diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/r600.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/r600.c
index f5cf874dc62a0080dea9813f8a9177006e75a8b3..e145faac990408573ce15169afafca0c7977c7eb 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/r600.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/r600.c
@@ -1863,6 +1863,14 @@ int r600_startup(struct radeon_device *rdev)
 	}
 	r600_gpu_init(rdev);
 
+	if (!rdev->r600_blit.shader_obj) {
+		r = r600_blit_init(rdev);
+		if (r) {
+			DRM_ERROR("radeon: failed blitter (%d).\n", r);
+			return r;
+		}
+	}
+
 	r = radeon_bo_reserve(rdev->r600_blit.shader_obj, false);
 	if (unlikely(r != 0))
 		return r;
@@ -2038,12 +2046,6 @@ int r600_init(struct radeon_device *rdev)
 	if (r)
 		return r;
 
-	r = r600_blit_init(rdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DRM_ERROR("radeon: failed blitter (%d).\n", r);
-		return r;
-	}
-
 	rdev->accel_working = true;
 	r = r600_startup(rdev);
 	if (r) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/rv770.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/rv770.c
index 2d124bb57762c93ec5d93922a4a3214558da3fda..f58dc671080232e1fb7dc7224e1c62ca29d5e072 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/rv770.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/rv770.c
@@ -892,6 +892,14 @@ static int rv770_startup(struct radeon_device *rdev)
 	}
 	rv770_gpu_init(rdev);
 
+	if (!rdev->r600_blit.shader_obj) {
+		r = r600_blit_init(rdev);
+		if (r) {
+			DRM_ERROR("radeon: failed blitter (%d).\n", r);
+			return r;
+		}
+	}
+
 	r = radeon_bo_reserve(rdev->r600_blit.shader_obj, false);
 	if (unlikely(r != 0))
 		return r;
@@ -1051,12 +1059,6 @@ int rv770_init(struct radeon_device *rdev)
 	if (r)
 		return r;
 
-	r = r600_blit_init(rdev);
-	if (r) {
-		DRM_ERROR("radeon: failed blitter (%d).\n", r);
-		return r;
-	}
-
 	rdev->accel_working = true;
 	r = rv770_startup(rdev);
 	if (r) {