diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/object.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/object.h
index 1e4c158d20fa..f52399caee82 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/object.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/object.h
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ struct nvif_object {
 	} map;
 };
 
+static inline bool
+nvif_object_constructed(struct nvif_object *object)
+{
+	return object->client != NULL;
+}
+
 int  nvif_object_ctor(struct nvif_object *, const char *name, u32 handle,
 		      s32 oclass, void *, u32, struct nvif_object *);
 void nvif_object_dtor(struct nvif_object *);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/object.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/object.c
index dce1ecee2af5..4d1aaee8fe15 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/object.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/object.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ nvif_object_dtor(struct nvif_object *object)
 		.ioctl.type = NVIF_IOCTL_V0_DEL,
 	};
 
-	if (!object->client)
+	if (!nvif_object_constructed(object))
 		return;
 
 	nvif_object_unmap(object);