diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c
index b023ff9c3d44..d7a577483d1f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@ drm_gem_object_release_handle(int id, void *ptr, void *data)
 	struct drm_file *file_priv = data;
 	struct drm_gem_object *obj = ptr;
 
+	if (drm_WARN_ON(obj->dev, !data))
+		return 0;
+
 	if (obj->funcs->close)
 		obj->funcs->close(obj, file_priv);
 
@@ -409,7 +412,7 @@ drm_gem_handle_create_tail(struct drm_file *file_priv,
 	idr_preload(GFP_KERNEL);
 	spin_lock(&file_priv->table_lock);
 
-	ret = idr_alloc(&file_priv->object_idr, obj, 1, 0, GFP_NOWAIT);
+	ret = idr_alloc(&file_priv->object_idr, NULL, 1, 0, GFP_NOWAIT);
 
 	spin_unlock(&file_priv->table_lock);
 	idr_preload_end();
@@ -430,6 +433,11 @@ drm_gem_handle_create_tail(struct drm_file *file_priv,
 			goto err_revoke;
 	}
 
+	/* mirrors drm_gem_handle_delete to avoid races */
+	spin_lock(&file_priv->table_lock);
+	obj = idr_replace(&file_priv->object_idr, obj, handle);
+	WARN_ON(obj != NULL);
+	spin_unlock(&file_priv->table_lock);
 	*handlep = handle;
 	return 0;
 
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_file.h b/include/drm/drm_file.h
index cc61f6a2b2ad..0cb5edd9c467 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_file.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_file.h
@@ -302,6 +302,9 @@ struct drm_file {
 	 *
 	 * Mapping of mm object handles to object pointers. Used by the GEM
 	 * subsystem. Protected by @table_lock.
+	 *
+	 * Note that allocated entries might be NULL as a transient state when
+	 * creating or deleting a handle.
 	 */
 	struct idr object_idr;