if (!s)
                return -ENOMEM;
 
+       if (new_bo != old_bo) {
+               ret = nouveau_bo_pin(new_bo, TTM_PL_FLAG_VRAM);
+               if (ret)
+                       goto fail_free;
+       }
+
+       mutex_lock(&chan->cli->mutex);
+
        /* synchronise rendering channel with the kernel's channel */
        spin_lock(&new_bo->bo.bdev->fence_lock);
        fence = nouveau_fence_ref(new_bo->bo.sync_obj);
        if (ret)
                goto fail_free;
 
-       if (new_bo != old_bo) {
-               ret = nouveau_bo_pin(new_bo, TTM_PL_FLAG_VRAM);
-               if (ret)
-                       goto fail_free;
-       }
-
-       mutex_lock(&chan->cli->mutex);
        ret = ttm_bo_reserve(&old_bo->bo, true, false, false, NULL);
        if (ret)
                goto fail_unpin;