diff --git a/opencl/source/mem_obj/image.cpp b/opencl/source/mem_obj/image.cpp
index 467b3d6b4a..439ad875da 100644
--- a/opencl/source/mem_obj/image.cpp
+++ b/opencl/source/mem_obj/image.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2018-2020 Intel Corporation
+ * Copyright (C) 2018-2021 Intel Corporation
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
  *
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ Image *Image::create(Context *context,
             allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].zeroCopyAllowed = false;
 
             Gmm *gmm = nullptr;
-            auto hwInfo = (&memoryManager->peekExecutionEnvironment())->rootDeviceEnvironments[rootDeviceIndex]->getHardwareInfo();
+            auto &hwInfo = *memoryManager->peekExecutionEnvironment().rootDeviceEnvironments[rootDeviceIndex]->getHardwareInfo();
             auto &hwHelper = HwHelper::get((&memoryManager->peekExecutionEnvironment())->rootDeviceEnvironments[rootDeviceIndex]->getHardwareInfo()->platform.eRenderCoreFamily);
             auto clientContext = (&memoryManager->peekExecutionEnvironment())->rootDeviceEnvironments[rootDeviceIndex]->getGmmClientContext();
 
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ Image *Image::create(Context *context,
                     if (!context->isSharedContext) {
                         AllocationProperties allocProperties = MemObjHelper::getAllocationPropertiesWithImageInfo(rootDeviceIndex, imgInfo,
                                                                                                                   false, // allocateMemory
-                                                                                                                  memoryProperties, *hwInfo,
+                                                                                                                  memoryProperties, hwInfo,
                                                                                                                   context->getDeviceBitfieldForAllocation(rootDeviceIndex));
 
                         allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory = memoryManager->allocateGraphicsMemoryWithProperties(allocProperties, hostPtr);
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ Image *Image::create(Context *context,
                 } else {
                     AllocationProperties allocProperties = MemObjHelper::getAllocationPropertiesWithImageInfo(rootDeviceIndex, imgInfo,
                                                                                                               true, // allocateMemory
-                                                                                                              memoryProperties, *hwInfo,
+                                                                                                              memoryProperties, hwInfo,
                                                                                                               context->getDeviceBitfieldForAllocation(rootDeviceIndex));
                     allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory = memoryManager->allocateGraphicsMemoryWithProperties(allocProperties);
 
@@ -373,9 +373,9 @@ Image *Image::create(Context *context,
 
         for (auto &rootDeviceIndex : context->getRootDeviceIndices()) {
 
-            auto hwInfo = (&memoryManager->peekExecutionEnvironment())->rootDeviceEnvironments[rootDeviceIndex]->getHardwareInfo();
+            auto &hwInfo = *memoryManager->peekExecutionEnvironment().rootDeviceEnvironments[rootDeviceIndex]->getHardwareInfo();
 
-            if (context->isProvidingPerformanceHints() && HwHelper::renderCompressedImagesSupported(*hwInfo)) {
+            if (context->isProvidingPerformanceHints() && HwHelper::renderCompressedImagesSupported(hwInfo)) {
                 if (allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory->getDefaultGmm()) {
                     if (allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory->getDefaultGmm()->isRenderCompressed) {
                         context->providePerformanceHint(CL_CONTEXT_DIAGNOSTICS_LEVEL_NEUTRAL_INTEL, IMAGE_IS_COMPRESSED, image);
@@ -422,7 +422,10 @@ Image *Image::create(Context *context,
                     copyRegion = {{imageWidth, imageHeight, std::max(imageDepth, imageCount)}};
                 }
 
-                if (!imgInfo.linearStorage || !MemoryPool::isSystemMemoryPool(allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory->getMemoryPool())) {
+                bool isCpuTransferPreferrred = imgInfo.linearStorage &&
+                                               (MemoryPool::isSystemMemoryPool(allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory->getMemoryPool()) ||
+                                                defaultHwHelper.isCpuImageTransferPreferred(hwInfo));
+                if (!isCpuTransferPreferrred) {
                     auto cmdQ = context->getSpecialQueue(rootDeviceIndex);
 
