diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c
index efe2030cfe5e..f19cf6d2fa85 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.c
@@ -52,14 +52,29 @@ static int __timeline_active(struct i915_active *active)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+I915_SELFTEST_EXPORT int
+intel_timeline_pin_map(struct intel_timeline *timeline)
+{
+	struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj = timeline->hwsp_ggtt->obj;
+	u32 ofs = offset_in_page(timeline->hwsp_offset);
+	void *vaddr;
+
+	vaddr = i915_gem_object_pin_map(obj, I915_MAP_WB);
+	if (IS_ERR(vaddr))
+		return PTR_ERR(vaddr);
+
+	timeline->hwsp_map = vaddr;
+	timeline->hwsp_seqno = memset(vaddr + ofs, 0, TIMELINE_SEQNO_BYTES);
+	clflush(vaddr + ofs);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int intel_timeline_init(struct intel_timeline *timeline,
 			       struct intel_gt *gt,
 			       struct i915_vma *hwsp,
 			       unsigned int offset)
 {
-	void *vaddr;
-	u32 *seqno;
-
 	kref_init(&timeline->kref);
 	atomic_set(&timeline->pin_count, 0);
 
@@ -76,14 +91,8 @@ static int intel_timeline_init(struct intel_timeline *timeline,
 		timeline->hwsp_ggtt = hwsp;
 	}
 
-	vaddr = i915_gem_object_pin_map(hwsp->obj, I915_MAP_WB);
-	if (IS_ERR(vaddr))
-		return PTR_ERR(vaddr);
-
-	timeline->hwsp_map = vaddr;
-	seqno = vaddr + timeline->hwsp_offset;
-	WRITE_ONCE(*seqno, 0);
-	timeline->hwsp_seqno = seqno;
+	timeline->hwsp_map = NULL;
+	timeline->hwsp_seqno = (void *)(long)timeline->hwsp_offset;
 
 	GEM_BUG_ON(timeline->hwsp_offset >= hwsp->size);
 
@@ -113,7 +122,8 @@ static void intel_timeline_fini(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 	struct intel_timeline *timeline =
 		container_of(rcu, struct intel_timeline, rcu);
 
-	i915_gem_object_unpin_map(timeline->hwsp_ggtt->obj);
+	if (timeline->hwsp_map)
+		i915_gem_object_unpin_map(timeline->hwsp_ggtt->obj);
 
 	i915_vma_put(timeline->hwsp_ggtt);
 	i915_active_fini(&timeline->active);
@@ -173,6 +183,12 @@ int intel_timeline_pin(struct intel_timeline *tl, struct i915_gem_ww_ctx *ww)
 	if (atomic_add_unless(&tl->pin_count, 1, 0))
 		return 0;
 
+	if (!tl->hwsp_map) {
+		err = intel_timeline_pin_map(tl);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
+	}
+
 	err = i915_ggtt_pin(tl->hwsp_ggtt, ww, 0, PIN_HIGH);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.h
index b1f81d947f8d..57308c4d664a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_timeline.h
@@ -98,4 +98,6 @@ intel_timeline_is_last(const struct intel_timeline *tl,
 	return list_is_last_rcu(&rq->link, &tl->requests);
 }
 
+I915_SELFTEST_DECLARE(int intel_timeline_pin_map(struct intel_timeline *tl));
+
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/mock_engine.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/mock_engine.c
index 5662f7c2f719..42fd86658ee7 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/mock_engine.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/mock_engine.c
@@ -13,9 +13,20 @@
 #include "mock_engine.h"
 #include "selftests/mock_request.h"
 
