diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_cs.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_cs.c
index 0137689ed461..142f89462aa4 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_cs.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_cs.c
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ static int radeon_cs_sync_rings(struct radeon_cs_parser *p)
 					   sync_to_ring, p->ring);
 }
 
+/* XXX: note that this is called from the legacy UMS CS ioctl as well */
 int radeon_cs_parser_init(struct radeon_cs_parser *p, void *data)
 {
 	struct drm_radeon_cs *cs = data;
@@ -245,23 +246,25 @@ int radeon_cs_parser_init(struct radeon_cs_parser *p, void *data)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ((p->cs_flags & RADEON_CS_USE_VM) &&
-	    !p->rdev->vm_manager.enabled) {
-		DRM_ERROR("VM not active on asic!\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
+	/* these are KMS only */
+	if (p->rdev) {
+		if ((p->cs_flags & RADEON_CS_USE_VM) &&
+		    !p->rdev->vm_manager.enabled) {
+			DRM_ERROR("VM not active on asic!\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		/* we only support VM on SI+ */
+		if ((p->rdev->family >= CHIP_TAHITI) &&
+		    ((p->cs_flags & RADEON_CS_USE_VM) == 0)) {
+			DRM_ERROR("VM required on SI+!\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		if (radeon_cs_get_ring(p, ring, priority))
+			return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	/* we only support VM on SI+ */
-	if ((p->rdev->family >= CHIP_TAHITI) &&
-	    ((p->cs_flags & RADEON_CS_USE_VM) == 0)) {
-		DRM_ERROR("VM required on SI+!\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
-	if (radeon_cs_get_ring(p, ring, priority))
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-
 	/* deal with non-vm */
 	if ((p->chunk_ib_idx != -1) &&
 	    ((p->cs_flags & RADEON_CS_USE_VM) == 0) &&