diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c
index fedbd785e42f..c4ed8694f721 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.c
@@ -680,6 +680,14 @@ static void retire_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_ringbuffer *ring,
 	list_del(&submit->node);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ring->submit_lock, flags);
 
+	/* Update devfreq on transition from active->idle: */
+	mutex_lock(&gpu->active_lock);
+	gpu->active_submits--;
+	WARN_ON(gpu->active_submits < 0);
+	if (!gpu->active_submits)
+		msm_devfreq_idle(gpu);
+	mutex_unlock(&gpu->active_lock);
+
 	msm_gem_submit_put(submit);
 }
 
@@ -781,6 +789,13 @@ void msm_gpu_submit(struct msm_gpu *gpu, struct msm_gem_submit *submit)
 	list_add_tail(&submit->node, &ring->submits);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ring->submit_lock, flags);
 
+	/* Update devfreq on transition from idle->active: */
+	mutex_lock(&gpu->active_lock);
+	if (!gpu->active_submits)
+		msm_devfreq_active(gpu);
+	gpu->active_submits++;
+	mutex_unlock(&gpu->active_lock);
+
 	gpu->funcs->submit(gpu, submit);
 	priv->lastctx = submit->queue->ctx;
 
@@ -866,6 +881,7 @@ int msm_gpu_init(struct drm_device *drm, struct platform_device *pdev,
 	sched_set_fifo_low(gpu->worker->task);
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&gpu->active_list);
+	mutex_init(&gpu->active_lock);
 	kthread_init_work(&gpu->retire_work, retire_worker);
 	kthread_init_work(&gpu->recover_work, recover_worker);
 	kthread_init_work(&gpu->fault_work, fault_worker);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h
index 2e61d05293e6..710c3fedfbf3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu.h
@@ -98,6 +98,20 @@ struct msm_gpu_devfreq {
 
 	/** time: Time of last sampling period. */
 	ktime_t time;
+
+	/** idle_time: Time of last transition to idle: */
+	ktime_t idle_time;
+
+	/**
+	 * idle_freq:
+	 *
+	 * Shadow frequency used while the GPU is idle.  From the PoV of
+	 * the devfreq governor, we are continuing to sample busyness and
+	 * adjust frequency while the GPU is idle, but we use this shadow
+	 * value as the GPU is actually clamped to minimum frequency while
+	 * it is inactive.
+	 */
+	unsigned long idle_freq;
 };
 
 struct msm_gpu {
@@ -129,6 +143,19 @@ struct msm_gpu {
 	 */
 	struct list_head active_list;
 
+	/**
+	 * active_submits:
+	 *
+	 * The number of submitted but not yet retired submits, used to
+	 * determine transitions between active and idle.
+	 *
+	 * Protected by lock
+	 */
+	int active_submits;
+
+	/** lock: protects active_submits and idle/active transitions */
+	struct mutex active_lock;
+
 	/* does gpu need hw_init? */
 	bool needs_hw_init;
 
@@ -322,6 +349,8 @@ void msm_devfreq_init(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
 void msm_devfreq_cleanup(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
 void msm_devfreq_resume(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
 void msm_devfreq_suspend(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
+void msm_devfreq_active(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
+void msm_devfreq_idle(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
 
 int msm_gpu_hw_init(struct msm_gpu *gpu);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu_devfreq.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu_devfreq.c
index 2e24a97be624..0a1ee20296a2 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu_devfreq.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/msm/msm_gpu_devfreq.c
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ static int msm_devfreq_target(struct device *dev, unsigned long *freq,
 
 	opp = devfreq_recommended_opp(dev, freq, flags);
 
+	/*
+	 * If the GPU is idle, devfreq is not aware, so just ignore
+	 * it's requests
+	 */
+	if (gpu->devfreq.idle_freq) {
+		gpu->devfreq.idle_freq = *freq;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (IS_ERR(opp))
 		return PTR_ERR(opp);
 
@@ -39,6 +48,9 @@ static int msm_devfreq_target(struct device *dev, unsigned long *freq,
 
 static unsigned long get_freq(struct msm_gpu *gpu)
 {
+	if (gpu->devfreq.idle_freq)
+		return gpu->devfreq.idle_freq;
+
 	if (gpu->funcs->gpu_get_freq)
 		return gpu->funcs->gpu_get_freq(gpu);
 
@@ -69,7 +81,8 @@ static int msm_devfreq_get_cur_freq(struct device *dev, unsigned long *freq)
 }
 
 static struct devfreq_dev_profile msm_devfreq_profile = {
-	.polling_ms = 10,
+	.timer = DEVFREQ_TIMER_DELAYED,
+	.polling_ms = 50,
 	.target = msm_devfreq_target,
 	.get_dev_status = msm_devfreq_get_dev_status,
 	.get_cur_freq = msm_devfreq_get_cur_freq,
@@ -130,3 +143,61 @@ void msm_devfreq_suspend(struct msm_gpu *gpu)
 {
 	devfreq_suspend_device(gpu->devfreq.devfreq);
 }
+
+void msm_devfreq_active(struct msm_gpu *gpu)
+{
+	struct msm_gpu_devfreq *df = &gpu->devfreq;
+	struct devfreq_dev_status status;
+	unsigned int idle_time;
+	unsigned long target_freq = df->idle_freq;
+
+	/*
+	 * Hold devfreq lock to synchronize with get_dev_status()/
+	 * target() callbacks
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&df->devfreq->lock);
+
+	idle_time = ktime_to_ms(ktime_sub(ktime_get(), df->idle_time));
+
+	/*
+	 * If we've been idle for a significant fraction of a polling
+	 * interval, then we won't meet the threshold of busyness for
+	 * the governor to ramp up the freq.. so give some boost
+	 */
+	if (idle_time > msm_devfreq_profile.polling_ms/2) {
+		target_freq *= 2;
+	}
+
+	df->idle_freq = 0;
+
+	msm_devfreq_target(&gpu->pdev->dev, &target_freq, 0);
+
+	/*
+	 * Reset the polling interval so we aren't inconsistent
+	 * about freq vs busy/total cycles
+	 */
+	msm_devfreq_get_dev_status(&gpu->pdev->dev, &status);
+
+	mutex_unlock(&df->devfreq->lock);
+}
+
+void msm_devfreq_idle(struct msm_gpu *gpu)
+{
+	struct msm_gpu_devfreq *df = &gpu->devfreq;
+	unsigned long idle_freq, target_freq = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * Hold devfreq lock to synchronize with get_dev_status()/
+	 * target() callbacks
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&df->devfreq->lock);
+
+	idle_freq = get_freq(gpu);
+
+	msm_devfreq_target(&gpu->pdev->dev, &target_freq, 0);
+
+	df->idle_time = ktime_get();
+	df->idle_freq = idle_freq;
+
+	mutex_unlock(&df->devfreq->lock);
+}