obj->base.write_domain);
        for_each_engine_id(engine, dev_priv, id)
                seq_printf(m, "%x ",
-                               i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_read_req[id]));
+                          i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_read[id].request));
        seq_printf(m, "] %x %x%s%s%s",
-                  i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_write_req),
-                  i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_fenced_req),
+                  i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_write.request),
+                  i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_fence.request),
                   i915_cache_level_str(to_i915(obj->base.dev), obj->cache_level),
                   obj->dirty ? " dirty" : "",
                   obj->madv == I915_MADV_DONTNEED ? " purgeable" : "");
                *t = '\0';
                seq_printf(m, " (%s mappable)", s);
        }
-       if (obj->last_write_req != NULL)
-               seq_printf(m, " (%s)",
-                          i915_gem_request_get_engine(obj->last_write_req)->name);
+       if (obj->last_write.request)
+               seq_printf(m, " (%s)", obj->last_write.request->engine->name);
        if (obj->frontbuffer_bits)
                seq_printf(m, " (frontbuffer: 0x%03x)", obj->frontbuffer_bits);
 }
 
         * requests on one ring where the write request is older than the
         * read request. This allows for the CPU to read from an active
         * buffer by only waiting for the write to complete.
-        * */
-       struct drm_i915_gem_request *last_read_req[I915_NUM_ENGINES];
-       struct drm_i915_gem_request *last_write_req;
-       /** Breadcrumb of last fenced GPU access to the buffer. */
-       struct drm_i915_gem_request *last_fenced_req;
+        */
+       struct i915_gem_active last_read[I915_NUM_ENGINES];
+       struct i915_gem_active last_write;
+       struct i915_gem_active last_fence;
 
        /** Current tiling stride for the object, if it's tiled. */
        uint32_t stride;
 
        int ret, i;
 
        if (readonly) {
-               if (obj->last_write_req != NULL) {
-                       ret = i915_wait_request(obj->last_write_req);
+               if (obj->last_write.request) {
+                       ret = i915_wait_request(obj->last_write.request);
                        if (ret)
                                return ret;
 
-                       i = obj->last_write_req->engine->id;
-                       if (obj->last_read_req[i] == obj->last_write_req)
+                       i = obj->last_write.request->engine->id;
+                       if (obj->last_read[i].request == obj->last_write.request)
                                i915_gem_object_retire__read(obj, i);
                        else
                                i915_gem_object_retire__write(obj);
                }
        } else {
                for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++) {
-                       if (obj->last_read_req[i] == NULL)
+                       if (!obj->last_read[i].request)
                                continue;
 
-                       ret = i915_wait_request(obj->last_read_req[i]);
+                       ret = i915_wait_request(obj->last_read[i].request);
                        if (ret)
                                return ret;
 
 {
        int idx = req->engine->id;
 
-       if (obj->last_read_req[idx] == req)
+       if (obj->last_read[idx].request == req)
                i915_gem_object_retire__read(obj, idx);
-       else if (obj->last_write_req == req)
+       else if (obj->last_write.request == req)
                i915_gem_object_retire__write(obj);
 
        if (!i915_reset_in_progress(&req->i915->gpu_error))
        if (readonly) {
                struct drm_i915_gem_request *req;
 
-               req = obj->last_write_req;
+               req = obj->last_write.request;
                if (req == NULL)
                        return 0;
 
                for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++) {
                        struct drm_i915_gem_request *req;
 
-                       req = obj->last_read_req[i];
+                       req = obj->last_read[i].request;
                        if (req == NULL)
                                continue;
 
        obj->active |= intel_engine_flag(engine);
 
        list_move_tail(&obj->engine_list[engine->id], &engine->active_list);
-       i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_read_req[engine->id], req);
+       i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_read[engine->id], req);
 
        list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->active_list);
 }
 static void
 i915_gem_object_retire__write(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj)
 {
-       GEM_BUG_ON(obj->last_write_req == NULL);
-       GEM_BUG_ON(!(obj->active & intel_engine_flag(obj->last_write_req->engine)));
+       GEM_BUG_ON(!obj->last_write.request);
+       GEM_BUG_ON(!(obj->active & intel_engine_flag(obj->last_write.request->engine)));
 
-       i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_write_req, NULL);
+       i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_write, NULL);
        intel_fb_obj_flush(obj, true, ORIGIN_CS);
 }
 
