diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
index dcbe644869b3..12a0a80bc989 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
@@ -255,10 +255,7 @@ i915_gem_get_aperture_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 
 	pinned = ggtt->vm.reserved;
 	mutex_lock(&dev->struct_mutex);
-	list_for_each_entry(vma, &ggtt->vm.active_list, vm_link)
-		if (i915_vma_is_pinned(vma))
-			pinned += vma->node.size;
-	list_for_each_entry(vma, &ggtt->vm.inactive_list, vm_link)
+	list_for_each_entry(vma, &ggtt->vm.bound_list, vm_link)
 		if (i915_vma_is_pinned(vma))
 			pinned += vma->node.size;
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->struct_mutex);
@@ -1541,13 +1538,10 @@ static void i915_gem_object_bump_inactive_ggtt(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj)
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!i915_gem_object_has_pinned_pages(obj));
 
 	for_each_ggtt_vma(vma, obj) {
-		if (i915_vma_is_active(vma))
-			continue;
-
 		if (!drm_mm_node_allocated(&vma->node))
 			continue;
 
-		list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->inactive_list);
+		list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->bound_list);
 	}
 
 	i915 = to_i915(obj->base.dev);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_evict.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_evict.c
index f6855401f247..d76839670632 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_evict.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_evict.c
@@ -126,31 +126,25 @@ i915_gem_evict_something(struct i915_address_space *vm,
 	struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv = vm->i915;
 	struct drm_mm_scan scan;
 	struct list_head eviction_list;
-	struct list_head *phases[] = {
-		&vm->inactive_list,
-		&vm->active_list,
-		NULL,
-	}, **phase;
 	struct i915_vma *vma, *next;
 	struct drm_mm_node *node;
 	enum drm_mm_insert_mode mode;
+	struct i915_vma *active;
 	int ret;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&vm->i915->drm.struct_mutex);
 	trace_i915_gem_evict(vm, min_size, alignment, flags);
 
 	/*
-	 * The goal is to evict objects and amalgamate space in LRU order.
-	 * The oldest idle objects reside on the inactive list, which is in
-	 * retirement order. The next objects to retire are those in flight,
-	 * on the active list, again in retirement order.
+	 * The goal is to evict objects and amalgamate space in rough LRU order.
+	 * Since both active and inactive objects reside on the same list,
+	 * in a mix of creation and last scanned order, as we process the list
+	 * we sort it into inactive/active, which keeps the active portion
+	 * in a rough MRU order.
 	 *
 	 * The retirement sequence is thus:
-	 *   1. Inactive objects (already retired)
-	 *   2. Active objects (will stall on unbinding)
-	 *
-	 * On each list, the oldest objects lie at the HEAD with the freshest
-	 * object on the TAIL.
+	 *   1. Inactive objects (already retired, random order)
+	 *   2. Active objects (will stall on unbinding, oldest scanned first)
 	 */
 	mode = DRM_MM_INSERT_BEST;
 	if (flags & PIN_HIGH)
@@ -169,17 +163,46 @@ i915_gem_evict_something(struct i915_address_space *vm,
 	 */
 	if (!(flags & PIN_NONBLOCK))
 		i915_retire_requests(dev_priv);
-	else
-		phases[1] = NULL;
 
 search_again:
+	active = NULL;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&eviction_list);
-	phase = phases;
-	do {
-		list_for_each_entry(vma, *phase, vm_link)
-			if (mark_free(&scan, vma, flags, &eviction_list))
-				goto found;
-	} while (*++phase);
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, next, &vm->bound_list, vm_link) {
+		/*
+		 * We keep this list in a rough least-recently scanned order
+		 * of active elements (inactive elements are cheap to reap).
+		 * New entries are added to the end, and we move anything we
+		 * scan to the end. The assumption is that the working set
+		 * of applications is either steady state (and thanks to the
+		 * userspace bo cache it almost always is) or volatile and
+		 * frequently replaced after a frame, which are self-evicting!
+		 * Given that assumption, the MRU order of the scan list is
+		 * fairly static, and keeping it in least-recently scan order
+		 * is suitable.
+		 *
+		 * To notice when we complete one full cycle, we record the
+		 * first active element seen, before moving it to the tail.
+		 */
+		if (i915_vma_is_active(vma)) {
+			if (vma == active) {
+				if (flags & PIN_NONBLOCK)
+					break;
+
+				active = ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
+			}
+
+			if (active != ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN)) {
+				if (!active)
+					active = vma;
+
+				list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vm->bound_list);
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (mark_free(&scan, vma, flags, &eviction_list))
+			goto found;
+	}
 
