diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_request.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_request.c
index b836721d3b13..20c7c77b3768 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_request.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_request.c
@@ -798,6 +798,21 @@ err_unreserve:
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
+static int
+i915_request_await_start(struct i915_request *rq, struct i915_request *signal)
+{
+	if (list_is_first(&signal->ring_link, &signal->ring->request_list))
+		return 0;
+
+	signal = list_prev_entry(signal, ring_link);
+	if (i915_timeline_sync_is_later(rq->timeline, &signal->fence))
+		return 0;
+
+	return i915_sw_fence_await_dma_fence(&rq->submit,
+					     &signal->fence, 0,
+					     I915_FENCE_GFP);
+}
+
 static int
 emit_semaphore_wait(struct i915_request *to,
 		    struct i915_request *from,
@@ -816,6 +831,10 @@ emit_semaphore_wait(struct i915_request *to,
 						     &from->fence, 0,
 						     I915_FENCE_GFP);
 
+	err = i915_request_await_start(to, from);
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
+
 	err = i915_sw_fence_await_dma_fence(&to->semaphore,
 					    &from->fence, 0,
 					    I915_FENCE_GFP);