diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c b/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c
index 32adae53670..0986e2eab85 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c
@@ -173,10 +173,18 @@ key_uint_equal(const void *a, const void *b)
 }
 
 static struct iris_bo *
-hash_find_bo(struct hash_table *ht, unsigned int key)
+find_and_ref_external_bo(struct hash_table *ht, unsigned int key)
 {
    struct hash_entry *entry = _mesa_hash_table_search(ht, &key);
-   return entry ? (struct iris_bo *) entry->data : NULL;
+   struct iris_bo *bo = entry ? entry->data : NULL;
+
+   if (bo) {
+      assert(bo->external);
+
+      iris_bo_reference(bo);
+   }
+
+   return bo;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -628,11 +636,9 @@ iris_bo_gem_create_from_name(struct iris_bufmgr *bufmgr,
     * provides a sufficiently fast match.
     */
    mtx_lock(&bufmgr->lock);
-   bo = hash_find_bo(bufmgr->name_table, handle);
-   if (bo) {
-      iris_bo_reference(bo);
+   bo = find_and_ref_external_bo(bufmgr->name_table, handle);
+   if (bo)
       goto out;
-   }
 
    struct drm_gem_open open_arg = { .name = handle };
    int ret = gen_ioctl(bufmgr->fd, DRM_IOCTL_GEM_OPEN, &open_arg);
@@ -646,11 +652,9 @@ iris_bo_gem_create_from_name(struct iris_bufmgr *bufmgr,
     * object from the kernel before by looking through the list
     * again for a matching gem_handle
     */
-   bo = hash_find_bo(bufmgr->handle_table, open_arg.handle);
-   if (bo) {
-      iris_bo_reference(bo);
+   bo = find_and_ref_external_bo(bufmgr->handle_table, open_arg.handle);
+   if (bo)
       goto out;
-   }
 
    bo = bo_calloc();
    if (!bo)
@@ -1275,11 +1279,9 @@ iris_bo_import_dmabuf(struct iris_bufmgr *bufmgr, int prime_fd)
     * for named buffers, we must not create two bo's pointing at the same
     * kernel object
     */
-   bo = hash_find_bo(bufmgr->handle_table, handle);
-   if (bo) {
-      iris_bo_reference(bo);
+   bo = find_and_ref_external_bo(bufmgr->handle_table, handle);
+   if (bo)
       goto out;
-   }
 
    bo = bo_calloc();
    if (!bo)