diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_drv.h
index 432758ad39a3..94753e017ea8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_drv.h
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ int qxl_gem_object_create_with_handle(struct qxl_device *qdev,
 				      u32 domain,
 				      size_t size,
 				      struct qxl_surface *surf,
-				      struct qxl_bo **qobj,
+				      struct drm_gem_object **gobj,
 				      uint32_t *handle);
 void qxl_gem_object_free(struct drm_gem_object *gobj);
 int qxl_gem_object_open(struct drm_gem_object *obj, struct drm_file *file_priv);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_dumb.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_dumb.c
index d636ba685451..17df5c7ccf69 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_dumb.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_dumb.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ int qxl_mode_dumb_create(struct drm_file *file_priv,
 {
 	struct qxl_device *qdev = to_qxl(dev);
 	struct qxl_bo *qobj;
+	struct drm_gem_object *gobj;
 	uint32_t handle;
 	int r;
 	struct qxl_surface surf;
@@ -62,11 +63,13 @@ int qxl_mode_dumb_create(struct drm_file *file_priv,
 
 	r = qxl_gem_object_create_with_handle(qdev, file_priv,
 					      QXL_GEM_DOMAIN_CPU,
-					      args->size, &surf, &qobj,
+					      args->size, &surf, &gobj,
 					      &handle);
 	if (r)
 		return r;
+	qobj = gem_to_qxl_bo(gobj);
 	qobj->is_dumb = true;
+	drm_gem_object_put(gobj);
 	args->pitch = pitch;
 	args->handle = handle;
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_gem.c
index a08da0bd9098..fc5e3763c359 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_gem.c
@@ -72,32 +72,41 @@ int qxl_gem_object_create(struct qxl_device *qdev, int size,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * If the caller passed a valid gobj pointer, it is responsible to call
+ * drm_gem_object_put() when it no longer needs to acess the object.
+ *
+ * If gobj is NULL, it is handled internally.
+ */
 int qxl_gem_object_create_with_handle(struct qxl_device *qdev,
 				      struct drm_file *file_priv,
 				      u32 domain,
 				      size_t size,
 				      struct qxl_surface *surf,
-				      struct qxl_bo **qobj,
+				      struct drm_gem_object **gobj,
 				      uint32_t *handle)
 {
-	struct drm_gem_object *gobj;
 	int r;
+	struct drm_gem_object *local_gobj;
 
-	BUG_ON(!qobj);
 	BUG_ON(!handle);
 
 	r = qxl_gem_object_create(qdev, size, 0,
 				  domain,
 				  false, false, surf,
-				  &gobj);
+				  &local_gobj);
 	if (r)
 		return -ENOMEM;
-	r = drm_gem_handle_create(file_priv, gobj, handle);
+	r = drm_gem_handle_create(file_priv, local_gobj, handle);
 	if (r)
 		return r;
-	/* drop reference from allocate - handle holds it now */
-	*qobj = gem_to_qxl_bo(gobj);
-	drm_gem_object_put(gobj);
+
+	if (gobj)
+		*gobj = local_gobj;
+	else
+		/* drop reference from allocate - handle holds it now */
+		drm_gem_object_put(local_gobj);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_ioctl.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_ioctl.c
index 30f58b21372a..dd0f834d881c 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_ioctl.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_ioctl.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ int qxl_alloc_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data, struct drm_file *file_pr
 	struct qxl_device *qdev = to_qxl(dev);
 	struct drm_qxl_alloc *qxl_alloc = data;
 	int ret;
-	struct qxl_bo *qobj;
 	uint32_t handle;
 	u32 domain = QXL_GEM_DOMAIN_VRAM;
 
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ int qxl_alloc_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data, struct drm_file *file_pr
 						domain,
 						qxl_alloc->size,
 						NULL,
-						&qobj, &handle);
+						NULL, &handle);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRM_ERROR("%s: failed to create gem ret=%d\n",
 			  __func__, ret);
@@ -386,7 +385,6 @@ int qxl_alloc_surf_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data, struct drm_file *fi
 {
 	struct qxl_device *qdev = to_qxl(dev);
 	struct drm_qxl_alloc_surf *param = data;
-	struct qxl_bo *qobj;
 	int handle;
 	int ret;
 	int size, actual_stride;
@@ -406,7 +404,7 @@ int qxl_alloc_surf_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data, struct drm_file *fi
 						QXL_GEM_DOMAIN_SURFACE,
 						size,
 						&surf,
-						&qobj, &handle);
+						NULL, &handle);
 	if (ret) {
 		DRM_ERROR("%s: failed to create gem ret=%d\n",
 			  __func__, ret);