diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
index e302c067d..6e1381d53 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ void ms_drm_abort(ScrnInfoPtr scrn,
                   void *match_data);
 void ms_drm_abort_seq(ScrnInfoPtr scrn, uint32_t seq);
 
+Bool ms_drm_queue_is_empty(void);
+
 Bool xf86_crtc_on(xf86CrtcPtr crtc);
 
 xf86CrtcPtr ms_dri2_crtc_covering_drawable(DrawablePtr pDraw);
@@ -255,6 +257,7 @@ Bool ms_do_tearfree_flip(ScreenPtr screen, xf86CrtcPtr crtc);
 #endif
 
 int ms_flush_drm_events(ScreenPtr screen);
+void ms_drain_drm_events(ScreenPtr screen);
 Bool ms_window_has_variable_refresh(modesettingPtr ms, WindowPtr win);
 void ms_present_set_screen_vrr(ScrnInfoPtr scrn, Bool vrr_enabled);
 Bool ms_tearfree_is_active_on_crtc(xf86CrtcPtr crtc);
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
index e8b542163..fe1c1e491 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
@@ -1662,6 +1662,26 @@ drmmode_create_tearfree_shadow(xf86CrtcPtr crtc)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+static void drmmmode_prepare_modeset(ScrnInfoPtr scrn)
+{
+    ScreenPtr pScreen = scrn->pScreen;
+    modesettingPtr ms = modesettingPTR(scrn);
+
+    if (ms->drmmode.pending_modeset)
+        return;
+
+    /*
+     * Force present to unflip everything before we might
+     * try lighting up new displays. This makes sure fancy
+     * modifiers can't cause the modeset to fail.
+     */
+    ms->drmmode.pending_modeset = TRUE;
+    present_check_flips(pScreen->root);
+    ms->drmmode.pending_modeset = FALSE;
+
+    ms_drain_drm_events(pScreen);
+}
+
 static Bool
 drmmode_set_mode_major(xf86CrtcPtr crtc, DisplayModePtr mode,
                        Rotation rotation, int x, int y)
@@ -1677,6 +1697,9 @@ drmmode_set_mode_major(xf86CrtcPtr crtc, DisplayModePtr mode,
     Bool can_test;
     int i;
 
+    if (mode)
+        drmmmode_prepare_modeset(crtc->scrn);
+
     saved_mode = crtc->mode;
     saved_x = crtc->x;
     saved_y = crtc->y;
@@ -3906,6 +3929,8 @@ drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, Bool set_hw,
     Bool success = TRUE;
     int c;
 
+    drmmmode_prepare_modeset(pScrn);
+
     for (c = 0; c < config->num_crtc; c++) {
         xf86CrtcPtr crtc = config->crtc[c];
         drmmode_crtc_private_ptr drmmode_crtc = crtc->driver_private;
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h
index b4074a30f..32901025d 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ typedef struct {
 
     uint32_t vrr_prop_id;
     Bool use_ctm;
+
+    Bool pending_modeset;
 } drmmode_rec, *drmmode_ptr;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/pageflip.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/pageflip.c
index c1ee542b7..f6903adb2 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/pageflip.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/pageflip.c
@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@ ms_flush_drm_events(ScreenPtr screen)
     return ms_flush_drm_events_timeout(screen, 0);
 }
 
+void
+ms_drain_drm_events(ScreenPtr screen)
+{
+    while (!ms_drm_queue_is_empty())
+        ms_flush_drm_events_timeout(screen, -1);
+}
+
 #ifdef GLAMOR_HAS_GBM
 
 /*
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/present.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/present.c
index 3d8f16aa9..788b500d6 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/present.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/present.c
@@ -327,6 +327,9 @@ ms_present_check_flip(RRCrtcPtr crtc,
     if (ms->drmmode.sprites_visible > 0)
         goto no_flip;
 
+    if (ms->drmmode.pending_modeset)
+        goto no_flip;
+
     if(!ms_present_check_unflip(crtc, window, pixmap, sync_flip, reason))
         goto no_flip;
 
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/vblank.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/vblank.c
index 1c5f2578f..c7aeb9f16 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/vblank.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/vblank.c
@@ -642,6 +642,12 @@ ms_drm_handler(int fd, uint32_t frame, uint32_t sec, uint32_t usec,
                             FALSE, (uint32_t) (uintptr_t) user_ptr);
 }
 
+Bool
+ms_drm_queue_is_empty(void)
+{
+    return xorg_list_is_empty(&ms_drm_queue);
+}
+
 Bool
 ms_vblank_screen_init(ScreenPtr screen)
 {
diff --git a/present/present.h b/present/present.h
index a3f34a929..c6762cecc 100644
--- a/present/present.h
+++ b/present/present.h
@@ -157,6 +157,9 @@ present_event_notify(uint64_t event_id, uint64_t ust, uint64_t msc);
 extern _X_EXPORT Bool
 present_screen_init(ScreenPtr screen, present_screen_info_ptr info);
 
+extern _X_EXPORT void
+present_check_flips(WindowPtr window);
+
 typedef void (*present_complete_notify_proc)(WindowPtr window,
                                              CARD8 kind,
                                              CARD8 mode,
diff --git a/present/present_screen.c b/present/present_screen.c
index 2c29aafd2..ef56ff779 100644
--- a/present/present_screen.c
+++ b/present/present_screen.c
@@ -191,6 +191,26 @@ present_screen_priv_init(ScreenPtr screen)
     return screen_priv;
 }
 
+static int
+check_flip_visit(WindowPtr window, void *data)
+{
+    ScreenPtr screen = window->drawable.pScreen;
+    present_screen_priv_ptr screen_priv = present_screen_priv(screen);
+
+    if (!screen_priv)
+        return WT_DONTWALKCHILDREN;
+
+    screen_priv->check_flip_window(window);
+
+    return WT_WALKCHILDREN;
+}
+
+void
+present_check_flips(WindowPtr window)
+{
+    TraverseTree(window, check_flip_visit, NULL);
+}
+
 /*
  * Initialize a screen for use with present in default screen flip mode (scmd)
  */