diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_display.c
index 2c2742b8d657..ad403325bc94 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_display.c
@@ -123,6 +123,17 @@ static int virtio_gpu_crtc_atomic_check(struct drm_crtc *crtc,
 static void virtio_gpu_crtc_atomic_flush(struct drm_crtc *crtc,
 					 struct drm_crtc_state *old_state)
 {
+	struct virtio_gpu_output *output = drm_crtc_to_virtio_gpu_output(crtc);
+
+	/*
+	 * virtio-gpu can't do modeset and plane update operations
+	 * independent from each other.  So the actual modeset happens
+	 * in the plane update callback, and here we just check
+	 * whenever we must force the modeset.
+	 */
+	if (drm_atomic_crtc_needs_modeset(crtc->state)) {
+		output->needs_modeset = true;
+	}
 }
 
 static const struct drm_crtc_helper_funcs virtio_gpu_crtc_helper_funcs = {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_drv.h
index 9a8bfbf85412..d189db3a8458 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_drv.h
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ struct virtio_gpu_output {
 	int cur_x;
 	int cur_y;
 	bool enabled;
+	bool needs_modeset;
 };
 #define drm_crtc_to_virtio_gpu_output(x) \
 	container_of(x, struct virtio_gpu_output, crtc)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_plane.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_plane.c
index 52d24179bcec..65757409d9ed 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_plane.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/virtio/virtgpu_plane.c
@@ -163,7 +163,9 @@ static void virtio_gpu_primary_plane_update(struct drm_plane *plane,
 	    plane->state->src_w != old_state->src_w ||
 	    plane->state->src_h != old_state->src_h ||
 	    plane->state->src_x != old_state->src_x ||
-	    plane->state->src_y != old_state->src_y) {
+	    plane->state->src_y != old_state->src_y ||
+	    output->needs_modeset) {
+		output->needs_modeset = false;
 		DRM_DEBUG("handle 0x%x, crtc %dx%d+%d+%d, src %dx%d+%d+%d\n",
 			  bo->hw_res_handle,
 			  plane->state->crtc_w, plane->state->crtc_h,