diff --git a/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_cache.c b/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_cache.c
index ec878202f0825b266e1d862819404a1e31439c80..48ed89a7473edf07423ceb852ec55623d2af0689 100644
--- a/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_cache.c
+++ b/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_cache.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ destroy_buffer_locked(struct pb_cache_entry *entry)
    struct pb_buffer *buf = entry->buffer;
 
    assert(!pipe_is_referenced(&buf->reference));
-   if (entry->head.next) {
+   if (list_is_linked(&entry->head)) {
       list_del(&entry->head);
       assert(mgr->num_buffers);
       --mgr->num_buffers;
diff --git a/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_slab.c b/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_slab.c
index d84686961515ff84552868b26c64eab9d4bee871..37f2400dd9b4a8d79d68b5e5d6a9786a53d145be 100644
--- a/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_slab.c
+++ b/src/gallium/auxiliary/pipebuffer/pb_slab.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pb_slab_reclaim(struct pb_slabs *slabs, struct pb_slab_entry *entry)
    slab->num_free++;
 
    /* Add slab to the group's list if it isn't already linked. */
-   if (!slab->head.next) {
+   if (!list_is_linked(&slab->head)) {
       struct pb_slab_group *group = &slabs->groups[entry->group_index];
       list_addtail(&slab->head, &group->slabs);
    }
diff --git a/src/gallium/auxiliary/util/u_threaded_context.c b/src/gallium/auxiliary/util/u_threaded_context.c
index 249bf82ad35ccb69f86b375d6cd28cac23fc9a23..f2fa323299312d75f6de622826a1f44f1f050d31 100644
--- a/src/gallium/auxiliary/util/u_threaded_context.c
+++ b/src/gallium/auxiliary/util/u_threaded_context.c
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ tc_call_destroy_query(struct pipe_context *pipe, union tc_payload *payload)
 {
    struct threaded_query *tq = threaded_query(payload->query);
 
-   if (tq->head_unflushed.next)
+   if (list_is_linked(&tq->head_unflushed))
       list_del(&tq->head_unflushed);
 
    pipe->destroy_query(pipe, payload->query);
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ tc_call_end_query(struct pipe_context *pipe, union tc_payload *payload)
    struct tc_end_query_payload *p = (struct tc_end_query_payload *)payload;
    struct threaded_query *tq = threaded_query(p->query);
 
-   if (!tq->head_unflushed.next)
+   if (!list_is_linked(&tq->head_unflushed))
       list_add(&tq->head_unflushed, &p->tc->unflushed_queries);
 
    pipe->end_query(pipe, p->query);
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ tc_get_query_result(struct pipe_context *_pipe,
 
    if (success) {
       tq->flushed = true;
-      if (tq->head_unflushed.next) {
+      if (list_is_linked(&tq->head_unflushed)) {
          /* This is safe because it can only happen after we sync'd. */
          list_del(&tq->head_unflushed);
       }
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c b/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c
index 12c13f43733038fc3f99b3d04748106eed529547..9a67602ac020908b6880ec12de16babcdb877bad 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/iris/iris_bufmgr.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ find_and_ref_external_bo(struct hash_table *ht, unsigned int key)
        * we hadn't yet closed it...and then reimported the same BO.  If it
        * is, then remove it since it's now been resurrected.
        */
-      if (bo->head.prev || bo->head.next)
+      if (list_is_linked(&bo->head))
          list_del(&bo->head);
 
       iris_bo_reference(bo);
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/r600/r600_shader.c b/src/gallium/drivers/r600/r600_shader.c
index df27f05c964758be5f2fdb0206b3ae90d4f0b839..8d12c66227e1b7b5192d7f1ccd33d38e394a879e 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/r600/r600_shader.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/r600/r600_shader.c
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ error:
 void r600_pipe_shader_destroy(struct pipe_context *ctx UNUSED, struct r600_pipe_shader *shader)
 {
 	r600_resource_reference(&shader->bo, NULL);
-        if (shader->shader.bc.cf.next)
+	if (list_is_linked(&shader->shader.bc.cf))
 		r600_bytecode_clear(&shader->shader.bc);
 	r600_release_command_buffer(&shader->command_buffer);
 }
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/svga/svga_resource_buffer_upload.c b/src/gallium/drivers/svga/svga_resource_buffer_upload.c
index 1b1a8077e20c15f030deb75bf4df91681d3f8585..cf85228425e8f95cefb43e4852c43b4da965f341 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/svga/svga_resource_buffer_upload.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/svga/svga_resource_buffer_upload.c
@@ -730,9 +730,6 @@ svga_buffer_upload_flush(struct svga_context *svga, struct svga_buffer *sbuf)
 