 {
        struct i915_vma *vma;
 
-       GEM_BUG_ON(obj->last_read_req[idx] == NULL);
+       GEM_BUG_ON(!obj->last_read[idx].request);
        GEM_BUG_ON(!(obj->active & (1 << idx)));
 
        list_del_init(&obj->engine_list[idx]);
-       i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_read_req[idx], NULL);
+       i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_read[idx], NULL);
 
-       if (obj->last_write_req && obj->last_write_req->engine->id == idx)
+       if (obj->last_write.request && obj->last_write.request->engine->id == idx)
                i915_gem_object_retire__write(obj);
 
        obj->active &= ~(1 << idx);
                        list_move_tail(&vma->vm_link, &vma->vm->inactive_list);
        }
 
-       i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_fenced_req, NULL);
+       i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_fence, NULL);
        i915_gem_object_put(obj);
 }
 
                                       struct drm_i915_gem_object,
                                       engine_list[engine->id]);
 
-               if (!list_empty(&obj->last_read_req[engine->id]->list))
+               if (!list_empty(&obj->last_read[engine->id].request->list))
                        break;
 
                i915_gem_object_retire__read(obj, engine->id);
        for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++) {
                struct drm_i915_gem_request *req;
 
-               req = obj->last_read_req[i];
+               req = obj->last_read[i].request;
                if (req == NULL)
                        continue;
 
        i915_gem_object_put(obj);
 
        for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++) {
-               if (obj->last_read_req[i] == NULL)
+               if (!obj->last_read[i].request)
                        continue;
 
-               req[n++] = i915_gem_request_get(obj->last_read_req[i]);
+               req[n++] = i915_gem_request_get(obj->last_read[i].request);
        }
 
        mutex_unlock(&dev->struct_mutex);
 
        n = 0;
        if (readonly) {
-               if (obj->last_write_req)
-                       req[n++] = obj->last_write_req;
+               if (obj->last_write.request)
+                       req[n++] = obj->last_write.request;
        } else {
                for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++)
-                       if (obj->last_read_req[i])
-                               req[n++] = obj->last_read_req[i];
+                       if (obj->last_read[i].request)
+                               req[n++] = obj->last_read[i].request;
        }
        for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
                ret = __i915_gem_object_sync(obj, to, req[i]);
                for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++) {
                        struct drm_i915_gem_request *req;
 
-                       req = obj->last_read_req[i];
+                       req = obj->last_read[i].request;
                        if (req)
                                args->busy |= 1 << (16 + req->engine->exec_id);
                }
-               if (obj->last_write_req)
-                       args->busy |= obj->last_write_req->engine->exec_id;
+               if (obj->last_write.request)
+                       args->busy |= obj->last_write.request->engine->exec_id;
        }
 
 unref:
 
 
                i915_vma_move_to_active(vma, req);
                if (obj->base.write_domain) {
-                       i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_write_req, req);
+                       i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_write, req);
 
                        intel_fb_obj_invalidate(obj, ORIGIN_CS);
 
                        obj->base.write_domain &= ~I915_GEM_GPU_DOMAINS;
                }
                if (entry->flags & EXEC_OBJECT_NEEDS_FENCE) {
-                       i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_fenced_req, req);
+                       i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_fence, req);
                        if (entry->flags & __EXEC_OBJECT_HAS_FENCE) {
                                struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv = engine->i915;
                                list_move_tail(&dev_priv->fence_regs[obj->fence_reg].lru_list,
 
 static int
 i915_gem_object_wait_fence(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj)
 {
-       if (obj->last_fenced_req) {
-               int ret = i915_wait_request(obj->last_fenced_req);
+       if (obj->last_fence.request) {
+               int ret = i915_wait_request(obj->last_fence.request);
                if (ret)
                        return ret;
 
-               i915_gem_request_assign(&obj->last_fenced_req, NULL);
+               i915_gem_active_set(&obj->last_fence, NULL);
        }
 
        return 0;
 
