diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
index 9beb51f36..0612a08f6 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ static const OptionInfoRec Options[] = {
     {OPTION_PAGEFLIP, "PageFlip", OPTV_BOOLEAN, {0}, FALSE},
     {OPTION_ZAPHOD_HEADS, "ZaphodHeads", OPTV_STRING, {0}, FALSE},
     {OPTION_DOUBLE_SHADOW, "DoubleShadow", OPTV_BOOLEAN, {0}, FALSE},
+    {OPTION_ATOMIC, "Atomic", OPTV_BOOLEAN, {0}, FALSE},
     {-1, NULL, OPTV_NONE, {0}, FALSE}
 };
 
@@ -1038,8 +1039,12 @@ PreInit(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, int flags)
 #endif
     }
 
-    ret = drmSetClientCap(ms->fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_ATOMIC, 1);
-    ms->atomic_modeset = (ret == 0);
+    if (xf86ReturnOptValBool(ms->drmmode.Options, OPTION_ATOMIC, FALSE)) {
+        ret = drmSetClientCap(ms->fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_ATOMIC, 1);
+        ms->atomic_modeset = (ret == 0);
+    } else {
+        ms->atomic_modeset = FALSE;
+    }
 
     ms->kms_has_modifiers = FALSE;
     ret = drmGetCap(ms->fd, DRM_CAP_ADDFB2_MODIFIERS, &value);
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
index 493280c1d..8bfb2fc1a 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ typedef enum {
     OPTION_PAGEFLIP,
     OPTION_ZAPHOD_HEADS,
     OPTION_DOUBLE_SHADOW,
+    OPTION_ATOMIC,
 } modesettingOpts;
 
 typedef struct