    assert(sbuf->head.prev && sbuf->head.next);
    list_del(&sbuf->head);  /* remove from svga->dirty_buffers list */
-#ifdef DEBUG
-   sbuf->head.next = sbuf->head.prev = NULL;
-#endif
    sbuf->dma.pending = FALSE;
    sbuf->dma.flags.discard = FALSE;
    sbuf->dma.flags.unsynchronized = FALSE;
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/nine/basetexture9.c b/src/gallium/frontends/nine/basetexture9.c
index c9ef17c6c6e0cfc44834150f07d680f1cbdb46da..c509a1f46210a1c19f1ca3392fb36e37a2e379ad 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/nine/basetexture9.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/nine/basetexture9.c
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ NineBaseTexture9_dtor( struct NineBaseTexture9 *This )
     pipe_sampler_view_reference(&This->view[0], NULL);
     pipe_sampler_view_reference(&This->view[1], NULL);
 
-    if (This->list.prev != NULL && This->list.next != NULL)
+    if (list_is_linked(&This->list))
         list_del(&This->list);
-    if (This->list2.prev != NULL && This->list2.next != NULL)
+    if (list_is_linked(&This->list2))
         list_del(&This->list2);
 
     NineResource9_dtor(&This->base);
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/nine/buffer9.c b/src/gallium/frontends/nine/buffer9.c
index 6c2bc8895da003812b0d5562fea11cce60339f06..ad4e9020f5829555f0d3b049a3d3a8747d59ce2c 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/nine/buffer9.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/nine/buffer9.c
@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@ NineBuffer9_dtor( struct NineBuffer9 *This )
     if (This->base.pool == D3DPOOL_MANAGED) {
         if (This->managed.data)
             align_free(This->managed.data);
-        if (This->managed.list.prev != NULL && This->managed.list.next != NULL)
+        if (list_is_linked(&This->managed.list))
             list_del(&This->managed.list);
-        if (This->managed.list2.prev != NULL && This->managed.list2.next != NULL)
+        if (list_is_linked(&This->managed.list2))
             list_del(&This->managed.list2);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/omx/vid_enc_common.c b/src/gallium/frontends/omx/vid_enc_common.c
index a3b274606cf235991d995aa1e3eabd21c4de39ae..9d64f4358cdf8a47c9a2e6e1909bf38da8a9db8d 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/omx/vid_enc_common.c
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/omx/vid_enc_common.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ void enc_ReleaseTasks(struct list_head *head)
 {
    struct encode_task *i, *next;
 
-   if (!head || !head->next)
+   if (!head || !list_is_linked(head))
       return;
 
    LIST_FOR_EACH_ENTRY_SAFE(i, next, head, list) {
diff --git a/src/util/list.h b/src/util/list.h
index fdc6fafb1a193532e40b644140be482bd4e4970b..0e71a66a7d544c197ee8145b462005f6af9daa36 100644
--- a/src/util/list.h
+++ b/src/util/list.h
@@ -111,12 +111,20 @@ static inline bool list_is_empty(const struct list_head *list)
    return list->next == list;
 }
 
+static inline bool list_is_linked(const struct list_head *list)
+{
+   /* both must be NULL or both must be not NULL */
+   assert((list->prev != NULL) == (list->next != NULL));
+
+   return list->next != NULL;
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns whether the list has exactly one element.
  */
 static inline bool list_is_singular(const struct list_head *list)
 {
-   return list->next != NULL && list->next != list && list->next->next == list;
+   return list_is_linked(list) && !list_is_empty(list) && list->next->next == list;
 }
 
 static inline unsigned list_length(const struct list_head *list)
@@ -153,6 +161,7 @@ static inline void list_splicetail(struct list_head *src, struct list_head *dst)
 static inline void list_validate(const struct list_head *list)
 {
    struct list_head *node;
+   assert(list_is_linked(list));
    assert(list->next->prev == list && list->prev->next == list);
    for (node = list->next; node != list; node = node->next)
       assert(node->next->prev == node && node->prev->next == node);