diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_auth.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_auth.c
index 1669c42c40ed..db199807b7dc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_auth.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_auth.c
@@ -368,3 +368,23 @@ void drm_master_put(struct drm_master **master)
 	*master = NULL;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_master_put);
+
+/* Used by drm_client and drm_fb_helper */
+bool drm_master_internal_acquire(struct drm_device *dev)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&dev->master_mutex);
+	if (dev->master) {
+		mutex_unlock(&dev->master_mutex);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_master_internal_acquire);
+
+/* Used by drm_client and drm_fb_helper */
+void drm_master_internal_release(struct drm_device *dev)
+{
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->master_mutex);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_master_internal_release);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
index 84791dd4a90d..a6be09ae899b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include "drm_crtc_internal.h"
 #include "drm_crtc_helper_internal.h"
+#include "drm_internal.h"
 
 static bool drm_fbdev_emulation = true;
 module_param_named(fbdev_emulation, drm_fbdev_emulation, bool, 0600);
@@ -509,7 +510,7 @@ static int restore_fbdev_mode_legacy(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int restore_fbdev_mode(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
+static int restore_fbdev_mode_force(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
 
@@ -519,6 +520,21 @@ static int restore_fbdev_mode(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 		return restore_fbdev_mode_legacy(fb_helper);
 }
 
+static int restore_fbdev_mode(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
+{
+	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (!drm_master_internal_acquire(dev))
+		return -EBUSY;
+
+	ret = restore_fbdev_mode_force(fb_helper);
+
+	drm_master_internal_release(dev);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /**
  * drm_fb_helper_restore_fbdev_mode_unlocked - restore fbdev configuration
  * @fb_helper: driver-allocated fbdev helper, can be NULL
@@ -556,34 +572,6 @@ int drm_fb_helper_restore_fbdev_mode_unlocked(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_fb_helper_restore_fbdev_mode_unlocked);
 
-static bool drm_fb_helper_is_bound(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
-{
-	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
-	struct drm_crtc *crtc;
-	int bound = 0, crtcs_bound = 0;
-
-	/*
-	 * Sometimes user space wants everything disabled, so don't steal the
-	 * display if there's a master.
-	 */
-	if (READ_ONCE(dev->master))
-		return false;
-
-	drm_for_each_crtc(crtc, dev) {
-		drm_modeset_lock(&crtc->mutex, NULL);
-		if (crtc->primary->fb)
-			crtcs_bound++;
-		if (crtc->primary->fb == fb_helper->fb)
-			bound++;
-		drm_modeset_unlock(&crtc->mutex);
-	}
-
-	if (bound < crtcs_bound)
-		return false;
-
-	return true;
-}
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ
 /*
  * restore fbcon display for all kms driver's using this helper, used for sysrq
@@ -604,7 +592,7 @@ static bool drm_fb_helper_force_kernel_mode(void)
 			continue;
 
 		mutex_lock(&helper->lock);
-		ret = restore_fbdev_mode(helper);
+		ret = restore_fbdev_mode_force(helper);
 		if (ret)
 			error = true;
 		mutex_unlock(&helper->lock);
@@ -663,20 +651,22 @@ static void dpms_legacy(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper, int dpms_mode)
 static void drm_fb_helper_dpms(struct fb_info *info, int dpms_mode)
 {
 	struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper = info->par;
+	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
 
 	/*
 	 * For each CRTC in this fb, turn the connectors on/off.
 	 */
 	mutex_lock(&fb_helper->lock);
-	if (!drm_fb_helper_is_bound(fb_helper)) {
-		mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
-		return;
-	}
+	if (!drm_master_internal_acquire(dev))
+		goto unlock;
 
-	if (drm_drv_uses_atomic_modeset(fb_helper->dev))
+	if (drm_drv_uses_atomic_modeset(dev))
 		restore_fbdev_mode_atomic(fb_helper, dpms_mode == DRM_MODE_DPMS_ON);
 	else
 		dpms_legacy(fb_helper, dpms_mode);
+
+	drm_master_internal_release(dev);
+unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
 }
 