                __i915_spin_request(request, state, timeout_us));
 }
 
+/* We treat requests as fences. This is not be to confused with our
+ * "fence registers" but pipeline synchronisation objects ala GL_ARB_sync.
+ * We use the fences to synchronize access from the CPU with activity on the
+ * GPU, for example, we should not rewrite an object's PTE whilst the GPU
+ * is reading them. We also track fences at a higher level to provide
+ * implicit synchronisation around GEM objects, e.g. set-domain will wait
+ * for outstanding GPU rendering before marking the object ready for CPU
+ * access, or a pageflip will wait until the GPU is complete before showing
+ * the frame on the scanout.
+ *
+ * In order to use a fence, the object must track the fence it needs to
+ * serialise with. For example, GEM objects want to track both read and
+ * write access so that we can perform concurrent read operations between
+ * the CPU and GPU engines, as well as waiting for all rendering to
+ * complete, or waiting for the last GPU user of a "fence register". The
+ * object then embeds a #i915_gem_active to track the most recent (in
+ * retirement order) request relevant for the desired mode of access.
+ * The #i915_gem_active is updated with i915_gem_active_set() to track the
+ * most recent fence request, typically this is done as part of
+ * i915_vma_move_to_active().
+ *
+ * When the #i915_gem_active completes (is retired), it will
+ * signal its completion to the owner through a callback as well as mark
+ * itself as idle (i915_gem_active.request == NULL). The owner
+ * can then perform any action, such as delayed freeing of an active
+ * resource including itself.
+ */
+struct i915_gem_active {
+       struct drm_i915_gem_request *request;
+};
+
+static inline void
+i915_gem_active_set(struct i915_gem_active *active,
+                   struct drm_i915_gem_request *request)
+{
+       i915_gem_request_assign(&active->request, request);
+}
+
+#define for_each_active(mask, idx) \
+       for (; mask ? idx = ffs(mask) - 1, 1 : 0; mask &= ~BIT(idx))
+
 #endif /* I915_GEM_REQUEST_H */
 
                        }
 
                        obj->fence_dirty =
-                               obj->last_fenced_req ||
+                               obj->last_fence.request ||
                                obj->fence_reg != I915_FENCE_REG_NONE;
 
                        obj->tiling_mode = args->tiling_mode;
 
        for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++) {
                struct drm_i915_gem_request *req;
 
-               req = obj->last_read_req[i];
+               req = obj->last_read[i].request;
                if (req == NULL)
                        continue;
 
 
        err->size = obj->base.size;
        err->name = obj->base.name;
        for (i = 0; i < I915_NUM_ENGINES; i++)
-               err->rseqno[i] = i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_read_req[i]);
-       err->wseqno = i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_write_req);
+               err->rseqno[i] = i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_read[i].request);
+       err->wseqno = i915_gem_request_get_seqno(obj->last_write.request);
        err->gtt_offset = vma->node.start;
        err->read_domains = obj->base.read_domains;
        err->write_domain = obj->base.write_domain;
        err->dirty = obj->dirty;
        err->purgeable = obj->madv != I915_MADV_WILLNEED;
        err->userptr = obj->userptr.mm != NULL;
-       err->engine = obj->last_write_req ?
-               i915_gem_request_get_engine(obj->last_write_req)->id : -1;
+       err->engine = obj->last_write.request ? obj->last_write.request->engine->id : -1;
        err->cache_level = obj->cache_level;
 }
 
 
        if (resv && !reservation_object_test_signaled_rcu(resv, false))
                return true;
 
-       return engine != i915_gem_request_get_engine(obj->last_write_req);
+       return engine != i915_gem_request_get_engine(obj->last_write.request);
 }
 
 static void skl_do_mmio_flip(struct intel_crtc *intel_crtc,
        } else if (IS_IVYBRIDGE(dev) || IS_HASWELL(dev)) {
                engine = &dev_priv->engine[BCS];
        } else if (INTEL_INFO(dev)->gen >= 7) {
-               engine = i915_gem_request_get_engine(obj->last_write_req);
+               engine = i915_gem_request_get_engine(obj->last_write.request);
                if (engine == NULL || engine->id != RCS)
                        engine = &dev_priv->engine[BCS];
        } else {
                INIT_WORK(&work->mmio_work, intel_mmio_flip_work_func);
 
                i915_gem_request_assign(&work->flip_queued_req,
-                                       obj->last_write_req);
+                                       obj->last_write.request);
 
                schedule_work(&work->mmio_work);
        } else {
                        to_intel_plane_state(new_state);
 
                i915_gem_request_assign(&plane_state->wait_req,
-                                       obj->last_write_req);
+                                       obj->last_write.request);
        }
 
        return ret;