diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
index 6600931f213c..6ac4c23acc77 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
@@ -7690,10 +7690,15 @@ static struct drm_display_mode load_detect_mode = {
 		 704, 832, 0, 480, 489, 491, 520, 0, DRM_MODE_FLAG_NHSYNC | DRM_MODE_FLAG_NVSYNC),
 };
 
-static struct drm_framebuffer *
-intel_framebuffer_create(struct drm_device *dev,
-			 struct drm_mode_fb_cmd2 *mode_cmd,
-			 struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj)
+static int intel_framebuffer_init(struct drm_device *dev,
+				  struct intel_framebuffer *ifb,
+				  struct drm_mode_fb_cmd2 *mode_cmd,
+				  struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj);
+
+struct drm_framebuffer *
+__intel_framebuffer_create(struct drm_device *dev,
+			   struct drm_mode_fb_cmd2 *mode_cmd,
+			   struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj)
 {
 	struct intel_framebuffer *intel_fb;
 	int ret;
@@ -7704,12 +7709,7 @@ intel_framebuffer_create(struct drm_device *dev,
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 	}
 
-	ret = i915_mutex_lock_interruptible(dev);
-	if (ret)
-		goto err;
-
 	ret = intel_framebuffer_init(dev, intel_fb, mode_cmd, obj);
-	mutex_unlock(&dev->struct_mutex);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err;
 
@@ -7721,6 +7721,23 @@ err:
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
+struct drm_framebuffer *
+intel_framebuffer_create(struct drm_device *dev,
+			 struct drm_mode_fb_cmd2 *mode_cmd,
+			 struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj)
+{
+	struct drm_framebuffer *fb;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = i915_mutex_lock_interruptible(dev);
+	if (ret)
+		return ERR_PTR(ret);
+	fb = __intel_framebuffer_create(dev, mode_cmd, obj);
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->struct_mutex);
+
+	return fb;
+}
+
 static u32
 intel_framebuffer_pitch_for_width(int width, int bpp)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
index 59348a4d0238..aff9171a91d8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
@@ -681,8 +681,8 @@ int intel_pin_and_fence_fb_obj(struct drm_device *dev,
 			       struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj,
 			       struct intel_ring_buffer *pipelined);
 void intel_unpin_fb_obj(struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj);
-int intel_framebuffer_init(struct drm_device *dev,
-			   struct intel_framebuffer *ifb,
+struct drm_framebuffer *
+__intel_framebuffer_create(struct drm_device *dev,
 			   struct drm_mode_fb_cmd2 *mode_cmd,
 			   struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj);
 void intel_prepare_page_flip(struct drm_device *dev, int plane);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_fbdev.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_fbdev.c
index 9aa26e59a1ab..cf4627387c5a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_fbdev.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_fbdev.c
@@ -62,20 +62,12 @@ static int intelfb_alloc(struct drm_fb_helper *helper,
 {
 	struct intel_fbdev *ifbdev =
 		container_of(helper, struct intel_fbdev, helper);
-	struct intel_framebuffer *fb;
+	struct drm_framebuffer *fb;
 	struct drm_device *dev = helper->dev;
 	struct drm_mode_fb_cmd2 mode_cmd = {};
 	struct drm_i915_gem_object *obj;
 	int size, ret;
 
-	fb = kzalloc(sizeof(*fb), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!fb) {
-		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	ifbdev->fb = fb;
-
 	/* we don't do packed 24bpp */
 	if (sizes->surface_bpp == 24)
 		sizes->surface_bpp = 32;
@@ -102,13 +94,17 @@ static int intelfb_alloc(struct drm_fb_helper *helper,
 	/* Flush everything out, we'll be doing GTT only from now on */
 	ret = intel_pin_and_fence_fb_obj(dev, obj, NULL);
 	if (ret) {
-		DRM_ERROR("failed to pin fb: %d\n", ret);
+		DRM_ERROR("failed to pin obj: %d\n", ret);
 		goto out_unref;
 	}
 
-	ret = intel_framebuffer_init(dev, ifbdev->fb, &mode_cmd, obj);
-	if (ret)
+	fb = __intel_framebuffer_create(dev, &mode_cmd, obj);
+	if (IS_ERR(fb)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(fb);
 		goto out_unpin;
+	}
+
+	ifbdev->fb = to_intel_framebuffer(fb);
 
 	return 0;