diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_fence_reg.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_fence_reg.c
index fadbe8f4c745..5fe2cd8c8f28 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_fence_reg.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem_fence_reg.c
@@ -248,7 +248,14 @@ static int fence_update(struct drm_i915_fence_reg *fence,
 		list_move(&fence->link, &fence->i915->mm.fence_list);
 	}
 
-	fence_write(fence, vma);
+	/* We only need to update the register itself if the device is awake.
+	 * If the device is currently powered down, we will defer the write
+	 * to the runtime resume, see i915_gem_restore_fences().
+	 */
+	if (intel_runtime_pm_get_if_in_use(fence->i915)) {
+		fence_write(fence, vma);
+		intel_runtime_pm_put(fence->i915);
+	}
 
 	if (vma) {
 		if (fence->vma != vma) {
@@ -278,8 +285,6 @@ i915_vma_put_fence(struct i915_vma *vma)
 {
 	struct drm_i915_fence_reg *fence = vma->fence;
 
-	assert_rpm_wakelock_held(vma->vm->i915);
-
 	if (!fence)
 		return 0;