 	/* Nothing found, clean up and bail out! */
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, next, &eviction_list, evict_link) {
@@ -388,11 +411,6 @@ int i915_gem_evict_for_node(struct i915_address_space *vm,
  */
 int i915_gem_evict_vm(struct i915_address_space *vm)
 {
-	struct list_head *phases[] = {
-		&vm->inactive_list,
-		&vm->active_list,
-		NULL
-	}, **phase;
 	struct list_head eviction_list;
 	struct i915_vma *vma, *next;
 	int ret;
@@ -412,16 +430,13 @@ int i915_gem_evict_vm(struct i915_address_space *vm)
 	}
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&eviction_list);
-	phase = phases;
-	do {
-		list_for_each_entry(vma, *phase, vm_link) {
-			if (i915_vma_is_pinned(vma))
-				continue;
+	list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->bound_list, vm_link) {
+		if (i915_vma_is_pinned(vma))
+			continue;
 
-			__i915_vma_pin(vma);
-			list_add(&vma->evict_link, &eviction_list);
-		}
-	} while (*++phase);
+		__i915_vma_pin(vma);
+		list_add(&vma->evict_link, &eviction_list);
+	}
 
 	ret = 0;
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, next, &eviction_list, evict_link) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c
index 9081e3bc5a59..2ad9070a54c1 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.c
@@ -491,9 +491,8 @@ static void i915_address_space_init(struct i915_address_space *vm, int subclass)
 
 	stash_init(&vm->free_pages);
 
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&vm->active_list);
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&vm->inactive_list);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&vm->unbound_list);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&vm->bound_list);
 }
 
 static void i915_address_space_fini(struct i915_address_space *vm)
@@ -2111,8 +2110,7 @@ void i915_ppgtt_close(struct i915_address_space *vm)
 static void ppgtt_destroy_vma(struct i915_address_space *vm)
 {
 	struct list_head *phases[] = {
-		&vm->active_list,
-		&vm->inactive_list,
+		&vm->bound_list,
 		&vm->unbound_list,
 		NULL,
 	}, **phase;
@@ -2135,8 +2133,7 @@ void i915_ppgtt_release(struct kref *kref)
 
 	ppgtt_destroy_vma(&ppgtt->vm);
 
-	GEM_BUG_ON(!list_empty(&ppgtt->vm.active_list));
-	GEM_BUG_ON(!list_empty(&ppgtt->vm.inactive_list));
+	GEM_BUG_ON(!list_empty(&ppgtt->vm.bound_list));
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!list_empty(&ppgtt->vm.unbound_list));
 
 	ppgtt->vm.cleanup(&ppgtt->vm);
@@ -2801,8 +2798,7 @@ void i915_ggtt_cleanup_hw(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv)
 	mutex_lock(&dev_priv->drm.struct_mutex);
 	i915_gem_fini_aliasing_ppgtt(dev_priv);
 
-	GEM_BUG_ON(!list_empty(&ggtt->vm.active_list));
-	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, vn, &ggtt->vm.inactive_list, vm_link)
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, vn, &ggtt->vm.bound_list, vm_link)
 		WARN_ON(i915_vma_unbind(vma));
 
 	if (drm_mm_node_allocated(&ggtt->error_capture))
@@ -3514,8 +3510,7 @@ void i915_gem_restore_gtt_mappings(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv)
 	ggtt->vm.closed = true; /* skip rewriting PTE on VMA unbind */
 
 	/* clflush objects bound into the GGTT and rebind them. */
-	GEM_BUG_ON(!list_empty(&ggtt->vm.active_list));
-	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, vn, &ggtt->vm.inactive_list, vm_link) {
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, vn, &ggtt->vm.bound_list, vm_link) {
 		struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj = vma->obj;
 
 		if (!(vma->flags & I915_VMA_GLOBAL_BIND))
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.h
index a0039ea97cdc..bd679c8c56dd 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_gtt.h
@@ -299,32 +299,12 @@ struct i915_address_space {
 	struct i915_page_directory_pointer *scratch_pdp; /* GEN8+ & 48b PPGTT */
 
