diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c
index 7d20ac4bb633..84f412fd3c5d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_migrate.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ struct xe_migrate *xe_migrate_init(struct xe_tile *tile)
 
 	/* Special layout, prepared below.. */
 	vm = xe_vm_create(xe, XE_VM_FLAG_MIGRATION |
-			  XE_VM_FLAG_SET_TILE_ID(tile));
+			  XE_VM_FLAG_SET_TILE_ID(tile), NULL);
 	if (IS_ERR(vm))
 		return ERR_CAST(vm);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_pxp_submit.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_pxp_submit.c
index d92ec0f515b0..ca95f2a4d4ef 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_pxp_submit.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_pxp_submit.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ static int allocate_gsc_client_resources(struct xe_gt *gt,
 	xe_assert(xe, hwe);
 
 	/* PXP instructions must be issued from PPGTT */
-	vm = xe_vm_create(xe, XE_VM_FLAG_GSC);
+	vm = xe_vm_create(xe, XE_VM_FLAG_GSC, NULL);
 	if (IS_ERR(vm))
 		return PTR_ERR(vm);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.c
index 2035604121e6..5bff317e335a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.c
@@ -1640,7 +1640,7 @@ static void xe_vm_free_scratch(struct xe_vm *vm)
 	}
 }
 
-struct xe_vm *xe_vm_create(struct xe_device *xe, u32 flags)
+struct xe_vm *xe_vm_create(struct xe_device *xe, u32 flags, struct xe_file *xef)
 {
 	struct drm_gem_object *vm_resv_obj;
 	struct xe_vm *vm;
@@ -1661,9 +1661,10 @@ struct xe_vm *xe_vm_create(struct xe_device *xe, u32 flags)
 	vm->xe = xe;
 
 	vm->size = 1ull << xe->info.va_bits;
-
 	vm->flags = flags;
 
+	if (xef)
+		vm->xef = xe_file_get(xef);
 	/**
 	 * GSC VMs are kernel-owned, only used for PXP ops and can sometimes be
 	 * manipulated under the PXP mutex. However, the PXP mutex can be taken
@@ -1814,6 +1815,8 @@ struct xe_vm *xe_vm_create(struct xe_device *xe, u32 flags)
 	for_each_tile(tile, xe, id)
 		xe_range_fence_tree_fini(&vm->rftree[id]);
 	ttm_lru_bulk_move_fini(&xe->ttm, &vm->lru_bulk_move);
+	if (vm->xef)
+		xe_file_put(vm->xef);
 	kfree(vm);
 	if (flags & XE_VM_FLAG_LR_MODE)
 		xe_pm_runtime_put(xe);
@@ -2097,7 +2100,7 @@ int xe_vm_create_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 	if (args->flags & DRM_XE_VM_CREATE_FLAG_FAULT_MODE)
 		flags |= XE_VM_FLAG_FAULT_MODE;
 
-	vm = xe_vm_create(xe, flags);
+	vm = xe_vm_create(xe, flags, xef);
 	if (IS_ERR(vm))
 		return PTR_ERR(vm);
 
@@ -2113,8 +2116,6 @@ int xe_vm_create_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 		vm->usm.asid = asid;
 	}
 
-	vm->xef = xe_file_get(xef);
-
 	/* Record BO memory for VM pagetable created against client */
 	for_each_tile(tile, xe, id)
 		if (vm->pt_root[id])
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.h
index 3475a118f666..2f213737c7e5 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_vm.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct xe_sync_entry;
 struct xe_svm_range;
 struct drm_exec;
 
-struct xe_vm *xe_vm_create(struct xe_device *xe, u32 flags);
+struct xe_vm *xe_vm_create(struct xe_device *xe, u32 flags, struct xe_file *xef);
 
 struct xe_vm *xe_vm_lookup(struct xe_file *xef, u32 id);
 int xe_vma_cmp_vma_cb(const void *key, const struct rb_node *node);