diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_bo_util.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_bo_util.c
index 9e9c5d2a5c748a910fcd29a856c128d25a4f8ae0..d73d6e3e17b2927c6215213e872e155a3badbfab 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_bo_util.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm_bo_util.c
@@ -654,11 +654,13 @@ int ttm_bo_move_accel_cleanup(struct ttm_buffer_object *bo,
 		 */
 
 		set_bit(TTM_BO_PRIV_FLAG_MOVING, &bo->priv_flags);
+
+		/* ttm_buffer_object_transfer accesses bo->sync_obj */
+		ret = ttm_buffer_object_transfer(bo, &ghost_obj);
 		spin_unlock(&bdev->fence_lock);
 		if (tmp_obj)
 			driver->sync_obj_unref(&tmp_obj);
 
-		ret = ttm_buffer_object_transfer(bo, &ghost_obj);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;