diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_request.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_request.c
index 170e4afa9ccb..b3688543ed7d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_request.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/i915_request.c
@@ -994,7 +994,9 @@ static int live_sequential_engines(void *arg)
 		request[id]->batch = batch;
 
 		i915_vma_lock(batch);
-		err = i915_vma_move_to_active(batch, request[id], 0);
+		err = i915_request_await_object(request[id], batch->obj, false);
+		if (err == 0)
+			err = i915_vma_move_to_active(batch, request[id], 0);
 		i915_vma_unlock(batch);
 		GEM_BUG_ON(err);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/igt_spinner.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/igt_spinner.c
index 41acf209ffdb..11f04ad48e68 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/igt_spinner.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/selftests/igt_spinner.c
@@ -78,7 +78,10 @@ static int move_to_active(struct i915_vma *vma,
 	int err;
 
 	i915_vma_lock(vma);
-	err = i915_vma_move_to_active(vma, rq, flags);
+	err = i915_request_await_object(rq, vma->obj,
+					flags & EXEC_OBJECT_WRITE);
+	if (err == 0)
+		err = i915_vma_move_to_active(vma, rq, flags);
 	i915_vma_unlock(vma);
 
 	return err;