diff --git a/include/ui/egl-helpers.h b/include/ui/egl-helpers.h
index 4b8c0d2281..606d6c8288 100644
--- a/include/ui/egl-helpers.h
+++ b/include/ui/egl-helpers.h
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ int egl_get_fd_for_texture(uint32_t tex_id, EGLint *stride, EGLint *fourcc,
 
 void egl_dmabuf_import_texture(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
 void egl_dmabuf_release_texture(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
-void egl_dmabuf_create_sync(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
-void egl_dmabuf_create_fence(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
+int egl_dmabuf_create_fence(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/ui/egl-helpers.c b/ui/egl-helpers.c
index 99b2ebbe23..e16f2cb23d 100644
--- a/ui/egl-helpers.c
+++ b/ui/egl-helpers.c
@@ -371,34 +371,29 @@ void egl_dmabuf_release_texture(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf)
     qemu_dmabuf_set_texture(dmabuf, 0);
 }
 
-void egl_dmabuf_create_sync(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf)
+int egl_dmabuf_create_fence(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf)
 {
     EGLSyncKHR sync;
+    int fence_fd = -1;
 
     if (epoxy_has_egl_extension(qemu_egl_display,
                                 "EGL_KHR_fence_sync") &&
         epoxy_has_egl_extension(qemu_egl_display,
-                                "EGL_ANDROID_native_fence_sync")) {
+                                "EGL_ANDROID_native_fence_sync") &&
+        qemu_dmabuf_get_fence_fd(dmabuf) == -1) {
         sync = eglCreateSyncKHR(qemu_egl_display,
                                 EGL_SYNC_NATIVE_FENCE_ANDROID, NULL);
         if (sync != EGL_NO_SYNC_KHR) {
-            qemu_dmabuf_set_sync(dmabuf, sync);
+            fence_fd = eglDupNativeFenceFDANDROID(qemu_egl_display,
+                                                  sync);
+            if (fence_fd >= 0) {
+                qemu_dmabuf_set_fence_fd(dmabuf, fence_fd);
+            }
+            eglDestroySyncKHR(qemu_egl_display, sync);
         }
     }
-}
-
-void egl_dmabuf_create_fence(QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf)
-{
-    void *sync = qemu_dmabuf_get_sync(dmabuf);
-    int fence_fd;
 
-    if (sync) {
-        fence_fd = eglDupNativeFenceFDANDROID(qemu_egl_display,
-                                              sync);
-        qemu_dmabuf_set_fence_fd(dmabuf, fence_fd);
-        eglDestroySyncKHR(qemu_egl_display, sync);
-        qemu_dmabuf_set_sync(dmabuf, NULL);
-    }
+    return fence_fd;
 }
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_GBM */
diff --git a/ui/gtk-egl.c b/ui/gtk-egl.c
index 9831c10e1b..55199f8659 100644
--- a/ui/gtk-egl.c
+++ b/ui/gtk-egl.c
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ void gd_egl_draw(VirtualConsole *vc)
     GdkWindow *window;
 #ifdef CONFIG_GBM
     QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf = vc->gfx.guest_fb.dmabuf;
-    int fence_fd;
 #endif
     int ww, wh, ws;
 
@@ -99,13 +98,12 @@ void gd_egl_draw(VirtualConsole *vc)
         glFlush();
 #ifdef CONFIG_GBM
         if (dmabuf) {
-            egl_dmabuf_create_fence(dmabuf);
-            fence_fd = qemu_dmabuf_get_fence_fd(dmabuf);
+            fence_fd = egl_dmabuf_create_fence(dmabuf);
             if (fence_fd >= 0) {
                 qemu_set_fd_handler(fence_fd, gd_hw_gl_flushed, NULL, vc);
-                return;
+            } else {
+                graphic_hw_gl_block(vc->gfx.dcl.con, false);
             }
-            graphic_hw_gl_block(vc->gfx.dcl.con, false);
         }
 #endif
     } else {
@@ -336,7 +334,11 @@ void gd_egl_scanout_flush(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
 {
     VirtualConsole *vc = container_of(dcl, VirtualConsole, gfx.dcl);
     GdkWindow *window;
+#ifdef CONFIG_GBM
+    QemuDmaBuf *dmabuf = vc->gfx.guest_fb.dmabuf;
+#endif
     int ww, wh, ws;
+    int fence_fd;
 
     if (!vc->gfx.scanout_mode) {
         return;
@@ -364,12 +366,6 @@ void gd_egl_scanout_flush(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
         egl_fb_blit(&vc->gfx.win_fb, &vc->gfx.guest_fb, !vc->gfx.y0_top);
     }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_GBM
-    if (vc->gfx.guest_fb.dmabuf) {
-        egl_dmabuf_create_sync(vc->gfx.guest_fb.dmabuf);
-    }
-#endif
-
     eglSwapBuffers(qemu_egl_display, vc->gfx.esurface);
 }
 
@@ -387,7 +383,6 @@ void gd_egl_flush(DisplayChangeListener *dcl,
         gtk_widget_queue_draw_area(area, x, y, w, h);
         return;
     }
-
     gd_egl_scanout_flush(&vc->gfx.dcl, x, y, w, h);
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/gtk-gl-area.c b/ui/gtk-gl-area.c
index b628b35451..0b11423824 100644
--- a/ui/gtk-gl-area.c
+++ b/ui/gtk-gl-area.c
@@ -77,17 +77,10 @@ void gd_gl_area_draw(VirtualConsole *vc)
         glBlitFramebuffer(0, y1, vc->gfx.w, y2,
                           0, 0, ww, wh,
                           GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT, GL_NEAREST);
-#ifdef CONFIG_GBM
-        if (dmabuf) {
-            egl_dmabuf_create_sync(dmabuf);
-        }
-#endif
-        glFlush();
 #ifdef CONFIG_GBM
         if (dmabuf) {
             int fence_fd;
-            egl_dmabuf_create_fence(dmabuf);
-            fence_fd = qemu_dmabuf_get_fence_fd(dmabuf);
+            fence_fd = egl_dmabuf_create_fence(dmabuf);
             if (fence_fd >= 0) {
                 qemu_set_fd_handler(fence_fd, gd_hw_gl_flushed, NULL, vc);
                 return;
@@ -95,6 +88,7 @@ void gd_gl_area_draw(VirtualConsole *vc)
             graphic_hw_gl_block(vc->gfx.dcl.con, false);
         }
 #endif
+        glFlush();
     } else {
         if (!vc->gfx.ds) {
             return;
