diff --git a/freedreno/msm/msm_ringbuffer.c b/freedreno/msm/msm_ringbuffer.c
index ec4b30fe..25207221 100644
--- a/freedreno/msm/msm_ringbuffer.c
+++ b/freedreno/msm/msm_ringbuffer.c
@@ -237,8 +237,11 @@ static int check_cmd_bo(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring,
 
 /* Ensure that submit has corresponding entry in cmds table for the
  * target cmdstream buffer:
+ *
+ * Returns TRUE if new cmd added (else FALSE if it was already in
+ * the cmds table)
  */
-static void get_cmd(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring, struct msm_cmd *target_cmd,
+static int get_cmd(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring, struct msm_cmd *target_cmd,
 		uint32_t submit_offset, uint32_t size, uint32_t type)
 {
 	struct msm_ringbuffer *msm_ring = to_msm_ringbuffer(ring);
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ static void get_cmd(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring, struct msm_cmd *target_cmd,
 				(cmd->size == size) &&
 				(cmd->type == type) &&
 				check_cmd_bo(ring, cmd, target_cmd->ring_bo))
-			return;
+			return FALSE;
 	}
 
 	/* create cmd buf if not: */
@@ -267,6 +270,8 @@ static void get_cmd(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring, struct msm_cmd *target_cmd,
 	cmd->pad = 0;
 
 	target_cmd->size = size;
+
+	return TRUE;
 }
 
 static void * msm_ringbuffer_hostptr(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring)
@@ -559,6 +564,7 @@ static uint32_t msm_ringbuffer_emit_reloc_ring(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring,
 {
 	struct msm_cmd *cmd = NULL;
 	uint32_t idx = 0;
+	int added_cmd = FALSE;
 
 	LIST_FOR_EACH_ENTRY(cmd, &to_msm_ringbuffer(target)->cmd_list, list) {
 		if (idx == cmd_idx)
@@ -577,7 +583,8 @@ static uint32_t msm_ringbuffer_emit_reloc_ring(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring,
 		size = cmd->size;
 	} else {
 		struct fd_ringbuffer *parent = ring->parent ? ring->parent : ring;
-		get_cmd(parent, cmd, submit_offset, size, MSM_SUBMIT_CMD_IB_TARGET_BUF);
+		added_cmd = get_cmd(parent, cmd, submit_offset, size,
+				MSM_SUBMIT_CMD_IB_TARGET_BUF);
 	}
 
 	msm_ringbuffer_emit_reloc(ring, &(struct fd_reloc){
@@ -590,7 +597,7 @@ static uint32_t msm_ringbuffer_emit_reloc_ring(struct fd_ringbuffer *ring,
 	 * being flushed), mesa can't really guarantee that a stateobj isn't
 	 * destroyed after emitted but before flush, so we must hold a ref:
 	 */
-	if (target->flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_OBJECT) {
+	if (added_cmd && (target->flags & FD_RINGBUFFER_OBJECT)) {
 		msm_ringbuffer_ref(target);
 	}