diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_debugfs.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_debugfs.c
index ed4bc98095b1..0e8f14d04cda 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_debugfs.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_debugfs.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ static void i915_ring_seqno_info(struct seq_file *m,
 {
 	if (ring->get_seqno) {
 		seq_printf(m, "Current sequence (%s): %d\n",
-			   ring->name, ring->get_seqno(ring));
+			   ring->name, ring->get_seqno(ring, false));
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
index c540321b42ba..051459324826 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.c
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ i915_gem_retire_requests_ring(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring)
 
 	WARN_ON(i915_verify_lists(ring->dev));
 
-	seqno = ring->get_seqno(ring);
+	seqno = ring->get_seqno(ring, true);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(ring->sync_seqno); i++)
 		if (seqno >= ring->sync_seqno[i])
@@ -1888,7 +1888,7 @@ static int __wait_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring, u32 seqno,
 	bool wait_forever = true;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (i915_seqno_passed(ring->get_seqno(ring), seqno))
+	if (i915_seqno_passed(ring->get_seqno(ring, true), seqno))
 		return 0;
 
 	trace_i915_gem_request_wait_begin(ring, seqno);
@@ -1907,7 +1907,7 @@ static int __wait_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring, u32 seqno,
 	getrawmonotonic(&before);
 
 #define EXIT_COND \
-	(i915_seqno_passed(ring->get_seqno(ring), seqno) || \
+	(i915_seqno_passed(ring->get_seqno(ring, false), seqno) || \
 	atomic_read(&dev_priv->mm.wedged))
 	do {
 		if (interruptible)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_irq.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_irq.c
index d15ea50f5854..0c37101934f8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_irq.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_irq.c
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ static void notify_ring(struct drm_device *dev,
 	if (ring->obj == NULL)
 		return;
 
-	trace_i915_gem_request_complete(ring, ring->get_seqno(ring));
+	trace_i915_gem_request_complete(ring, ring->get_seqno(ring, false));
 
 	wake_up_all(&ring->irq_queue);
 	if (i915_enable_hangcheck) {
@@ -1051,7 +1051,7 @@ i915_error_first_batchbuffer(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 	if (!ring->get_seqno)
 		return NULL;
 
-	seqno = ring->get_seqno(ring);
+	seqno = ring->get_seqno(ring, false);
 	list_for_each_entry(obj, &dev_priv->mm.active_list, mm_list) {
 		if (obj->ring != ring)
 			continue;
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ static void i915_record_ring_state(struct drm_device *dev,
 
 	error->waiting[ring->id] = waitqueue_active(&ring->irq_queue);
 	error->instpm[ring->id] = I915_READ(RING_INSTPM(ring->mmio_base));
-	error->seqno[ring->id] = ring->get_seqno(ring);
+	error->seqno[ring->id] = ring->get_seqno(ring, false);
 	error->acthd[ring->id] = intel_ring_get_active_head(ring);
 	error->head[ring->id] = I915_READ_HEAD(ring);
 	error->tail[ring->id] = I915_READ_TAIL(ring);
@@ -1602,7 +1602,8 @@ ring_last_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring)
 static bool i915_hangcheck_ring_idle(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring, bool *err)
 {
 	if (list_empty(&ring->request_list) ||
-	    i915_seqno_passed(ring->get_seqno(ring), ring_last_seqno(ring))) {
+	    i915_seqno_passed(ring->get_seqno(ring, false),
+			      ring_last_seqno(ring))) {
 		/* Issue a wake-up to catch stuck h/w. */
 		if (waitqueue_active(&ring->irq_queue)) {
 			DRM_ERROR("Hangcheck timer elapsed... %s idle\n",
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c
index 8733da529edf..e278675cdff9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c
@@ -625,26 +625,24 @@ pc_render_add_request(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring,
 }
 
 static u32
-gen6_ring_get_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring)
+gen6_ring_get_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring, bool lazy_coherency)
 {
-	struct drm_device *dev = ring->dev;
-
 	/* Workaround to force correct ordering between irq and seqno writes on
 	 * ivb (and maybe also on snb) by reading from a CS register (like
 	 * ACTHD) before reading the status page. */
-	if (IS_GEN6(dev) || IS_GEN7(dev))
+	if (!lazy_coherency)
 		intel_ring_get_active_head(ring);
 	return intel_read_status_page(ring, I915_GEM_HWS_INDEX);
 }
 
 static u32
-ring_get_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring)
+ring_get_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring, bool lazy_coherency)
 {
 	return intel_read_status_page(ring, I915_GEM_HWS_INDEX);
 }
 
 static u32
-pc_render_get_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring)
+pc_render_get_seqno(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring, bool lazy_coherency)
 {
 	struct pipe_control *pc = ring->private;
 	return pc->cpu_page[0];
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.h
index 8b2b92e00e9d..2ea7a311a1f0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.h
@@ -72,7 +72,14 @@ struct  intel_ring_buffer {
 				  u32	flush_domains);
 	int		(*add_request)(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring,
 				       u32 *seqno);
-	u32		(*get_seqno)(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring);
+	/* Some chipsets are not quite as coherent as advertised and need
+	 * an expensive kick to force a true read of the up-to-date seqno.
+	 * However, the up-to-date seqno is not always required and the last
+	 * seen value is good enough. Note that the seqno will always be
+	 * monotonic, even if not coherent.
+	 */
+	u32		(*get_seqno)(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring,
+				     bool lazy_coherency);
 	int		(*dispatch_execbuffer)(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring,
 					       u32 offset, u32 length);
 	void		(*cleanup)(struct intel_ring_buffer *ring);