diff --git a/src/sna/kgem.c b/src/sna/kgem.c
index bf24664e..6703e7e7 100644
--- a/src/sna/kgem.c
+++ b/src/sna/kgem.c
@@ -3001,10 +3001,10 @@ void _kgem_bo_destroy(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
 	__kgem_bo_destroy(kgem, bo);
 }
 
-void __kgem_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
+bool __kgem_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
 {
 	/* The kernel will emit a flush *and* update its own flushing lists. */
-	kgem_busy(kgem, bo->handle);
+	return kgem_busy(kgem, bo->handle);
 }
 
 bool kgem_check_bo(struct kgem *kgem, ...)
diff --git a/src/sna/kgem.h b/src/sna/kgem.h
index 69562f4b..11950e41 100644
--- a/src/sna/kgem.h
+++ b/src/sna/kgem.h
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ static inline void kgem_bo_submit(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
 		_kgem_submit(kgem);
 }
 
-void __kgem_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo);
+bool __kgem_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo);
 static inline void kgem_bo_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
 {
 	kgem_bo_submit(kgem, bo);
diff --git a/src/sna/sna_accel.c b/src/sna/sna_accel.c
index dbf7e306..2c0fd578 100644
--- a/src/sna/sna_accel.c
+++ b/src/sna/sna_accel.c
@@ -11998,7 +11998,7 @@ static bool sna_accel_do_flush(struct sna *sna)
 			DBG(("%s (time=%ld), triggered\n", __FUNCTION__, (long)sna->time));
 			sna->timer_expire[FLUSH_TIMER] =
 				sna->time + sna->vblank_interval;
-			return true;
+			return priv->cpu_damage || !__kgem_flush(&sna->kgem, priv->gpu_bo);
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (priv->cpu_damage == NULL && priv->gpu_bo->exec == NULL) {