diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h
index 006c968963c..ccdb637578f 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_priv.h
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ struct fd_submit_funcs {
 struct fd_submit {
    struct fd_pipe *pipe;
    const struct fd_submit_funcs *funcs;
+
+   struct fd_ringbuffer *primary;
 };
 
 struct fd_bo_funcs {
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer.c b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer.c
index bc747502070..291bd74e61c 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer.c
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ fd_submit_new(struct fd_pipe *pipe)
 void
 fd_submit_del(struct fd_submit *submit)
 {
+   if (submit->primary)
+      fd_ringbuffer_del(submit->primary);
    return submit->funcs->destroy(submit);
 }
 
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ int
 fd_submit_flush(struct fd_submit *submit, int in_fence_fd, int *out_fence_fd,
                 uint32_t *out_fence)
 {
+   debug_assert(submit->primary);
    return submit->funcs->flush(submit, in_fence_fd, out_fence_fd, out_fence);
 }
 
@@ -58,7 +61,15 @@ fd_submit_new_ringbuffer(struct fd_submit *submit, uint32_t size,
       debug_assert(!(flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_GROWABLE));
       debug_assert(!(flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_PRIMARY));
    }
-   return submit->funcs->new_ringbuffer(submit, size, flags);
+   struct fd_ringbuffer *ring =
+         submit->funcs->new_ringbuffer(submit, size, flags);
+
+   if (flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_PRIMARY) {
+      debug_assert(!submit->primary);
+      submit->primary = fd_ringbuffer_ref(ring);
+   }
+
+   return ring;
 }
 
 struct fd_ringbuffer *
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer.c b/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer.c
index 8095ab6c9b8..903997204bf 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer.c
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ struct msm_submit {
    /* hash-set of associated rings: */
    struct set *ring_set;
 
-   struct fd_ringbuffer *primary;
-
    /* Allow for sub-allocation of stateobj ring buffers (ie. sharing
     * the same underlying bo)..
     *
@@ -246,11 +244,6 @@ msm_submit_new_ringbuffer(struct fd_submit *submit, uint32_t size,
    if (!msm_ringbuffer_init(msm_ring, size, flags))
       return NULL;
 
-   if (flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_PRIMARY) {
-      debug_assert(!msm_submit->primary);
-      msm_submit->primary = fd_ringbuffer_ref(&msm_ring->base);
-   }
-
    return &msm_ring->base;
 }
 
@@ -285,10 +278,8 @@ msm_submit_flush(struct fd_submit *submit, int in_fence_fd, int *out_fence_fd,
    };
    int ret;
 
-   debug_assert(msm_submit->primary);
-
-   finalize_current_cmd(msm_submit->primary);
-   append_ring(msm_submit->ring_set, msm_submit->primary);
+   finalize_current_cmd(submit->primary);
+   append_ring(msm_submit->ring_set, submit->primary);
 
    unsigned nr_cmds = 0;
    unsigned nr_objs = 0;
@@ -299,7 +290,7 @@ msm_submit_flush(struct fd_submit *submit, int in_fence_fd, int *out_fence_fd,
          nr_cmds += 1;
          nr_objs += 1;
       } else {
-         if (ring != msm_submit->primary)
+         if (ring != submit->primary)
             finalize_current_cmd(ring);
          nr_cmds += to_msm_ringbuffer(ring)->u.nr_cmds;
       }
@@ -399,8 +390,6 @@ msm_submit_destroy(struct fd_submit *submit)
 {
    struct msm_submit *msm_submit = to_msm_submit(submit);
 
-   if (msm_submit->primary)
-      fd_ringbuffer_del(msm_submit->primary);
    if (msm_submit->suballoc_ring)
       fd_ringbuffer_del(msm_submit->suballoc_ring);
 
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer_sp.c b/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer_sp.c
index b078e602513..71e9af60692 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer_sp.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/msm_ringbuffer_sp.c
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ struct msm_submit_sp {
 
    struct slab_child_pool ring_pool;
 
-   struct fd_ringbuffer *primary;
-
    /* Allow for sub-allocation of stateobj ring buffers (ie. sharing
     * the same underlying bo)..
     *
@@ -203,11 +201,6 @@ msm_submit_sp_new_ringbuffer(struct fd_submit *submit, uint32_t size,
    if (!msm_ringbuffer_sp_init(msm_ring, size, flags))
       return NULL;
 
-   if (flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_PRIMARY) {
-      debug_assert(!msm_submit->primary);
-      msm_submit->primary = fd_ringbuffer_ref(&msm_ring->base);
-   }
-
    return &msm_ring->base;
 }
 
@@ -223,11 +216,10 @@ msm_submit_sp_flush(struct fd_submit *submit, int in_fence_fd,
    };
    int ret;
 
-   debug_assert(msm_submit->primary);
-   finalize_current_cmd(msm_submit->primary);
+   finalize_current_cmd(submit->primary);
 
    struct msm_ringbuffer_sp *primary =
-      to_msm_ringbuffer_sp(msm_submit->primary);
+      to_msm_ringbuffer_sp(submit->primary);
    struct drm_msm_gem_submit_cmd cmds[primary->u.nr_cmds];
 
    for (unsigned i = 0; i < primary->u.nr_cmds; i++) {
@@ -298,8 +290,6 @@ msm_submit_sp_destroy(struct fd_submit *submit)
 {
    struct msm_submit_sp *msm_submit = to_msm_submit_sp(submit);
 
-   if (msm_submit->primary)
-      fd_ringbuffer_del(msm_submit->primary);
    if (msm_submit->suballoc_ring)
       fd_ringbuffer_del(msm_submit->suballoc_ring);