@@ -1509,6 +1499,7 @@ static int setcmap_atomic(struct fb_cmap *cmap, struct fb_info *info)
 int drm_fb_helper_setcmap(struct fb_cmap *cmap, struct fb_info *info)
 {
 	struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper = info->par;
+	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
 	int ret;
 
 	if (oops_in_progress)
@@ -1516,9 +1507,9 @@ int drm_fb_helper_setcmap(struct fb_cmap *cmap, struct fb_info *info)
 
 	mutex_lock(&fb_helper->lock);
 
-	if (!drm_fb_helper_is_bound(fb_helper)) {
+	if (!drm_master_internal_acquire(dev)) {
 		ret = -EBUSY;
-		goto out;
+		goto unlock;
 	}
 
 	if (info->fix.visual == FB_VISUAL_TRUECOLOR)
@@ -1528,7 +1519,8 @@ int drm_fb_helper_setcmap(struct fb_cmap *cmap, struct fb_info *info)
 	else
 		ret = setcmap_legacy(cmap, info);
 
-out:
+	drm_master_internal_release(dev);
+unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
 
 	return ret;
@@ -1548,12 +1540,13 @@ int drm_fb_helper_ioctl(struct fb_info *info, unsigned int cmd,
 			unsigned long arg)
 {
 	struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper = info->par;
+	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
 	struct drm_mode_set *mode_set;
 	struct drm_crtc *crtc;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&fb_helper->lock);
-	if (!drm_fb_helper_is_bound(fb_helper)) {
+	if (!drm_master_internal_acquire(dev)) {
 		ret = -EBUSY;
 		goto unlock;
 	}
@@ -1591,11 +1584,12 @@ int drm_fb_helper_ioctl(struct fb_info *info, unsigned int cmd,
 		}
 
 		ret = 0;
-		goto unlock;
+		break;
 	default:
 		ret = -ENOTTY;
 	}
 
+	drm_master_internal_release(dev);
 unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
 	return ret;
@@ -1847,15 +1841,18 @@ int drm_fb_helper_pan_display(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	mutex_lock(&fb_helper->lock);
-	if (!drm_fb_helper_is_bound(fb_helper)) {
-		mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
-		return -EBUSY;
+	if (!drm_master_internal_acquire(dev)) {
+		ret = -EBUSY;
+		goto unlock;
 	}
 
 	if (drm_drv_uses_atomic_modeset(dev))
 		ret = pan_display_atomic(var, info);
 	else
 		ret = pan_display_legacy(var, info);
+
+	drm_master_internal_release(dev);
+unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
 
 	return ret;
@@ -2014,7 +2011,7 @@ static int drm_fb_helper_single_fb_probe(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper,
 		DRM_INFO("Cannot find any crtc or sizes\n");
 
 		/* First time: disable all crtc's.. */
-		if (!fb_helper->deferred_setup && !READ_ONCE(fb_helper->dev->master))
+		if (!fb_helper->deferred_setup)
 			restore_fbdev_mode(fb_helper);
 		return -EAGAIN;
 	}
@@ -2842,6 +2839,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_fb_helper_initial_config);
  */
 int drm_fb_helper_hotplug_event(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 {
+	struct drm_device *dev = fb_helper->dev;
 	int err = 0;
 
 	if (!drm_fbdev_emulation || !fb_helper)
@@ -2854,12 +2852,14 @@ int drm_fb_helper_hotplug_event(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 		return err;
 	}
 
-	if (!fb_helper->fb || !drm_fb_helper_is_bound(fb_helper)) {
+	if (!fb_helper->fb || !drm_master_internal_acquire(dev)) {
 		fb_helper->delayed_hotplug = true;
 		mutex_unlock(&fb_helper->lock);
 		return err;
 	}
 
+	drm_master_internal_release(dev);
+
 	DRM_DEBUG_KMS("\n");
 
 	drm_setup_crtcs(fb_helper, fb_helper->fb->width, fb_helper->fb->height);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h
index d9a483a5fce0..3ee97c9998a2 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ int drm_dropmaster_ioctl(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 			 struct drm_file *file_priv);
 int drm_master_open(struct drm_file *file_priv);
 void drm_master_release(struct drm_file *file_priv);
+bool drm_master_internal_acquire(struct drm_device *dev);
+void drm_master_internal_release(struct drm_device *dev);
 
 /* drm_sysfs.c */
 extern struct class *drm_class;
