diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/bridge/dw_hdmi.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/bridge/dw_hdmi.c
index 210d8df0e5f4..f22494504912 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/bridge/dw_hdmi.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/bridge/dw_hdmi.c
@@ -1648,8 +1648,6 @@ static int dw_hdmi_register(struct drm_device *drm, struct dw_hdmi *hdmi)
 	drm_connector_init(drm, &hdmi->connector, &dw_hdmi_connector_funcs,
 			   DRM_MODE_CONNECTOR_HDMIA);
 
-	hdmi->connector.encoder = encoder;
-
 	drm_mode_connector_attach_encoder(&hdmi->connector, encoder);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_crtc.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_crtc.c
index 62fa95fa5471..d40bab29747e 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_crtc.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_crtc.c
@@ -5054,6 +5054,20 @@ int drm_mode_connector_attach_encoder(struct drm_connector *connector,
 {
 	int i;
 
+	/*
+	 * In the past, drivers have attempted to model the static association
+	 * of connector to encoder in simple connector/encoder devices using a
+	 * direct assignment of connector->encoder = encoder. This connection
+	 * is a logical one and the responsibility of the core, so drivers are
+	 * expected not to mess with this.
+	 *
+	 * Note that the error return should've been enough here, but a large
+	 * majority of drivers ignores the return value, so add in a big WARN
+	 * to get people's attention.
+	 */
+	if (WARN_ON(connector->encoder))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < DRM_CONNECTOR_MAX_ENCODER; i++) {
 		if (connector->encoder_ids[i] == 0) {
 			connector->encoder_ids[i] = encoder->base.id;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i2c/tda998x_drv.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i2c/tda998x_drv.c
index a46248f0c9c3..7885859b6386 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i2c/tda998x_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i2c/tda998x_drv.c
@@ -1439,7 +1439,6 @@ static int tda998x_bind(struct device *dev, struct device *master, void *data)
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_sysfs;
 
-	priv->connector.encoder = &priv->encoder;
 	drm_mode_connector_attach_encoder(&priv->connector, &priv->encoder);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/imx/parallel-display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/imx/parallel-display.c
index b74bf8e334f5..0ffef172afb4 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/imx/parallel-display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/imx/parallel-display.c
@@ -204,8 +204,6 @@ static int imx_pd_register(struct drm_device *drm,
 
 	drm_mode_connector_attach_encoder(&imxpd->connector, &imxpd->encoder);
 
-	imxpd->connector.encoder = &imxpd->encoder;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/shmobile/shmob_drm_crtc.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/shmobile/shmob_drm_crtc.c
index b80802f55143..db0763794edc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/shmobile/shmob_drm_crtc.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/shmobile/shmob_drm_crtc.c
@@ -739,8 +739,6 @@ int shmob_drm_connector_create(struct shmob_drm_device *sdev,
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto err_backlight;
 
-	connector->encoder = encoder;
-
 	drm_helper_connector_dpms(connector, DRM_MODE_DPMS_OFF);
 	drm_object_property_set_value(&connector->base,
 		sdev->ddev->mode_config.dpms_property, DRM_MODE_DPMS_OFF);