diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c
index aab6e49fa0d..5229eaf17aa 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ fd_bo_init_common(struct fd_bo *bo, struct fd_device *dev)
 
 /* allocate a new buffer object, call w/ table_lock held */
 static struct fd_bo *
-bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
+import_bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
 {
    struct fd_bo *bo;
 
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t size, uint32_t handle)
       return NULL;
    }
 
+   bo->alloc_flags |= FD_BO_SHARED;
+
    /* add ourself into the handle table: */
    _mesa_hash_table_insert(dev->handle_table, &bo->handle, bo);
 
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ fd_bo_from_handle(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t handle, uint32_t size)
    if (bo)
       goto out_unlock;
 
-   bo = bo_from_handle(dev, size, handle);
+   bo = import_bo_from_handle(dev, size, handle);
 
    VG_BO_ALLOC(bo);
 
@@ -209,7 +211,7 @@ fd_bo_from_dmabuf(struct fd_device *dev, int fd)
    size = lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_END);
    lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR);
 
-   bo = bo_from_handle(dev, size, handle);
+   bo = import_bo_from_handle(dev, size, handle);
 
    VG_BO_ALLOC(bo);
 
@@ -243,7 +245,7 @@ fd_bo_from_name(struct fd_device *dev, uint32_t name)
    if (bo)
       goto out_unlock;
 
-   bo = bo_from_handle(dev, req.size, req.handle);
+   bo = import_bo_from_handle(dev, req.size, req.handle);
    if (bo) {
       set_name(bo, name);
       VG_BO_ALLOC(bo);
@@ -442,7 +444,7 @@ fd_bo_get_name(struct fd_bo *bo, uint32_t *name)
       set_name(bo, req.name);
       simple_mtx_unlock(&table_lock);
       bo->bo_reuse = NO_CACHE;
-      bo->shared = true;
+      bo->alloc_flags |= FD_BO_SHARED;
       bo_flush(bo);
    }
 
@@ -455,7 +457,7 @@ uint32_t
 fd_bo_handle(struct fd_bo *bo)
 {
    bo->bo_reuse = NO_CACHE;
-   bo->shared = true;
+   bo->alloc_flags |= FD_BO_SHARED;
    bo_flush(bo);
    return bo->handle;
 }
@@ -473,7 +475,7 @@ fd_bo_dmabuf(struct fd_bo *bo)
    }
 
    bo->bo_reuse = NO_CACHE;
-   bo->shared = true;
+   bo->alloc_flags |= FD_BO_SHARED;
    bo_flush(bo);
 
    return prime_fd;
@@ -620,7 +622,7 @@ fd_bo_add_fence(struct fd_bo *bo, struct fd_pipe *pipe, uint32_t fence)
 {
    simple_mtx_assert_locked(&fence_lock);
 
-   if (bo->nosync)
+   if (bo->alloc_flags & _FD_BO_NOSYNC)
       return;
 
    /* The common case is bo re-used on the same pipe it had previously
@@ -662,7 +664,7 @@ fd_bo_state(struct fd_bo *bo)
     * The pipe's control buffer is specifically nosync to avoid recursive
     * lock problems here.
     */
-   if (bo->shared || bo->nosync)
+   if (bo->alloc_flags & (FD_BO_SHARED | _FD_BO_NOSYNC))
       return FD_BO_STATE_UNKNOWN;
 
    simple_mtx_lock(&fence_lock);
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo_cache.c b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo_cache.c
index eb3072889a6..a340346762e 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo_cache.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_bo_cache.c
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ retry:
 int
 fd_bo_cache_free(struct fd_bo_cache *cache, struct fd_bo *bo)
 {
-   if (bo->nosync || bo->shared)
+   if (bo->alloc_flags & (FD_BO_SHARED | _FD_BO_NOSYNC))
       return -1;
 
    struct fd_bo_bucket *bucket = get_bucket(cache, bo->size);
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_drmif.h b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_drmif.h
index b0deb4b9a2a..e8fd0bbac79 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_drmif.h
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_drmif.h
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ struct fd_fence {
 
