diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fbdev_generic.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fbdev_generic.c
index 97e00f27d2d68c..593aa3283792b6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fbdev_generic.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fbdev_generic.c
@@ -171,11 +171,6 @@ static const struct fb_ops drm_fbdev_fb_ops = {
 	.fb_imageblit	= drm_fbdev_fb_imageblit,
 };
 
-static struct fb_deferred_io drm_fbdev_defio = {
-	.delay		= HZ / 20,
-	.deferred_io	= drm_fb_helper_deferred_io,
-};
-
 /*
  * This function uses the client API to create a framebuffer backed by a dumb buffer.
  */
@@ -222,7 +217,11 @@ static int drm_fbdev_fb_probe(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper,
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		fbi->flags |= FBINFO_VIRTFB | FBINFO_READS_FAST;
 
-		fbi->fbdefio = &drm_fbdev_defio;
+		/* Set a default deferred I/O handler */
+		fb_helper->fbdefio.delay = HZ / 20;
+		fb_helper->fbdefio.deferred_io = drm_fb_helper_deferred_io;
+
+		fbi->fbdefio = &fb_helper->fbdefio;
 		ret = fb_deferred_io_init(fbi);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h b/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h
index b111dc7ada78d7..095370ef029ded 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h
@@ -208,6 +208,18 @@ struct drm_fb_helper {
 	 * the smem_start field should always be cleared to zero.
 	 */
 	bool hint_leak_smem_start;
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_FB_DEFERRED_IO
+	/**
+	 * @fbdefio:
+	 *
+	 * Temporary storage for the driver's FB deferred I/O handler. If the
+	 * driver uses the DRM fbdev emulation layer, this is set by the core
+	 * to a generic deferred I/O handler if a driver is preferring to use
+	 * a shadow buffer.
+	 */
+	struct fb_deferred_io fbdefio;
+#endif
 };
 
 static inline struct drm_fb_helper *