diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_display.c
index 7ce7fa5cb5e6d08cfd26a77d66c3ac9b6b9622d4..816342645f42caf1ce558b06a82775f789ddc6b5 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_display.c
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ nouveau_user_framebuffer_create(struct drm_device *dev,
 err:
 	kfree(nouveau_fb);
 err_unref:
-	drm_gem_object_unreference(gem);
+	drm_gem_object_unreference_unlocked(gem);
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }