diff --git a/src/sna/kgem.h b/src/sna/kgem.h
index 6c1f6567..2ad975ae 100644
--- a/src/sna/kgem.h
+++ b/src/sna/kgem.h
@@ -181,8 +181,13 @@ static inline void kgem_bo_submit(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
 void __kgem_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo);
 static inline void kgem_bo_flush(struct kgem *kgem, struct kgem_bo *bo)
 {
+	if (!bo->needs_flush)
+		return;
+
 	kgem_bo_submit(kgem, bo);
 	__kgem_flush(kgem, bo);
+
+	bo->needs_flush = false;
 }
 
 static inline struct kgem_bo *kgem_bo_reference(struct kgem_bo *bo)
diff --git a/src/sna/sna_display.c b/src/sna/sna_display.c
index 1586884b..b3b3185e 100644
--- a/src/sna/sna_display.c
+++ b/src/sna/sna_display.c
@@ -1787,6 +1787,12 @@ sna_do_pageflip(struct sna *sna,
 		sna->mode.fb_pixmap = pixmap->drawable.serialNumber;
 		bo->cpu_read = bo->cpu_write = false;
 		bo->gpu = true;
+
+		/* Although the kernel performs an implicit flush upon
+		 * page-flipping, marking the bo as requiring a flush
+		 * here ensures that the buffer goes into the active cache
+		 * upon release.
+		 */
 		bo->needs_flush = true;
 	} else {
 		drmModeRmFB(sna->kgem.fd, mode->fb_id);