 	/**
-	 * List of objects currently involved in rendering.
-	 *
-	 * Includes buffers having the contents of their GPU caches
-	 * flushed, not necessarily primitives. last_read_req
-	 * represents when the rendering involved will be completed.
-	 *
-	 * A reference is held on the buffer while on this list.
+	 * List of vma currently bound.
 	 */
-	struct list_head active_list;
+	struct list_head bound_list;
 
 	/**
-	 * LRU list of objects which are not in the ringbuffer and
-	 * are ready to unbind, but are still in the GTT.
-	 *
-	 * last_read_req is NULL while an object is in this list.
-	 *
-	 * A reference is not held on the buffer while on this list,
-	 * as merely being GTT-bound shouldn't prevent its being
-	 * freed, and we'll pull it off the list in the free path.
-	 */
-	struct list_head inactive_list;
-
-	/**
-	 * List of vma that have been unbound.
-	 *
-	 * A reference is not held on the buffer while on this list.
+	 * List of vma that are not unbound.
 	 */
 	struct list_head unbound_list;
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_shrinker.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_shrinker.c
index 8ceecb026910..a76d6c95c824 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_shrinker.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_shrinker.c
@@ -462,9 +462,13 @@ i915_gem_shrinker_vmap(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long event, void *ptr
 
 	/* We also want to clear any cached iomaps as they wrap vmap */
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(vma, next,
-				 &i915->ggtt.vm.inactive_list, vm_link) {
+				 &i915->ggtt.vm.bound_list, vm_link) {
 		unsigned long count = vma->node.size >> PAGE_SHIFT;
-		if (vma->iomap && i915_vma_unbind(vma) == 0)
+
+		if (!vma->iomap || i915_vma_is_active(vma))
+			continue;
+
+		if (i915_vma_unbind(vma) == 0)
 			freed_pages += count;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_stolen.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_stolen.c
index 9df615eea2d8..a9e365789686 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_stolen.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_stolen.c
@@ -701,7 +701,8 @@ i915_gem_object_create_stolen_for_preallocated(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv
 	vma->pages = obj->mm.pages;
 	vma->flags |= I915_VMA_GLOBAL_BIND;
 	__i915_vma_set_map_and_fenceable(vma);
-	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &ggtt->vm.inactive_list);
+
+	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &ggtt->vm.bound_list);
 
 	spin_lock(&dev_priv->mm.obj_lock);
 	list_move_tail(&obj->mm.link, &dev_priv->mm.bound_list);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gpu_error.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gpu_error.c
index 4eef0462489c..898e06014295 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gpu_error.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gpu_error.c
@@ -1121,7 +1121,9 @@ static void capture_bo(struct drm_i915_error_buffer *err,
 
 static u32 capture_error_bo(struct drm_i915_error_buffer *err,
 			    int count, struct list_head *head,
-			    bool pinned_only)
+			    unsigned int flags)
+#define ACTIVE_ONLY BIT(0)
+#define PINNED_ONLY BIT(1)
 {
 	struct i915_vma *vma;
 	int i = 0;
@@ -1130,7 +1132,10 @@ static u32 capture_error_bo(struct drm_i915_error_buffer *err,
 		if (!vma->obj)
 			continue;
 
-		if (pinned_only && !i915_vma_is_pinned(vma))
+		if (flags & ACTIVE_ONLY && !i915_vma_is_active(vma))
+			continue;
+
+		if (flags & PINNED_ONLY && !i915_vma_is_pinned(vma))
 			continue;
 
 		capture_bo(err++, vma);
@@ -1601,14 +1606,17 @@ static void gem_capture_vm(struct i915_gpu_state *error,
 	int count;
 
 	count = 0;
-	list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->active_list, vm_link)
-		count++;
+	list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->bound_list, vm_link)
+		if (i915_vma_is_active(vma))
+			count++;
 
 	active_bo = NULL;
 	if (count)
 		active_bo = kcalloc(count, sizeof(*active_bo), GFP_ATOMIC);
 	if (active_bo)
-		count = capture_error_bo(active_bo, count, &vm->active_list, false);
+		count = capture_error_bo(active_bo,
+					 count, &vm->bound_list,
+					 ACTIVE_ONLY);
 	else
 		count = 0;
 
