diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/command_submission.c b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/command_submission.c
index 3525236ed8d9..19c84214a7ea 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/command_submission.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/command_submission.c
@@ -179,6 +179,12 @@ static void cs_do_release(struct kref *ref)
 
 	/* We also need to update CI for internal queues */
 	if (cs->submitted) {
+		int cs_cnt = atomic_dec_return(&hdev->cs_active_cnt);
+
+		WARN_ONCE((cs_cnt < 0),
+			"hl%d: error in CS active cnt %d\n",
+			hdev->id, cs_cnt);
+
 		hl_int_hw_queue_update_ci(cs);
 
 		spin_lock(&hdev->hw_queues_mirror_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/device.c b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/device.c
index 93d67983ddba..470d8005b50e 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/device.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/device.c
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ static int device_early_init(struct hl_device *hdev)
 	spin_lock_init(&hdev->hw_queues_mirror_lock);
 	atomic_set(&hdev->in_reset, 0);
 	atomic_set(&hdev->fd_open_cnt, 0);
+	atomic_set(&hdev->cs_active_cnt, 0);
 
 	return 0;
 
diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/habanalabs.h b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/habanalabs.h
index 806f0a5ee4d8..a8ee52c880cd 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/habanalabs.h
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/habanalabs.h
@@ -1056,13 +1056,15 @@ struct hl_device_reset_work {
  * @cb_pool_lock: protects the CB pool.
  * @user_ctx: current user context executing.
  * @dram_used_mem: current DRAM memory consumption.
- * @in_reset: is device in reset flow.
- * @curr_pll_profile: current PLL profile.
- * @fd_open_cnt: number of open user processes.
  * @timeout_jiffies: device CS timeout value.
  * @max_power: the max power of the device, as configured by the sysadmin. This
  *             value is saved so in case of hard-reset, KMD will restore this
  *             value and update the F/W after the re-initialization
+ * @in_reset: is device in reset flow.
+ * @curr_pll_profile: current PLL profile.
+ * @fd_open_cnt: number of open user processes.
+ * @cs_active_cnt: number of active command submissions on this device (active
+ *                 means already in H/W queues)
  * @major: habanalabs KMD major.
  * @high_pll: high PLL profile frequency.
  * @soft_reset_cnt: number of soft reset since KMD loading.
@@ -1128,11 +1130,12 @@ struct hl_device {
 	struct hl_ctx			*user_ctx;
 
 	atomic64_t			dram_used_mem;
+	u64				timeout_jiffies;
+	u64				max_power;
 	atomic_t			in_reset;
 	atomic_t			curr_pll_profile;
 	atomic_t			fd_open_cnt;
-	u64				timeout_jiffies;
-	u64				max_power;
+	atomic_t			cs_active_cnt;
 	u32				major;
 	u32				high_pll;
 	u32				soft_reset_cnt;
diff --git a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/hw_queue.c b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/hw_queue.c
index 67bece26417c..ef3bb6951360 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/habanalabs/hw_queue.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/habanalabs/hw_queue.c
@@ -370,12 +370,13 @@ int hl_hw_queue_schedule_cs(struct hl_cs *cs)
 		spin_unlock(&hdev->hw_queues_mirror_lock);
 	}
 
-	list_for_each_entry_safe(job, tmp, &cs->job_list, cs_node) {
+	atomic_inc(&hdev->cs_active_cnt);
+
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(job, tmp, &cs->job_list, cs_node)
 		if (job->ext_queue)
 			ext_hw_queue_schedule_job(job);
 		else
 			int_hw_queue_schedule_job(job);
-	}
 
 	cs->submitted = true;