diff --git a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c
index a96ab2bd359..b0b6c8bfdee 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c
@@ -64,14 +64,8 @@ struct kgsl_dma_buf_meta {
 	struct sg_table *table;
 };
 
-static void kgsl_put_process_private(struct kgsl_device *device,
-			 struct kgsl_process_private *private);
-
 static void kgsl_mem_entry_detach_process(struct kgsl_mem_entry *entry);
 
-static void
-kgsl_put_process_private(struct kgsl_device *device,
-			 struct kgsl_process_private *private);
 /**
  * kgsl_trace_issueibcmds() - Call trace_issueibcmds by proxy
  * device: KGSL device
@@ -352,8 +346,8 @@ kgsl_mem_entry_attach_process(struct kgsl_mem_entry *entry,
 {
 	int ret;
 	struct kgsl_process_private *process = dev_priv->process_priv;
-	
-	ret = kref_get_unless_zero(&process->refcount);
+
+	ret = kgsl_process_private_get(process);
 	if (!ret)
 		return -EBADF;
 
@@ -392,7 +386,7 @@ kgsl_mem_entry_attach_process(struct kgsl_mem_entry *entry,
 	return ret;
 
 err_put_proc_priv:
-	kgsl_put_process_private(dev_priv->device, process);
+	kgsl_process_private_put(process);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -415,7 +409,7 @@ static void kgsl_mem_entry_detach_process(struct kgsl_mem_entry *entry)
 
 	entry->priv->stats[entry->memtype].cur -= entry->memdesc.size;
 	spin_unlock(&entry->priv->mem_lock);
-	kgsl_put_process_private(entry->dev_priv->device, entry->priv);
+	kgsl_process_private_put(entry->priv);
 
 	entry->priv = NULL;
 }
@@ -473,7 +467,7 @@ int kgsl_context_init(struct kgsl_device_private *dev_priv,
 	 * the context is destroyed. This will also prevent the pagetable
 	 * from being destroyed
 	 */
-	if (!kref_get_unless_zero(&dev_priv->process_priv->refcount))
+	if (!kgsl_process_private_get(dev_priv->process_priv))
 		goto fail_free_id;
 	context->device = dev_priv->device;
 	context->dev_priv = dev_priv;
@@ -568,8 +562,7 @@ kgsl_context_destroy(struct kref *kref)
 	}
 	write_unlock(&device->context_lock);
 	kgsl_sync_timeline_destroy(context);
-	kgsl_put_process_private(device,
-				context->proc_priv);
+	kgsl_process_private_put(context->proc_priv);
 
 	device->ftbl->drawctxt_destroy(context);
 }
@@ -811,9 +804,8 @@ static void kgsl_destroy_process_private(struct kref *kref)
 	return;
 }
 
-static void
-kgsl_put_process_private(struct kgsl_device *device,
-			 struct kgsl_process_private *private)
+void
+kgsl_process_private_put(struct kgsl_process_private *private)
 {
 	mutex_lock(&kgsl_driver.process_mutex);
 
@@ -842,7 +834,8 @@ kgsl_find_process_private(struct kgsl_device_private *cur_dev_priv)
 	mutex_lock(&kgsl_driver.process_mutex);
 	list_for_each_entry(private, &kgsl_driver.process_list, list) {
 		if (private->pid == task_tgid_nr(current)) {
-			kref_get(&private->refcount);
+			if (!kgsl_process_private_get(private))
+				private = NULL;
 			goto done;
 		}
 	}
@@ -915,7 +908,7 @@ done:
 
 error:
 	mutex_unlock(&private->process_private_mutex);
-	kgsl_put_process_private(cur_dev_priv->device, private);
+	kgsl_process_private_put(private);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -1009,7 +1002,7 @@ static int kgsl_release(struct inode *inodep, struct file *filep)
 
 	kfree(dev_priv);
 
-	kgsl_put_process_private(device, private);
+	kgsl_process_private_put(private);
 
 	pm_runtime_put(device->parentdev);
 	return result;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_debugfs.c b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_debugfs.c
index c1b313913c4..01aa4930dd9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_debugfs.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_debugfs.c
@@ -303,14 +303,36 @@ static int process_mem_print(struct seq_file *s, void *unused)
 
 static int process_mem_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
-	return single_open(file, process_mem_print, inode->i_private);
+	struct kgsl_process_private *private = inode->i_private;
+
+	/*
+	 * Hold a reference count on the process while open
+	 * in case the process tries to die in the meantime.
+	 * If the process is already dying we cannot get a
+	 * refcount, print nothing.
+	 */
+
+	if (!private || !kgsl_process_private_get(private))
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	return single_open(file, process_mem_print, private);
+}
+
+static int process_mem_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
+{
+	struct kgsl_process_private *private = inode->i_private;
+
+	if (private)
+		kgsl_process_private_put(private);
+
+	return single_release(inode, file);
 }
 
 static const struct file_operations process_mem_fops = {
 	.open = process_mem_open,
 	.read = seq_read,
 	.llseek = seq_lseek,
-	.release = single_release,
+	.release = process_mem_release,
 };
 
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_device.h b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_device.h
index 47801a46186..bda6ddfa49c 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_device.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_device.h
@@ -696,6 +696,24 @@ void kgsl_cmdbatch_destroy(struct kgsl_cmdbatch *cmdbatch);
 
 void kgsl_cmdbatch_destroy_object(struct kref *kref);
 
+/**
+* kgsl_process_private_get() - increment the refcount on a kgsl_process_private
+*   struct
+* @process: Pointer to the KGSL process_private
+*
+* Returns 0 if the structure is invalid and a reference count could not be
+* obtained, nonzero otherwise.
+*/
+static inline int kgsl_process_private_get(struct kgsl_process_private *process)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+	if (process != NULL)
+		ret = kref_get_unless_zero(&process->refcount);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+void kgsl_process_private_put(struct kgsl_process_private *private);
+
 /**
  * kgsl_cmdbatch_put() - Decrement the refcount for a command batch object
  * @cmdbatch: Pointer to the command batch object