                     if (IsNV12Image(&image->getImageFormat())) {
@@ -433,9 +436,23 @@ Image *Image::create(Context *context,
                                                              hostPtr, allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].mapAllocation, 0, nullptr, nullptr);
                     }
                 } else {
+                    auto isNotInSystemMemory = !MemoryPool::isSystemMemoryPool(allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory->getMemoryPool());
+                    auto &allocations = image->getMultiGraphicsAllocation().getGraphicsAllocations();
+                    if (isNotInSystemMemory) {
+                        for (auto &pAllocation : allocations) {
+                            context->getMemoryManager()->lockResource(pAllocation);
+                        }
+                    }
+
                     image->transferData(allocationInfo[rootDeviceIndex].memory->getUnderlyingBuffer(), imgInfo.rowPitch, imgInfo.slicePitch,
                                         const_cast<void *>(hostPtr), hostPtrRowPitch, hostPtrSlicePitch,
                                         copyRegion, copyOrigin);
+
+                    if (isNotInSystemMemory) {
+                        for (auto &pAllocation : allocations) {
+                            context->getMemoryManager()->unlockResource(pAllocation);
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/opencl/test/unit_test/helpers/hw_helper_tests.cpp b/opencl/test/unit_test/helpers/hw_helper_tests.cpp
index ab05e4726b..ad4efdea90 100644
--- a/opencl/test/unit_test/helpers/hw_helper_tests.cpp
+++ b/opencl/test/unit_test/helpers/hw_helper_tests.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "shared/test/unit_test/cmd_parse/gen_cmd_parse.h"
 #include "shared/test/unit_test/helpers/debug_manager_state_restore.h"
 #include "shared/test/unit_test/helpers/variable_backup.h"
+#include "shared/test/unit_test/test_macros/test_checks_shared.h"
 
 #include "opencl/source/helpers/cl_hw_helper.h"
 #include "opencl/source/helpers/dispatch_info.h"
@@ -1181,3 +1182,9 @@ HWCMDTEST_F(IGFX_GEN8_CORE, HwHelperTest, givenHwHelperWhenAdditionalKernelExecI
 
     EXPECT_FALSE(helper.additionalKernelExecInfoSupported(*defaultHwInfo));
 }
+
+TEST_F(HwHelperTest, WhenGettingIsCpuImageTransferPreferredThenFalseIsReturned) {
+    REQUIRE_IMAGES_OR_SKIP(defaultHwInfo);
+    auto &hwHelper = HwHelper::get(renderCoreFamily);
+    EXPECT_FALSE(hwHelper.isCpuImageTransferPreferred(*defaultHwInfo));
+}
diff --git a/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper.h b/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper.h
index 050f0f18e4..1cd9abd418 100644
--- a/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper.h
+++ b/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper.h
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ class HwHelper {
     virtual void adjustAddressWidthForCanonize(uint32_t &addressWidth) const = 0;
     virtual bool isSipWANeeded(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const = 0;
     virtual bool additionalKernelExecInfoSupported(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const = 0;
+    virtual bool isCpuImageTransferPreferred(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const = 0;
 
     static uint32_t getSubDevicesCount(const HardwareInfo *pHwInfo);
     static uint32_t getEnginesCount(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo);
@@ -322,6 +323,8 @@ class HwHelperHw : public HwHelper {
 
     bool additionalKernelExecInfoSupported(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const override;
 
+    bool isCpuImageTransferPreferred(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const override;
+
   protected:
     LocalMemoryAccessMode getDefaultLocalMemoryAccessMode(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const override;
 
diff --git a/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper_bdw_plus.inl b/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper_bdw_plus.inl
index 2a5d9c1e04..6d494d0fba 100644
--- a/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper_bdw_plus.inl
+++ b/shared/source/helpers/hw_helper_bdw_plus.inl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2019-2020 Intel Corporation
+ * Copyright (C) 2019-2021 Intel Corporation
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
  *
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ uint64_t HwHelperHw<GfxFamily>::getGpuTimeStampInNS(uint64_t timeStamp, double f
     return static_cast<uint64_t>(timeStamp * frequency);
 }
 
+template <typename GfxFamily>
+bool HwHelperHw<GfxFamily>::isCpuImageTransferPreferred(const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) const {
+    return false;
+}
+
 template <typename GfxFamily>
 inline void MemorySynchronizationCommands<GfxFamily>::addPipeControlWA(LinearStream &commandStream, uint64_t gpuAddress, const HardwareInfo &hwInfo) {
 }