diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_defaults.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_defaults.h
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_defaults.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_defaults.h
@@ -23,5 +23,6 @@
 #define XE_DEFAULT_WEDGED_MODE_STR		"upon-critical-error"
 #define XE_DEFAULT_SVM_NOTIFIER_SIZE		512
 #define XE_DEFAULT_SHRINK_ACTIVE_MS		1000
+#define XE_DEFAULT_SHRINK_DIRECT_BACKUP		false
 
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.c
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ struct xe_modparam xe_modparam = {
 	.wedged_mode =		XE_DEFAULT_WEDGED_MODE,
 	.svm_notifier_size =	XE_DEFAULT_SVM_NOTIFIER_SIZE,
 	.shrink_active_ms =	XE_DEFAULT_SHRINK_ACTIVE_MS,
+	.shrink_direct_backup =	XE_DEFAULT_SHRINK_DIRECT_BACKUP,
 	/* the rest are 0 by default */
 };
 
@@ -43,6 +44,10 @@ MODULE_PARM_DESC(shrink_active_ms, "Do not back up a buffer object bound to a VM
 		 "within this many ms, 0=disabled "
 		 "[default=" __stringify(XE_DEFAULT_SHRINK_ACTIVE_MS) "]");
 
+module_param_named(shrink_direct_backup, xe_modparam.shrink_direct_backup, bool, 0600);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(shrink_direct_backup, "Back up buffer objects in direct reclaim too, not only in kswapd "
+		 "[default=" __stringify(XE_DEFAULT_SHRINK_DIRECT_BACKUP) "]");
+
 module_param_named_unsafe(force_execlist, xe_modparam.force_execlist, bool, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(force_execlist, "Force Execlist submission");
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.h
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_module.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ struct xe_modparam {
 	unsigned int wedged_mode;
 	u32 svm_notifier_size;
 	unsigned int shrink_active_ms;
+	bool shrink_direct_backup;
 };
 
 extern struct xe_modparam xe_modparam;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_shrinker.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_shrinker.c
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_shrinker.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_shrinker.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <linux/shrinker.h>
+#include <linux/swap.h>
 
 #include <drm/drm_managed.h>
 #include <drm/ttm/ttm_backup.h>
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <drm/ttm/ttm_tt.h>
 
 #include "xe_bo.h"
+#include "xe_module.h"
 #include "xe_pm.h"
 #include "xe_shrinker.h"
 
@@ -170,9 +172,12 @@ static int xe_shrinker_walk(struct xe_shrinker *shrinker,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static inline bool xe_shrinker_can_backup(const struct shrink_control *sc)
+static inline bool xe_shrinker_can_backup(struct xe_shrinker *shrinker,
+					  const struct shrink_control *sc)
 {
-	return (sc->gfp_mask & __GFP_FS) && !sc->opportunistic_compaction;
+	return (sc->gfp_mask & __GFP_FS) && !sc->opportunistic_compaction &&
+	       (current_is_kswapd() || READ_ONCE(xe_modparam.shrink_direct_backup) ||
+		!try_wait_for_completion(&shrinker->xe->pm_block));
 }
 
 static unsigned long
@@ -188,7 +193,7 @@ xe_shrinker_count(struct shrinker *shrink, struct shrink_control *sc)
 	 * wants, and it needs __GFP_FS.
 	 */
 	read_lock(&shrinker->lock);
-	if (xe_shrinker_can_backup(sc))
+	if (xe_shrinker_can_backup(shrinker, sc))
 		num_pages = min_t(unsigned long,
 				  ttm_backup_bytes_avail() >> PAGE_SHIFT,
 				  shrinker->shrinkable_pages);
@@ -241,7 +246,7 @@ static unsigned long xe_shrinker_scan(struct shrinker *shrink, struct shrink_con
 	};
 	bool runtime_pm;
 	bool purgeable;
-	bool can_backup = xe_shrinker_can_backup(sc);
+	bool can_backup = xe_shrinker_can_backup(shrinker, sc);
 
 	nr_to_scan = sc->nr_to_scan;