diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_simple_kms_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_simple_kms_helper.c
index 98250854af75..39c203ad59db 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_simple_kms_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_simple_kms_helper.c
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ static const struct drm_encoder_funcs drm_simple_kms_encoder_funcs = {
 static int drm_simple_kms_crtc_check(struct drm_crtc *crtc,
 				     struct drm_crtc_state *state)
 {
+	bool has_primary = state->plane_mask &
+			   BIT(drm_plane_index(crtc->primary));
+
+	/* We always want to have an active plane with an active CRTC */
+	if (has_primary != state->enable)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	return drm_atomic_add_affected_planes(state->state, crtc);
 }
 
@@ -90,9 +97,6 @@ static int drm_simple_kms_plane_atomic_check(struct drm_plane *plane,
 	pipe = container_of(plane, struct drm_simple_display_pipe, plane);
 	crtc_state = drm_atomic_get_new_crtc_state(plane_state->state,
 						   &pipe->crtc);
-	if (crtc_state->enable != !!plane_state->crtc)
-		return -EINVAL; /* plane must match crtc enable state */
-
 	if (!crtc_state->enable)
 		return 0; /* nothing to check when disabling or disabled */