-static void mock_timeline_pin(struct intel_timeline *tl)
+static int mock_timeline_pin(struct intel_timeline *tl)
 {
+	int err;
+
+	if (WARN_ON(!i915_gem_object_trylock(tl->hwsp_ggtt->obj)))
+		return -EBUSY;
+
+	err = intel_timeline_pin_map(tl);
+	i915_gem_object_unlock(tl->hwsp_ggtt->obj);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
 	atomic_inc(&tl->pin_count);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void mock_timeline_unpin(struct intel_timeline *tl)
@@ -133,6 +144,8 @@ static void mock_context_destroy(struct kref *ref)
 
 static int mock_context_alloc(struct intel_context *ce)
 {
+	int err;
+
 	ce->ring = mock_ring(ce->engine);
 	if (!ce->ring)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -143,7 +156,12 @@ static int mock_context_alloc(struct intel_context *ce)
 		return PTR_ERR(ce->timeline);
 	}
 
-	mock_timeline_pin(ce->timeline);
+	err = mock_timeline_pin(ce->timeline);
+	if (err) {
+		intel_timeline_put(ce->timeline);
+		ce->timeline = NULL;
+		return err;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c
index be46465a57c9..fa4b965ed5ee 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/selftest_timeline.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ static void __mock_hwsp_record(struct mock_hwsp_freelist *state,
 	tl = xchg(&state->history[idx], tl);
 	if (tl) {
 		radix_tree_delete(&state->cachelines, hwsp_cacheline(tl));
+		intel_timeline_unpin(tl);
 		intel_timeline_put(tl);
 	}
 }
@@ -78,6 +79,12 @@ static int __mock_hwsp_timeline(struct mock_hwsp_freelist *state,
 		if (IS_ERR(tl))
 			return PTR_ERR(tl);
 
+		err = intel_timeline_pin(tl, NULL);
+		if (err) {
+			intel_timeline_put(tl);
+			return err;
+		}
+
 		cacheline = hwsp_cacheline(tl);
 		err = radix_tree_insert(&state->cachelines, cacheline, tl);
 		if (err) {
@@ -85,6 +92,7 @@ static int __mock_hwsp_timeline(struct mock_hwsp_freelist *state,
 				pr_err("HWSP cacheline %lu already used; duplicate allocation!\n",
 				       cacheline);
 			}
+			intel_timeline_unpin(tl);
 			intel_timeline_put(tl);
 			return err;
 		}
@@ -452,7 +460,7 @@ static int emit_ggtt_store_dw(struct i915_request *rq, u32 addr, u32 value)
 }
 
 static struct i915_request *
-tl_write(struct intel_timeline *tl, struct intel_engine_cs *engine, u32 value)
+checked_tl_write(struct intel_timeline *tl, struct intel_engine_cs *engine, u32 value)
 {
 	struct i915_request *rq;
 	int err;
@@ -463,6 +471,13 @@ tl_write(struct intel_timeline *tl, struct intel_engine_cs *engine, u32 value)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (READ_ONCE(*tl->hwsp_seqno) != tl->seqno) {
+		pr_err("Timeline created with incorrect breadcrumb, found %x, expected %x\n",
+		       *tl->hwsp_seqno, tl->seqno);
+		intel_timeline_unpin(tl);
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+	}
+
 	rq = intel_engine_create_kernel_request(engine);
 	if (IS_ERR(rq))
 		goto out_unpin;
@@ -484,25 +499,6 @@ tl_write(struct intel_timeline *tl, struct intel_engine_cs *engine, u32 value)
 	return rq;
 }
 
-static struct intel_timeline *
-checked_intel_timeline_create(struct intel_gt *gt)
-{
-	struct intel_timeline *tl;
-
-	tl = intel_timeline_create(gt);
-	if (IS_ERR(tl))
-		return tl;
-
-	if (READ_ONCE(*tl->hwsp_seqno) != tl->seqno) {
-		pr_err("Timeline created with incorrect breadcrumb, found %x, expected %x\n",
-		       *tl->hwsp_seqno, tl->seqno);
-		intel_timeline_put(tl);
-		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
-	}
-
-	return tl;
-}
-
 static int live_hwsp_engine(void *arg)
 {
 #define NUM_TIMELINES 4096
@@ -535,13 +531,13 @@ static int live_hwsp_engine(void *arg)
 			struct intel_timeline *tl;
 			struct i915_request *rq;
 
