diff --git a/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.c b/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.c
index 2df8125e4..66aa48fad 100644
--- a/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.c
+++ b/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.c
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ extern CARD32 radeon_cp_microcode[][2];
 extern CARD32 r200_cp_microcode[][2];
 extern CARD32 r300_cp_microcode[][2];
 
-#if DEBUG_FIFO
 static void
 ATIDebugFifo(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
 {
@@ -68,7 +67,6 @@ ATIDebugFifo(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
 		    MMIO_IN32(mmio, R128_REG_PC_NGUI_CTLSTAT));
 	}
 }
-#endif
 
 static void
 ATIUploadMicrocode(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
@@ -320,9 +318,15 @@ ATIWaitIdle(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
 		int ret;
 		int cmd = (atic->is_radeon ? DRM_RADEON_CP_IDLE :
 		    DRM_R128_CCE_IDLE);
-		do {
+		for (tries = 100; tries != 0; tries--) {
 			ret = drmCommandNone(atic->drmFd, cmd);
-		} while (ret == -EBUSY);
+			if (ret != -EBUSY)
+				break;
+		}
+		if (tries == 0) {
+			ATIDebugFifo(atis);
+			FatalError("Timed out idling CCE (card hung)\n");
+		}
 		if (ret != 0)
 			ErrorF("Failed to idle DMA, returned %d\n", ret);
 		return;
diff --git a/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.h b/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.h
index ce30384c4..76c7733de 100644
--- a/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.h
+++ b/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dma.h
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ do {									\
 } while (0)
 #define END_DMA() do {							\
 	if (__count != __total)						\
-		ErrorF("count != total (%d vs %d) at %s:%d\n", __count, \
-		    __total, __FILE__, __LINE__);			\
+		FatalError("count != total (%d vs %d) at %s:%d\n",	 \
+		     __count, __total, __FILE__, __LINE__);		\
 	atis->indirectBuffer->used += __count * 4;			\
 } while (0)
 
diff --git a/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dri.c b/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dri.c
index d86802550..0c1881175 100644
--- a/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dri.c
+++ b/hw/kdrive/ati/ati_dri.c
@@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ ATIDRIDMAStart(ScreenPtr pScreen)
 	if (ret == 0)
 		atis->dma_started = TRUE;
 	else
-		ErrorF("%s: DMA start returned %d\n", __FUNCTION__, ret);
+		FatalError("%s: DMA start returned %d\n", __FUNCTION__, ret);
 }
 
 /* Attempts to idle the DMA engine and stops it.  Note that the ioctl is the
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ ATIDRIGetBuffer(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
 	drmBufPtr buf = NULL;
 	int indx = 0;
 	int size = 0;
-	int ret;
+	int ret, tries;
 
 	dma.context = atis->serverContext;
 	dma.send_count = 0;
@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ ATIDRIGetBuffer(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
 	dma.send_sizes = NULL;
 	dma.flags = 0;
 	dma.request_count = 1;
-	if (atis->atic->is_radeon)
+	if (atic->is_radeon)
 		dma.request_size = RADEON_BUFFER_SIZE;
 	else
 		dma.request_size = R128_BUFFER_SIZE;
@@ -1121,9 +1121,15 @@ ATIDRIGetBuffer(ATIScreenInfo *atis)
 	dma.request_sizes = &size;
 	dma.granted_count = 0;
 
-	do {
+	for (tries = 100; tries != 0; tries--) {
 		ret = drmDMA(atic->drmFd, &dma);
-	} while (ret != 0);
+		if (ret != -EBUSY)
+			break;
+	}
+	if (tries == 0)
+		FatalError("Timeout fetching DMA buffer (card hung)\n");
+	if (ret != 0)
+		FatalError("Error fetching DMA buffer: %d\n", ret);
 
 	buf = &atis->buffers->list[indx];
 	buf->used = 0;