diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c
index 3a4a8ddeb1db..65284febb2f9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gem_submit.c
@@ -488,7 +488,14 @@ int msm_ioctl_gem_submit(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 
 	submit->nr_cmds = i;
 
-	ret = msm_gpu_submit(gpu, submit, ctx);
+	submit->fence = msm_fence_alloc(gpu->fctx);
+	if (IS_ERR(submit->fence)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(submit->fence);
+		submit->fence = NULL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	msm_gpu_submit(gpu, submit, ctx);
 
 	args->fence = submit->fence->seqno;
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c
index 36ed53e661fe..5bb09838b5ae 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c
@@ -509,22 +509,15 @@ void msm_gpu_retire(struct msm_gpu *gpu)
 }
 
 /* add bo's to gpu's ring, and kick gpu: */
-int msm_gpu_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_gem_submit *submit,
+void msm_gpu_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_gem_submit *submit,
 		struct msm_file_private *ctx)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = gpu->dev;
 	struct msm_drm_private *priv = dev->dev_private;
-	int i, ret;
+	int i;
 
 	WARN_ON(!mutex_is_locked(&dev->struct_mutex));
 
-	submit->fence = msm_fence_alloc(gpu->fctx);
-	if (IS_ERR(submit->fence)) {
-		ret = PTR_ERR(submit->fence);
-		submit->fence = NULL;
-		return ret;
-	}
-
 	inactive_cancel(gpu);
 
 	list_add_tail(&submit->node, &gpu->submit_list);
@@ -557,8 +550,6 @@ int msm_gpu_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_gem_submit *submit,
 	priv->lastctx = ctx;
 
 	hangcheck_timer_reset(gpu);
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h
index c9022837a1a4..d61d98a6e047 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ int msm_gpu_perfcntr_sample(struct msm_gpu *gpu, uint32_t *activetime,
 		uint32_t *totaltime, uint32_t ncntrs, uint32_t *cntrs);
 
 void msm_gpu_retire(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
-int msm_gpu_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_gem_submit *submit,
+void msm_gpu_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_gem_submit *submit,
 		struct msm_file_private *ctx);
 
 int msm_gpu_init(struct drm_device *drm, struct platform_device *pdev,