-			tl = checked_intel_timeline_create(gt);
+			tl = intel_timeline_create(gt);
 			if (IS_ERR(tl)) {
 				err = PTR_ERR(tl);
 				break;
 			}
 
-			rq = tl_write(tl, engine, count);
+			rq = checked_tl_write(tl, engine, count);
 			if (IS_ERR(rq)) {
 				intel_timeline_put(tl);
 				err = PTR_ERR(rq);
@@ -608,14 +604,14 @@ static int live_hwsp_alternate(void *arg)
 			if (!intel_engine_can_store_dword(engine))
 				continue;
 
-			tl = checked_intel_timeline_create(gt);
+			tl = intel_timeline_create(gt);
 			if (IS_ERR(tl)) {
 				err = PTR_ERR(tl);
 				goto out;
 			}
 
 			intel_engine_pm_get(engine);
-			rq = tl_write(tl, engine, count);
+			rq = checked_tl_write(tl, engine, count);
 			intel_engine_pm_put(engine);
 			if (IS_ERR(rq)) {
 				intel_timeline_put(tl);
@@ -1258,6 +1254,10 @@ static int live_hwsp_rollover_user(void *arg)
 		if (!tl->has_initial_breadcrumb)
 			goto out;
 
+		err = intel_context_pin(ce);
+		if (err)
+			goto out;
+
 		tl->seqno = -4u;
 		WRITE_ONCE(*(u32 *)tl->hwsp_seqno, tl->seqno);
 
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ static int live_hwsp_rollover_user(void *arg)
 			this = intel_context_create_request(ce);
 			if (IS_ERR(this)) {
 				err = PTR_ERR(this);
-				goto out;
+				goto out_unpin;
 			}
 
 			pr_debug("%s: create fence.seqnp:%d\n",
@@ -1286,17 +1286,18 @@ static int live_hwsp_rollover_user(void *arg)
 		if (i915_request_wait(rq[2], 0, HZ / 5) < 0) {
 			pr_err("Wait for timeline wrap timed out!\n");
 			err = -EIO;
-			goto out;
+			goto out_unpin;
 		}
 
 		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(rq); i++) {
 			if (!i915_request_completed(rq[i])) {
 				pr_err("Pre-wrap request not completed!\n");
 				err = -EINVAL;
-				goto out;
+				goto out_unpin;
 			}
 		}
-
+out_unpin:
+		intel_context_unpin(ce);
 out:
 		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(rq); i++)
 			i915_request_put(rq[i]);
@@ -1338,13 +1339,13 @@ static int live_hwsp_recycle(void *arg)
 			struct intel_timeline *tl;
 			struct i915_request *rq;
 
-			tl = checked_intel_timeline_create(gt);
+			tl = intel_timeline_create(gt);
 			if (IS_ERR(tl)) {
 				err = PTR_ERR(tl);
 				break;
 			}
 
-			rq = tl_write(tl, engine, count);
+			rq = checked_tl_write(tl, engine, count);
 			if (IS_ERR(rq)) {
 				intel_timeline_put(tl);
 				err = PTR_ERR(rq);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_selftest.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_selftest.h
index d53d207ab6eb..f54de0499be7 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_selftest.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_selftest.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ int __i915_subtests(const char *caller,
 
 #define I915_SELFTEST_DECLARE(x) x
 #define I915_SELFTEST_ONLY(x) unlikely(x)
+#define I915_SELFTEST_EXPORT
 
 #else /* !IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DRM_I915_SELFTEST) */
 
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ static inline int i915_perf_selftests(struct pci_dev *pdev) { return 0; }
 
 #define I915_SELFTEST_DECLARE(x)
 #define I915_SELFTEST_ONLY(x) 0
+#define I915_SELFTEST_EXPORT static
 
 #endif
 
