diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_lrc.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_lrc.c
index bd8ba98e35df..fd609ce4313a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_lrc.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_lrc.c
@@ -1089,25 +1089,45 @@ assert_pending_valid(const struct intel_engine_execlists *execlists,
 
 	trace_ports(execlists, msg, execlists->pending);
 
-	if (!execlists->pending[0])
+	if (!execlists->pending[0]) {
+		GEM_TRACE_ERR("Nothing pending for promotion!\n");
 		return false;
+	}
 
-	if (execlists->pending[execlists_num_ports(execlists)])
+	if (execlists->pending[execlists_num_ports(execlists)]) {
+		GEM_TRACE_ERR("Excess pending[%d] for promotion!\n",
+			      execlists_num_ports(execlists));
 		return false;
+	}
 
 	for (port = execlists->pending; (rq = *port); port++) {
-		if (ce == rq->hw_context)
+		if (ce == rq->hw_context) {
+			GEM_TRACE_ERR("Duplicate context in pending[%zd]\n",
+				      port - execlists->pending);
 			return false;
+		}
 
 		ce = rq->hw_context;
 		if (i915_request_completed(rq))
 			continue;
 
-		if (i915_active_is_idle(&ce->active))
+		if (i915_active_is_idle(&ce->active)) {
+			GEM_TRACE_ERR("Inactive context in pending[%zd]\n",
+				      port - execlists->pending);
 			return false;
+		}
 
-		if (!i915_vma_is_pinned(ce->state))
+		if (!i915_vma_is_pinned(ce->state)) {
+			GEM_TRACE_ERR("Unpinned context in pending[%zd]\n",
+				      port - execlists->pending);
 			return false;
+		}
+
+		if (!i915_vma_is_pinned(ce->ring->vma)) {
+			GEM_TRACE_ERR("Unpinned ringbuffer in pending[%zd]\n",
+				      port - execlists->pending);
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return ce;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.h
index 6795f1daa3d5..db20d2b0842b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_gem.h
@@ -37,10 +37,8 @@ struct drm_i915_private;
 #define GEM_SHOW_DEBUG() (drm_debug & DRM_UT_DRIVER)
 
 #define GEM_BUG_ON(condition) do { if (unlikely((condition))) {	\
-		pr_err("%s:%d GEM_BUG_ON(%s)\n", \
-		       __func__, __LINE__, __stringify(condition)); \
-		GEM_TRACE("%s:%d GEM_BUG_ON(%s)\n", \
-			  __func__, __LINE__, __stringify(condition)); \
+		GEM_TRACE_ERR("%s:%d GEM_BUG_ON(%s)\n", \
+			      __func__, __LINE__, __stringify(condition)); \
 		BUG(); \
 		} \
 	} while(0)
@@ -66,11 +64,16 @@ struct drm_i915_private;
 
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DRM_I915_TRACE_GEM)
 #define GEM_TRACE(...) trace_printk(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define GEM_TRACE_ERR(...) do {						\
+	pr_err(__VA_ARGS__);						\
+	trace_printk(__VA_ARGS__);					\
+} while (0)
 #define GEM_TRACE_DUMP() ftrace_dump(DUMP_ALL)
 #define GEM_TRACE_DUMP_ON(expr) \
 	do { if (expr) ftrace_dump(DUMP_ALL); } while (0)
 #else
 #define GEM_TRACE(...) do { } while (0)
+#define GEM_TRACE_ERR(...) do { } while (0)
 #define GEM_TRACE_DUMP() do { } while (0)
 #define GEM_TRACE_DUMP_ON(expr) BUILD_BUG_ON_INVALID(expr)
 #endif