diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c
index 2e518f9f4d0..c668cdf8152 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c
@@ -57,6 +57,21 @@ lookup_bo(struct hash_table *tbl, uint32_t key)
    return bo;
 }
 
+static void
+bo_init_common(struct fd_bo *bo, struct fd_device *dev)
+{
+   /* Backend should have initialized these: */
+   assert(bo->size);
+   assert(bo->handle);
+
+   bo->dev = dev;
+   bo->iova = bo->funcs->iova(bo);
+   bo->reloc_flags = FD_RELOC_FLAGS_INIT;
+
+   p_atomic_set(&bo->refcnt, 1);
+   list_inithead(&bo->list);
+}
+
 /* allocate a new buffer object, call w/ table_lock held */
 static struct fd_bo *
 bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
@@ -73,16 +88,12 @@ bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
       drmIoctl(dev->fd, DRM_IOCTL_GEM_CLOSE, &req);
       return NULL;
    }
-   bo->dev = dev;
-   bo->size = size;
-   bo->handle = handle;
-   bo->iova = bo->funcs->iova(bo);
-   bo->reloc_flags = FD_RELOC_FLAGS_INIT;
 
-   p_atomic_set(&bo->refcnt, 1);
-   list_inithead(&bo->list);
+   bo_init_common(bo, dev);
+
    /* add ourself into the handle table: */
    _mesa_hash_table_insert(dev->handle_table, &bo->handle, bo);
+
    return bo;
 }
 
@@ -91,8 +102,6 @@ bo_new(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags,
        struct fd_bo_cache *cache)
 {
    struct fd_bo *bo = NULL;
-   uint32_t handle;
-   int ret;
 
    /* demote cached-coherent to WC if not supported: */
    if ((flags & FD_BO_CACHED_COHERENT) && !dev->has_cached_coherent)
@@ -102,12 +111,15 @@ bo_new(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags,
    if (bo)
       return bo;
 
-   ret = dev->funcs->bo_new_handle(dev, size, flags, &handle);
-   if (ret)
+   bo = dev->funcs->bo_new(dev, size, flags);
+   if (!bo)
       return NULL;
 
+   bo_init_common(bo, dev);
+
    simple_mtx_lock(&table_lock);
-   bo = bo_from_handle(dev, size, handle);
+   /* add ourself into the handle table: */
+   _mesa_hash_table_insert(dev->handle_table, &bo->handle, bo);
    simple_mtx_unlock(&table_lock);
 
    bo->alloc_flags = flags;
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h
index dbdfd803b33..0ccc833997e 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h
@@ -89,10 +89,16 @@ grow(void **ptr, uint16_t nr, uint16_t *max, uint16_t sz)
 
 
 struct fd_device_funcs {
-   int (*bo_new_handle)(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags,
-                        uint32_t *handle);
+   /* Create a new buffer object:
+    */
+   struct fd_bo *(*bo_new)(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags);
+
+   /* Create a new buffer object from existing handle (ie. dma-buf or
+    * flink import):
+    */
    struct fd_bo *(*bo_from_handle)(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size,
                                    uint32_t handle);
+
    struct fd_pipe *(*pipe_new)(struct fd_device *dev, enum fd_pipe_id id,
                                unsigned prio);
    void (*destroy)(struct fd_device *dev);
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_bo.c b/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_bo.c
index 5963cac86b7..67de321f889 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_bo.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_bo.c
@@ -164,9 +164,8 @@ static const struct fd_bo_funcs funcs = {
 };
 
 /* allocate a buffer handle: */
-int
-msm_bo_new_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags,
-                  uint32_t *handle)
+static int
+new_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags, uint32_t *handle)
 {
    struct drm_msm_gem_new req = {
       .size = size,
@@ -195,6 +194,20 @@ msm_bo_new_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags,
 
 /* allocate a new buffer object */
 struct fd_bo *
+msm_bo_new(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags)
+{
+   uint32_t handle;
+   int ret;
+
+   ret = new_handle(dev, size, flags, &handle);
+   if (ret)
+      return NULL;
+
+   return msm_bo_from_handle(dev, size, handle);
+}
+
+/* allocate a new buffer object from existing handle (import) */
+struct fd_bo *
 msm_bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
 {
    struct msm_bo *msm_bo;
@@ -205,6 +218,8 @@ msm_bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
       return NULL;
 
    bo = &msm_bo->base;
+   bo->size = size;
+   bo->handle = handle;
    bo->funcs = &funcs;
 
    return bo;
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_device.c b/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_device.c
index a221fdc4cab..c4e93635931 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_device.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_device.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ msm_device_destroy(struct fd_device *dev)
 }
 
 static const struct fd_device_funcs funcs = {
-   .bo_new_handle = msm_bo_new_handle,
+   .bo_new = msm_bo_new,
    .bo_from_handle = msm_bo_from_handle,
    .pipe_new = msm_pipe_new,
    .destroy = msm_device_destroy,
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_priv.h b/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_priv.h
index 9e0211d922b..27c6a53a261 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_priv.h
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/msm/msm_priv.h
@@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ struct msm_bo {
 };
 FD_DEFINE_CAST(fd_bo, msm_bo);
 
-int msm_bo_new_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags,
-                      uint32_t *handle);
+struct fd_bo *msm_bo_new(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t flags);
 struct fd_bo *msm_bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size,
                                  uint32_t handle);