diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nouveau_buffer.c b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nouveau_buffer.c
index 284525086d0..78f8a9cb5d8 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nouveau_buffer.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nouveau_buffer.c
@@ -91,12 +91,8 @@ nouveau_buffer_release_gpu_storage(struct nv04_resource *buf)
 {
    assert(!(buf->status & NOUVEAU_BUFFER_STATUS_USER_PTR));
 
-   if (buf->fence && buf->fence->state < NOUVEAU_FENCE_STATE_FLUSHED) {
-      nouveau_fence_work(buf->fence, nouveau_fence_unref_bo, buf->bo);
-      buf->bo = NULL;
-   } else {
-      nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &buf->bo);
-   }
+   nouveau_fence_work(buf->fence, nouveau_fence_unref_bo, buf->bo);
+   buf->bo = NULL;
 
    if (buf->mm)
       release_allocation(&buf->mm, buf->fence);
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_miptree.c b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_miptree.c
index 8f45d9e659f..4554dbf02d4 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_miptree.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_miptree.c
@@ -163,11 +163,7 @@ nv50_miptree_destroy(struct pipe_screen *pscreen, struct pipe_resource *pt)
 {
    struct nv50_miptree *mt = nv50_miptree(pt);
 
-   if (mt->base.fence && mt->base.fence->state < NOUVEAU_FENCE_STATE_FLUSHED)
-      nouveau_fence_work(mt->base.fence, nouveau_fence_unref_bo, mt->base.bo);
-   else
-      nouveau_bo_ref(NULL, &mt->base.bo);
-
+   nouveau_fence_work(mt->base.fence, nouveau_fence_unref_bo, mt->base.bo);
    nouveau_fence_ref(NULL, &mt->base.fence);
    nouveau_fence_ref(NULL, &mt->base.fence_wr);