diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
index a1f86e436ae8..b3a731b9170a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
@@ -403,6 +403,13 @@ err:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&helper->damage_lock, flags);
 }
 
+static void drm_fb_helper_damage_work(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	struct drm_fb_helper *helper = container_of(work, struct drm_fb_helper, damage_work);
+
+	drm_fb_helper_fb_dirty(helper);
+}
+
 /**
  * drm_fb_helper_prepare - setup a drm_fb_helper structure
  * @dev: DRM device
@@ -418,6 +425,7 @@ void drm_fb_helper_prepare(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_fb_helper *helper,
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&helper->kernel_fb_list);
 	spin_lock_init(&helper->damage_lock);
 	INIT_WORK(&helper->resume_work, drm_fb_helper_resume_worker);
+	INIT_WORK(&helper->damage_work, drm_fb_helper_damage_work);
 	helper->damage_clip.x1 = helper->damage_clip.y1 = ~0;
 	mutex_init(&helper->lock);
 	helper->funcs = funcs;
@@ -549,6 +557,7 @@ void drm_fb_helper_fini(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper)
 		return;
 
 	cancel_work_sync(&fb_helper->resume_work);
+	cancel_work_sync(&fb_helper->damage_work);
 
 	info = fb_helper->info;
 	if (info) {
@@ -590,16 +599,9 @@ static void drm_fb_helper_add_damage_clip(struct drm_fb_helper *helper, u32 x, u
 static void drm_fb_helper_damage(struct drm_fb_helper *helper, u32 x, u32 y,
 				 u32 width, u32 height)
 {
-	struct fb_info *info = helper->info;
-
 	drm_fb_helper_add_damage_clip(helper, x, y, width, height);
 
-	/*
-	 * The current fbdev emulation only flushes buffers if a damage
-	 * update is necessary. And we can assume that deferred I/O has
-	 * been enabled as damage updates require deferred I/O for mmap.
-	 */
-	fb_deferred_io_schedule_flush(info);
+	schedule_work(&helper->damage_work);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -664,16 +666,10 @@ void drm_fb_helper_deferred_io(struct fb_info *info, struct list_head *pagerefli
 
 	if (min_off < max_off) {
 		drm_fb_helper_memory_range_to_clip(info, min_off, max_off - min_off, &damage_area);
-		drm_fb_helper_add_damage_clip(helper, damage_area.x1, damage_area.y1,
-					      drm_rect_width(&damage_area),
-					      drm_rect_height(&damage_area));
+		drm_fb_helper_damage(helper, damage_area.x1, damage_area.y1,
+				     drm_rect_width(&damage_area),
+				     drm_rect_height(&damage_area));
 	}
-
-	/*
-	 * Flushes all dirty pages from mmap's pageref list and the
-	 * areas that have been written by struct fb_ops callbacks.
-	 */
-	drm_fb_helper_fb_dirty(helper);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_fb_helper_deferred_io);
 
diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fb_defio.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fb_defio.c
index dec678f72a42..c730253ab85c 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fb_defio.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/fb_defio.c
@@ -332,19 +332,3 @@ void fb_deferred_io_cleanup(struct fb_info *info)
 	mutex_destroy(&fbdefio->lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fb_deferred_io_cleanup);
-
-void fb_deferred_io_schedule_flush(struct fb_info *info)
-{
-	struct fb_deferred_io *fbdefio = info->fbdefio;
-
-	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!fbdefio))
-		return; /* bug in driver logic */
-
-	/*
-	 * There's no requirement from callers to schedule the
-	 * flush immediately. Rather schedule the worker with a
-	 * delay and let a few more writes pile up.
-	 */
-	schedule_delayed_work(&info->deferred_work, fbdefio->delay);
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fb_deferred_io_schedule_flush);
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h b/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h
index 455f6c2b8117..b111dc7ada78 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_fb_helper.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ struct drm_fb_helper_funcs {
  * @damage_clip: clip rectangle used with deferred_io to accumulate damage to
  *                the screen buffer
  * @damage_lock: spinlock protecting @damage_clip
+ * @damage_work: worker used to flush the framebuffer
  * @resume_work: worker used during resume if the console lock is already taken
  *
  * This is the main structure used by the fbdev helpers. Drivers supporting
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ struct drm_fb_helper {
 	u32 pseudo_palette[17];
 	struct drm_clip_rect damage_clip;
 	spinlock_t damage_lock;
+	struct work_struct damage_work;
 	struct work_struct resume_work;
 
 	/**
diff --git a/include/linux/fb.h b/include/linux/fb.h
index 3a822e4357b1..96b96323e9cb 100644
--- a/include/linux/fb.h
+++ b/include/linux/fb.h
@@ -663,7 +663,6 @@ extern void fb_deferred_io_open(struct fb_info *info,
 				struct inode *inode,
 				struct file *file);
 extern void fb_deferred_io_cleanup(struct fb_info *info);
-extern void fb_deferred_io_schedule_flush(struct fb_info *info);
 extern int fb_deferred_io_fsync(struct file *file, loff_t start,
 				loff_t end, int datasync);
 
@@ -807,7 +806,7 @@ extern int fb_find_mode(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,
 #if defined(CONFIG_VIDEO_NOMODESET)
 bool fb_modesetting_disabled(const char *drvname);
 #else
-bool fb_modesetting_disabled(const char *drvname)
+static inline bool fb_modesetting_disabled(const char *drvname)
 {
 	return false;
 }