diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c
index 5b55cddafc9b..87cdb3158042 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.c
@@ -5,6 +5,66 @@
  */
 
 #include "i915_sw_fence_work.h"
+#include "i915_utils.h"
+
+/**
+ * dma_fence_work_timeline_attach - Attach a struct dma_fence_work to a
+ * timeline.
+ * @tl: The timeline to attach to.
+ * @f: The struct dma_fence_work.
+ * @tl_cb: The i915_sw_dma_fence_cb needed to attach to the
+ * timeline. This is typically embedded into the structure that also
+ * embeds the struct dma_fence_work.
+ *
+ * This function takes a timeline reference and associates it with the
+ * struct dma_fence_work. That reference is given up when the fence
+ * signals. Furthermore it assigns a fence context and a seqno to the
+ * dma-fence, and then chains upon the previous fence of the timeline
+ * if any, to make sure that the fence signals after that fence. The
+ * @tl_cb callback structure is needed for that chaining. Finally
+ * the registered last fence of the timeline is replaced by this fence, and
+ * the timeline takes a reference on the fence, which is released when
+ * the fence signals.
+ */
+void dma_fence_work_timeline_attach(struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl,
+				    struct dma_fence_work *f,
+				    struct i915_sw_dma_fence_cb *tl_cb)
+{
+	struct dma_fence *await;
+
+	if (tl->ops->get)
+		tl->ops->get(tl);
+
+	spin_lock(&tl->lock);
+	await = tl->last_fence;
+	tl->last_fence = dma_fence_get(&f->dma);
+	f->dma.seqno = tl->seqno++;
+	f->dma.context = tl->context;
+	f->tl = tl;
+	spin_unlock(&tl->lock);
+
+	if (await) {
+		__i915_sw_fence_await_dma_fence(&f->chain, await, tl_cb);
+		dma_fence_put(await);
+	}
+}
+
+static void dma_fence_work_timeline_detach(struct dma_fence_work *f)
+{
+	struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl = f->tl;
+	bool put = false;
+
+	spin_lock(&tl->lock);
+	if (tl->last_fence == &f->dma) {
+		put = true;
+		tl->last_fence = NULL;
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&tl->lock);
+	if (tl->ops->put)
+		tl->ops->put(tl);
+	if (put)
+		dma_fence_put(&f->dma);
+}
 
 static void dma_fence_work_complete(struct dma_fence_work *f)
 {
@@ -13,6 +73,9 @@ static void dma_fence_work_complete(struct dma_fence_work *f)
 	if (f->ops->release)
 		f->ops->release(f);
 
+	if (f->tl)
+		dma_fence_work_timeline_detach(f);
+
 	dma_fence_put(&f->dma);
 }
 
@@ -53,14 +116,17 @@ fence_notify(struct i915_sw_fence *fence, enum i915_sw_fence_notify state)
 
 static const char *get_driver_name(struct dma_fence *fence)
 {
-	return "dma-fence";
+	struct dma_fence_work *f = container_of(fence, typeof(*f), dma);
+
+	return (f->tl && f->tl->ops->name) ? f->tl->ops->name : "dma-fence";
 }
 
 static const char *get_timeline_name(struct dma_fence *fence)
 {
 	struct dma_fence_work *f = container_of(fence, typeof(*f), dma);
 
-	return f->ops->name ?: "work";
+	return (f->tl && f->tl->name) ? f->tl->name :
+		f->ops->name ?: "work";
 }
 
 static void fence_release(struct dma_fence *fence)
@@ -84,6 +150,7 @@ void dma_fence_work_init(struct dma_fence_work *f,
 {
 	f->ops = ops;
 	f->error = 0;
+	f->tl = NULL;
 	spin_lock_init(&f->lock);
 	dma_fence_init(&f->dma, &fence_ops, &f->lock, 0, 0);
 	i915_sw_fence_init(&f->chain, fence_notify);
@@ -97,3 +164,21 @@ int dma_fence_work_chain(struct dma_fence_work *f, struct dma_fence *signal)
 
 	return __i915_sw_fence_await_dma_fence(&f->chain, signal, &f->cb);
 }
+
+/**
+ * dma_fence_work_timeline_init - Initialize a dma_fence_work timeline
+ * @tl: The timeline to initialize,
+ * @name: The name of the timeline,
+ * @ops: The timeline operations.
+ */
+void dma_fence_work_timeline_init(struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl,
+				  const char *name,
+				  const struct dma_fence_work_timeline_ops *ops)
+{
+	tl->name = name;
+	spin_lock_init(&tl->lock);
+	tl->context = dma_fence_context_alloc(1);
+	tl->seqno = 0;
+	tl->last_fence = NULL;
+	tl->ops = ops;
+}
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h
index caa59fb5252b..6f41ee360133 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_sw_fence_work.h
@@ -14,6 +14,53 @@
 #include "i915_sw_fence.h"
 
 struct dma_fence_work;
+struct dma_fence_work_timeline;
+
+/**
+ * struct dma_fence_work_timeline_ops - Timeline operations struct
+ * @name: Timeline ops name. This field is used if the timeline itself has
+ * a NULL name. Can be set to NULL in which case a default name is used.
+ *
+ * The struct dma_fence_work_timeline is intended to be embeddable.
+ * We use the ops to get and put the parent structure.
+ */
+struct dma_fence_work_timeline_ops {
+	/**
+	 * Timeline ops name. Used if the timeline itself has no name.
+	 */
+	const char *name;
+
+	/**
+	 * put() - Put the structure embedding the timeline
+	 * @tl: The timeline
+	 */
+	void (*put)(struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl);
+
+	/**
+	 * get() - Get the structure embedding the timeline
+	 * @tl: The timeline
+	 */
+	void (*get)(struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl);
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct dma_fence_work_timeline - Simple timeline struct for dma_fence_work
+ * @name: The name of the timeline. May be set to NULL. Immutable
+ * @lock: Protects mutable members of the structure.
+ * @context: The timeline fence context. Immutable.
+ * @seqno: The previous seqno used. Protected by @lock.
+ * @last_fence : The previous fence of the timeline. Protected by @lock.
+ * @ops: The timeline operations struct. Immutable.
+ */
+struct dma_fence_work_timeline {
+	const char *name;
+	/** Protects mutable members of the structure */
+	spinlock_t lock;
+	u64 context;
+	u64 seqno;
+	struct dma_fence *last_fence;
+	const struct dma_fence_work_timeline_ops *ops;
+};
 
 struct dma_fence_work_ops {
 	const char *name;
@@ -30,6 +77,9 @@ struct dma_fence_work {
 	struct i915_sw_dma_fence_cb cb;
 
 	struct work_struct work;
+
+	struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl;
+
 	const struct dma_fence_work_ops *ops;
 };
 
@@ -65,4 +115,12 @@ static inline void dma_fence_work_commit_imm(struct dma_fence_work *f)
 	dma_fence_work_commit(f);
 }
 
+void dma_fence_work_timeline_attach(struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl,
+				    struct dma_fence_work *f,
+				    struct i915_sw_dma_fence_cb *tl_cb);
+
+void dma_fence_work_timeline_init(struct dma_fence_work_timeline *tl,
+				  const char *name,
+				  const struct dma_fence_work_timeline_ops *ops);
+
 #endif /* I915_SW_FENCE_WORK_H */