 /* internal bo flags: */
 #define _FD_BO_VIRTIO_SHM         BITSET_BIT(6)
+#define _FD_BO_NOSYNC             BITSET_BIT(7) /* Avoid userspace fencing on control buffers */
 
 /*
  * bo access flags: (keep aligned to MSM_PREP_x)
@@ -201,18 +202,6 @@ struct fd_bo {
       RING_CACHE = 2,
    } bo_reuse : 2;
 
-   /* Buffers that are shared (imported or exported) may be used in
-    * other processes, so we need to fallback to kernel to determine
-    * busyness.
-    */
-   bool shared : 1;
-
-   /* We need to be able to disable userspace fence synchronization for
-    * special internal buffers, namely the pipe->control buffer, to avoid
-    * a circular reference loop.
-    */
-   bool nosync : 1;
-
    /* Most recent index in submit's bo table, used to optimize the common
     * case where a bo is used many times in the same submit.
     */
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_pipe.c b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_pipe.c
index 9b6cbf59b9d..b8db8ec5bd8 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_pipe.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_pipe.c
@@ -63,8 +63,14 @@ fd_pipe_new2(struct fd_device *dev, enum fd_pipe_id id, uint32_t prio)
    fd_pipe_get_param(pipe, FD_CHIP_ID, &val);
    pipe->dev_id.chip_id = val;
 
+
+   /* Use the _NOSYNC flags because we don't want the control_mem bo to hold
+    * a reference to the ourself.  This also means that we won't be able
+    * to determine if the buffer is idle which is needed by bo-cache.  But
+    * pipe creation/destroy is not a high frequency event.
+    */
    pipe->control_mem = fd_bo_new(dev, sizeof(*pipe->control),
-                                 FD_BO_CACHED_COHERENT,
+                                 FD_BO_CACHED_COHERENT | _FD_BO_NOSYNC,
                                  "pipe-control");
    pipe->control = fd_bo_map(pipe->control_mem);
 
@@ -72,14 +78,6 @@ fd_pipe_new2(struct fd_device *dev, enum fd_pipe_id id, uint32_t prio)
     * is not garbage:
     */
    pipe->control->fence = 0;
-
-   /* We don't want the control_mem bo to hold a reference to the ourself,
-    * so disable userspace fencing.  This also means that we won't be able
-    * to determine if the buffer is idle which is needed by bo-cache.  But
-    * pipe creation/destroy is not a high frequency event so just disable
-    * the bo-cache as well:
-    */
-   pipe->control_mem->nosync = true;
    pipe->control_mem->bo_reuse = NO_CACHE;
 
    return pipe;
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer_sp.c b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer_sp.c
index 0c8c0b25c19..d8459be98c8 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer_sp.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/freedreno_ringbuffer_sp.c
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ fd_submit_sp_flush_prep(struct fd_submit *submit, int in_fence_fd,
    simple_mtx_lock(&fence_lock);
    for (unsigned i = 0; i < fd_submit->nr_bos; i++) {
       fd_bo_add_fence(fd_submit->bos[i], submit->pipe, submit->fence);
-      has_shared |= fd_submit->bos[i]->shared;
+      has_shared |= fd_submit->bos[i]->alloc_flags & FD_BO_SHARED;
    }
    simple_mtx_unlock(&fence_lock);
 
diff --git a/src/freedreno/drm/virtio/virtio_bo.c b/src/freedreno/drm/virtio/virtio_bo.c
index 9206f15635b..a42599a2606 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/drm/virtio/virtio_bo.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/drm/virtio/virtio_bo.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ virtio_bo_cpu_prep(struct fd_bo *bo, struct fd_pipe *pipe, uint32_t op)
    /* If buffer is not shared, then it is not shared with host,
     * so we don't need to worry about implicit sync in host:
     */
-   if (!bo->shared)
+   if (!(bo->alloc_flags & FD_BO_SHARED))
       goto out;
 
    /* If buffer is shared, but we are using explicit sync, no