(err) : req;
 }
 
-void i915_gem_request_cancel(struct drm_i915_gem_request *req)
-{
-	intel_ring_reserved_space_cancel(req->ringbuf);
-
-	i915_gem_request_unreference(req);
-}
-
 struct drm_i915_gem_request *
 i915_gem_find_active_request(struct intel_engine_cs *engine)
 {
@@ -3194,7 +3194,7 @@ i915_gem_wait_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data, struct drm_file *file)
 			ret = __i915_wait_request(req[i], reset_counter, true,
 						  args->timeout_ns > 0 ? &args->timeout_ns : NULL,
 						  to_rps_client(file));
-		i915_gem_request_unreference__unlocked(req[i]);
+		i915_gem_request_unreference(req[i]);
 	}
 	return ret;
 
@@ -4216,7 +4216,7 @@ i915_gem_ring_throttle(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_file *file)
 	if (ret == 0)
 		queue_delayed_work(dev_priv->wq, &dev_priv->mm.retire_work, 0);
 
-	i915_gem_request_unreference__unlocked(target);
+	i915_gem_request_unreference(target);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
index feb7028341b8..f2ce7310e2b6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
@@ -11362,7 +11362,7 @@ static void intel_mmio_flip_work_func(struct work_struct *work)
 					    mmio_flip->crtc->reset_counter,
 					    false, NULL,
 					    &mmio_flip->i915->rps.mmioflips));
-		i915_gem_request_unreference__unlocked(mmio_flip->req);
+		i915_gem_request_unreference(mmio_flip->req);
 	}
 
 	/* For framebuffer backed by dmabuf, wait for fence */
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_pm.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_pm.c
index 43b24a1f5ee6..346e353b4fe8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_pm.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_pm.c
@@ -7378,7 +7378,7 @@ static void __intel_rps_boost_work(struct work_struct *work)
 		gen6_rps_boost(to_i915(req->engine->dev), NULL,
 			       req->emitted_jiffies);
 
-	i915_gem_request_unreference__unlocked(req);
+	i915_gem_request_unreference(req);
 	kfree(boost);
 }
 
