diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c
index f8aadc3c2124d01ca512f90ec1922c47497bc302..85fc2b1a124ad5e3fe72f97371c6fc3719ade829 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_ringbuffer.c
@@ -563,6 +563,14 @@ static int init_ring_common(struct intel_engine_cs *ring)
 	 * also enforces ordering), otherwise the hw might lose the new ring
 	 * register values. */
 	I915_WRITE_START(ring, i915_gem_obj_ggtt_offset(obj));
+
+	/* WaClearRingBufHeadRegAtInit:ctg,elk */
+	if (I915_READ_HEAD(ring))
+		DRM_DEBUG("%s initialization failed [head=%08x], fudging\n",
+			  ring->name, I915_READ_HEAD(ring));
+	I915_WRITE_HEAD(ring, 0);
+	(void)I915_READ_HEAD(ring);
+
 	I915_WRITE_CTL(ring,
 			((ringbuf->size - PAGE_SIZE) & RING_NR_PAGES)
 			| RING_VALID);