diff --git a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline.c b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline.c
index ee42a997c7e6..9b9788cccb0d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline.c
@@ -1551,7 +1551,7 @@ static void mali_timeline_do_sync_fence_callback(void *arg)
 #elif LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(4, 9, 0)
 		fence_status = atomic_read(&sync_fence->status);
 #else
-		fence_status = dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
+		fence_status = mali_dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
 #endif
 
 		system = tracker->system;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline_fence_wait.c b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline_fence_wait.c
index dff480332868..30635dd2dbd3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline_fence_wait.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/common/mali_timeline_fence_wait.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static mali_bool mali_timeline_fence_wait_check_status(struct mali_timeline_syst
 #elif LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(4, 9, 0)
 			if (0 < atomic_read(&sync_fence->status)) {
 #else
-			if (0 == dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence)) {
+			if (0 == mali_dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence)) {
 #endif
 				ret = MALI_FALSE;
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.c b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.c
index e0f89108d4fe..5f22a60cd92f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ static void mali_internal_fence_check_cb_func(struct dma_fence *fence, struct dm
 	if (ret)
 		wake_up_all(&sync_fence->wq);
 #else
-	ret = dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
+	ret = mali_dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
 
 	if (0 > ret)
 		MALI_PRINT_ERROR(("Mali internal sync:Failed to wait fence  0x%x for sync_fence 0x%x.\n", fence, sync_fence));
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ int mali_internal_sync_fence_wait_async(struct mali_internal_sync_fence *sync_fe
 
 	return !err;
 #else
-	err = dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
+	err = mali_dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
 
 	if (0 > err)
 		return err;
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ int mali_internal_sync_fence_wait_async(struct mali_internal_sync_fence *sync_fe
 	waiter->work.private = sync_fence;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&sync_fence->wq.lock, flags);
-	err = dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
+	err = mali_dma_fence_is_signaled(sync_fence->fence);
 
 	if (0 == err){
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 13, 0)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.h b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.h
index dbb29222ba98..999502671817 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/arm/mali400/mali/linux/mali_internal_sync.h
@@ -187,5 +187,20 @@ int mali_internal_sync_fence_wait_async(struct mali_internal_sync_fence *sync_fe
 int mali_internal_sync_fence_cancel_async(struct mali_internal_sync_fence *sync_fence,
 		struct mali_internal_sync_fence_waiter *waiter);
 
+/**
+ * This function is a simplified version of dma_fence_is_signaled(),
+ * dma_fence_signal() is not called here.
+ */
+static inline bool mali_dma_fence_is_signaled(struct dma_fence *fence)
+{
+	if (test_bit(DMA_FENCE_FLAG_SIGNALED_BIT, &fence->flags))
+		return true;
+
+	if (fence->ops->signaled && fence->ops->signaled(fence))
+		return true;
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 #endif /*LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 6, 0)*/
 #endif /* _MALI_INTERNAL_SYNC_H */