diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.c
index b2f042d87be0..f92fa04c8e4a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.c
@@ -436,12 +436,39 @@ static void context_close(struct i915_gem_context *ctx)
 	 * case we opt to forcibly kill off all remaining requests on
 	 * context close.
 	 */
-	if (!i915_modparams.enable_hangcheck)
+	if (!i915_gem_context_is_persistent(ctx) ||
+	    !i915_modparams.enable_hangcheck)
 		kill_context(ctx);
 
 	i915_gem_context_put(ctx);
 }
 
+static int __context_set_persistence(struct i915_gem_context *ctx, bool state)
+{
+	if (i915_gem_context_is_persistent(ctx) == state)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (state) {
+		/*
+		 * Only contexts that are short-lived [that will expire or be
+		 * reset] are allowed to survive past termination. We require
+		 * hangcheck to ensure that the persistent requests are healthy.
+		 */
+		if (!i915_modparams.enable_hangcheck)
+			return -EINVAL;
+
+		i915_gem_context_set_persistence(ctx);
+	} else {
+		/* To cancel a context we use "preempt-to-idle" */
+		if (!(ctx->i915->caps.scheduler & I915_SCHEDULER_CAP_PREEMPTION))
+			return -ENODEV;
+
+		i915_gem_context_clear_persistence(ctx);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static struct i915_gem_context *
 __create_context(struct drm_i915_private *i915)
 {
@@ -476,6 +503,7 @@ __create_context(struct drm_i915_private *i915)
 
 	i915_gem_context_set_bannable(ctx);
 	i915_gem_context_set_recoverable(ctx);
+	__context_set_persistence(ctx, true /* cgroup hook? */);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(ctx->hang_timestamp); i++)
 		ctx->hang_timestamp[i] = jiffies - CONTEXT_FAST_HANG_JIFFIES;
@@ -632,6 +660,7 @@ i915_gem_context_create_kernel(struct drm_i915_private *i915, int prio)
 		return ctx;
 
 	i915_gem_context_clear_bannable(ctx);
+	i915_gem_context_set_persistence(ctx);
 	ctx->sched.priority = I915_USER_PRIORITY(prio);
 
 	GEM_BUG_ON(!i915_gem_context_is_kernel(ctx));
@@ -1742,6 +1771,16 @@ get_engines(struct i915_gem_context *ctx,
 	return err;
 }
 
+static int
+set_persistence(struct i915_gem_context *ctx,
+		const struct drm_i915_gem_context_param *args)
+{
+	if (args->size)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	return __context_set_persistence(ctx, args->value);
+}
+
 static int ctx_setparam(struct drm_i915_file_private *fpriv,
 			struct i915_gem_context *ctx,
 			struct drm_i915_gem_context_param *args)
@@ -1819,6 +1858,10 @@ static int ctx_setparam(struct drm_i915_file_private *fpriv,
 		ret = set_engines(ctx, args);
 		break;
 
+	case I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_PERSISTENCE:
+		ret = set_persistence(ctx, args);
+		break;
+
 	case I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_BAN_PERIOD:
 	default:
 		ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -2271,6 +2314,11 @@ int i915_gem_context_getparam_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 		ret = get_engines(ctx, args);
 		break;
 
+	case I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_PERSISTENCE:
+		args->size = 0;
+		args->value = i915_gem_context_is_persistent(ctx);
+		break;
+
 	case I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_BAN_PERIOD:
 	default:
 		ret = -EINVAL;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.h
index cfe80590f0ed..18e50a769a6e 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context.h
@@ -76,6 +76,21 @@ static inline void i915_gem_context_clear_recoverable(struct i915_gem_context *c
 	clear_bit(UCONTEXT_RECOVERABLE, &ctx->user_flags);
 }
 
+static inline bool i915_gem_context_is_persistent(const struct i915_gem_context *ctx)
+{
+	return test_bit(UCONTEXT_PERSISTENCE, &ctx->user_flags);
+}
+
+static inline void i915_gem_context_set_persistence(struct i915_gem_context *ctx)
+{
+	set_bit(UCONTEXT_PERSISTENCE, &ctx->user_flags);
+}
+
+static inline void i915_gem_context_clear_persistence(struct i915_gem_context *ctx)
+{
+	clear_bit(UCONTEXT_PERSISTENCE, &ctx->user_flags);
+}
+
 static inline bool i915_gem_context_is_banned(const struct i915_gem_context *ctx)
 {
 	return test_bit(CONTEXT_BANNED, &ctx->flags);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context_types.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context_types.h
index fe97b8ba4fda..861d7d92fe9f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context_types.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/i915_gem_context_types.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ struct i915_gem_context {
 #define UCONTEXT_NO_ERROR_CAPTURE	1
 #define UCONTEXT_BANNABLE		2
 #define UCONTEXT_RECOVERABLE		3
+#define UCONTEXT_PERSISTENCE		4
 
 	/**
 	 * @flags: small set of booleans
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/selftests/mock_context.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/selftests/mock_context.c
index 74ddd682c9cd..29b8984f0e47 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/selftests/mock_context.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gem/selftests/mock_context.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ mock_context(struct drm_i915_private *i915,
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ctx->link);
 	ctx->i915 = i915;
 
+	i915_gem_context_set_persistence(ctx);
+
 	mutex_init(&ctx->engines_mutex);
 	e = default_engines(ctx);
 	if (IS_ERR(e))
diff --git a/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h b/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
index 63d40cba97e0..b5fd5e4bd16e 100644
--- a/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
+++ b/include/uapi/drm/i915_drm.h
@@ -1572,6 +1572,21 @@ struct drm_i915_gem_context_param {
  *   i915_context_engines_bond (I915_CONTEXT_ENGINES_EXT_BOND)
  */
 #define I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_ENGINES	0xa
+
+/*
+ * I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_PERSISTENCE:
+ *
+ * Allow the context and active rendering to survive the process until
+ * completion. Persistence allows fire-and-forget clients to queue up a
+ * bunch of work, hand the output over to a display server and the quit.
+ * If the context is not marked as persistent, upon closing (either via
+ * an explicit DRM_I915_GEM_CONTEXT_DESTROY or implicitly from file closure
+ * or process termination), the context and any outstanding requests will be
+ * cancelled (and exported fences for cancelled requests marked as -EIO).
+ *
+ * By default, new contexts allow persistence.
+ */
+#define I915_CONTEXT_PARAM_PERSISTENCE	0xb
 /* Must be kept compact -- no holes and well documented */
 
 	__u64 value;
