diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/adreno/adreno_gpu.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/adreno/adreno_gpu.c
index a50f9ba3bafa..9a92bcf982b8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/adreno/adreno_gpu.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/adreno/adreno_gpu.c
@@ -438,6 +438,6 @@ void adreno_gpu_cleanup(struct adreno_gpu *adreno_gpu)
 	if (gpu->aspace) {
 		gpu->aspace->mmu->funcs->detach(gpu->aspace->mmu,
 			iommu_ports, ARRAY_SIZE(iommu_ports));
-		msm_gem_address_space_destroy(gpu->aspace);
+		msm_gem_address_space_put(gpu->aspace);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp4/mdp4_kms.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp4/mdp4_kms.c
index a4e1206a66a8..6295204cabe9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp4/mdp4_kms.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp4/mdp4_kms.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ static void mdp4_destroy(struct msm_kms *kms)
 	if (aspace) {
 		aspace->mmu->funcs->detach(aspace->mmu,
 				iommu_ports, ARRAY_SIZE(iommu_ports));
-		msm_gem_address_space_destroy(aspace);
+		msm_gem_address_space_put(aspace);
 	}
 
 	if (mdp4_kms->rpm_enabled)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp5/mdp5_kms.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp5/mdp5_kms.c
index 24f76f48d56c..d3d6b4cae1e6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp5/mdp5_kms.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/mdp/mdp5/mdp5_kms.c
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ static void mdp5_kms_destroy(struct msm_kms *kms)
 	if (aspace) {
 		aspace->mmu->funcs->detach(aspace->mmu,
 				iommu_ports, ARRAY_SIZE(iommu_ports));
-		msm_gem_address_space_destroy(aspace);
+		msm_gem_address_space_put(aspace);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_drv.h
index b885c3d5ae4d..28b6f9ba5066 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_drv.h
@@ -191,7 +191,8 @@ void msm_gem_unmap_vma(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace,
 int msm_gem_map_vma(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace,
 		struct msm_gem_vma *vma, struct sg_table *sgt, int npages);
 
-void msm_gem_address_space_destroy(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace);
+void msm_gem_address_space_put(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace);
+
 struct msm_gem_address_space *
 msm_gem_address_space_create(struct device *dev, struct iommu_domain *domain,
 		const char *name);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.h
index 7d529516b332..1b4cf20043ea 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #ifndef __MSM_GEM_H__
 #define __MSM_GEM_H__
 
+#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <linux/reservation.h>
 #include "msm_drv.h"
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ struct msm_gem_address_space {
 	 */
 	struct drm_mm mm;
 	struct msm_mmu *mmu;
+	struct kref kref;
 };
 
 struct msm_gem_vma {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_vma.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_vma.c
index b654eca7636a..f285d7e210db 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_vma.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_vma.c
@@ -19,6 +19,25 @@
 #include "msm_gem.h"
 #include "msm_mmu.h"
 
+static void
+msm_gem_address_space_destroy(struct kref *kref)
+{
+	struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace = container_of(kref,
+			struct msm_gem_address_space, kref);
+
+	drm_mm_takedown(&aspace->mm);
+	if (aspace->mmu)
+		aspace->mmu->funcs->destroy(aspace->mmu);
+	kfree(aspace);
+}
+
+
+void msm_gem_address_space_put(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace)
+{
+	if (aspace)
+		kref_put(&aspace->kref, msm_gem_address_space_destroy);
+}
+
 void
 msm_gem_unmap_vma(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace,
 		struct msm_gem_vma *vma, struct sg_table *sgt)
@@ -34,6 +53,8 @@ msm_gem_unmap_vma(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace,
 	drm_mm_remove_node(&vma->node);
 
 	vma->iova = 0;
+
+	msm_gem_address_space_put(aspace);
 }
 
 int
@@ -57,16 +78,10 @@ msm_gem_map_vma(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace,
 				size, IOMMU_READ | IOMMU_WRITE);
 	}
 
-	return ret;
-}
+	/* Get a reference to the aspace to keep it around */
+	kref_get(&aspace->kref);
 
-void
-msm_gem_address_space_destroy(struct msm_gem_address_space *aspace)
-{
-	drm_mm_takedown(&aspace->mm);
-	if (aspace->mmu)
-		aspace->mmu->funcs->destroy(aspace->mmu);
-	kfree(aspace);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct msm_gem_address_space *
@@ -85,5 +100,7 @@ msm_gem_address_space_create(struct device *dev, struct iommu_domain *domain,
 	drm_mm_init(&aspace->mm, (domain->geometry.aperture_start >> PAGE_SHIFT),
 			(domain->geometry.aperture_end >> PAGE_SHIFT) - 1);
 
+	kref_init(&aspace->kref);
+
 	return aspace;
 }