@@ -1646,28 +1654,20 @@ static void capture_pinned_buffers(struct i915_gpu_state *error)
 	struct i915_address_space *vm = &error->i915->ggtt.vm;
 	struct drm_i915_error_buffer *bo;
 	struct i915_vma *vma;
-	int count_inactive, count_active;
-
-	count_inactive = 0;
-	list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->inactive_list, vm_link)
-		count_inactive++;
+	int count;
 
-	count_active = 0;
-	list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->active_list, vm_link)
-		count_active++;
+	count = 0;
+	list_for_each_entry(vma, &vm->bound_list, vm_link)
+		count++;
 
 	bo = NULL;
-	if (count_inactive + count_active)
-		bo = kcalloc(count_inactive + count_active,
-			     sizeof(*bo), GFP_ATOMIC);
+	if (count)
+		bo = kcalloc(count, sizeof(*bo), GFP_ATOMIC);
 	if (!bo)
 		return;
 
-	count_inactive = capture_error_bo(bo, count_inactive,
-					  &vm->active_list, true);
-	count_active = capture_error_bo(bo + count_inactive, count_active,
-					&vm->inactive_list, true);
-	error->pinned_bo_count = count_inactive + count_active;
+	error->pinned_bo_count =
+		capture_error_bo(bo, count, &vm->bound_list, PINNED_ONLY);
 	error->pinned_bo = bo;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
index 5b4d78cdb4ca..7de28baffb8f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_vma.c
@@ -79,9 +79,6 @@ __i915_vma_retire(struct i915_vma *vma, struct i915_request *rq)
 	if (--vma->active_count)
 		return;
 
-	GEM_BUG_ON(!drm_mm_node_allocated(&vma->node));
-	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->inactive_list);
-
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!i915_gem_object_is_active(obj));
 	if (--obj->active_count)
 		return;
@@ -659,7 +656,7 @@ i915_vma_insert(struct i915_vma *vma, u64 size, u64 alignment, u64 flags)
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!drm_mm_node_allocated(&vma->node));
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!i915_gem_valid_gtt_space(vma, cache_level));
 
-	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->inactive_list);
+	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->bound_list);
 
 	if (vma->obj) {
 		struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj = vma->obj;
@@ -1003,10 +1000,8 @@ int i915_vma_move_to_active(struct i915_vma *vma,
 	 * add the active reference first and queue for it to be dropped
 	 * *last*.
 	 */
-	if (!i915_gem_active_isset(active) && !vma->active_count++) {
-		list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->active_list);
+	if (!i915_gem_active_isset(active) && !vma->active_count++)
 		obj->active_count++;
-	}
 	i915_gem_active_set(active, rq);
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!i915_vma_is_active(vma));
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!obj->active_count);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_evict.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_evict.c
index d0553bc69705..af9b85cb8639 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_evict.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_evict.c
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ static int populate_ggtt(struct drm_i915_private *i915,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	if (list_empty(&i915->ggtt.vm.inactive_list)) {
+	if (list_empty(&i915->ggtt.vm.bound_list)) {
 		pr_err("No objects on the GGTT inactive list!\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ static void unpin_ggtt(struct drm_i915_private *i915)
 {
 	struct i915_vma *vma;
 
-	list_for_each_entry(vma, &i915->ggtt.vm.inactive_list, vm_link)
+	list_for_each_entry(vma, &i915->ggtt.vm.bound_list, vm_link)
 		if (vma->obj->mm.quirked)
 			i915_vma_unpin(vma);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_gtt.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_gtt.c
index 06bde4a273cb..8feb4af308ff 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_gtt.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_gem_gtt.c
@@ -1237,7 +1237,7 @@ static void track_vma_bind(struct i915_vma *vma)
 	__i915_gem_object_pin_pages(obj);
 
 	vma->pages = obj->mm.pages;
-	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->inactive_list);
+	list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->bound_list);
 }
 
 static int exercise_mock(struct drm_i915_private *i915,
