diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
index 1e2a17d66ebb..a54b701f867c 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
@@ -1956,6 +1956,10 @@ static void ironlake_crtc_enable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 	int plane = intel_crtc->plane;
 	u32 reg, temp;
 
+	if (intel_crtc->active)
+		return;
+
+	intel_crtc->active = true;
 	intel_update_watermarks(dev);
 
 	if (intel_pipe_has_type(crtc, INTEL_OUTPUT_LVDS)) {
@@ -2116,6 +2120,9 @@ static void ironlake_crtc_disable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 	int plane = intel_crtc->plane;
 	u32 reg, temp;
 
+	if (!intel_crtc->active)
+		return;
+
 	drm_vblank_off(dev, pipe);
 	intel_crtc_update_cursor(crtc, false);
 
@@ -2245,6 +2252,7 @@ static void ironlake_crtc_disable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 	POSTING_READ(reg);
 	udelay(100);
 
+	intel_crtc->active = false;
 	intel_update_watermarks(dev);
 	intel_update_fbc(dev);
 	intel_clear_scanline_wait(dev);
@@ -2298,6 +2306,10 @@ static void i9xx_crtc_enable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 	int plane = intel_crtc->plane;
 	u32 reg, temp;
 
+	if (intel_crtc->active)
+		return;
+
+	intel_crtc->active = true;
 	intel_update_watermarks(dev);
 
 	/* Enable the DPLL */
@@ -2354,6 +2366,9 @@ static void i9xx_crtc_disable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 	int plane = intel_crtc->plane;
 	u32 reg, temp;
 
+	if (!intel_crtc->active)
+		return;
+
 	/* Give the overlay scaler a chance to disable if it's on this pipe */
 	intel_crtc_dpms_overlay(intel_crtc, false);
 	intel_crtc_update_cursor(crtc, false);
@@ -2402,6 +2417,7 @@ static void i9xx_crtc_disable(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
 	}
 
 done:
+	intel_crtc->active = false;
 	intel_update_fbc(dev);
 	intel_update_watermarks(dev);
 	intel_clear_scanline_wait(dev);
@@ -3463,7 +3479,7 @@ static void intel_update_watermarks(struct drm_device *dev)
 	/* Get the clock config from both planes */
 	list_for_each_entry(crtc, &dev->mode_config.crtc_list, head) {
 		struct intel_crtc *intel_crtc = to_intel_crtc(crtc);
-		if (intel_crtc->dpms_mode == DRM_MODE_DPMS_ON) {
+		if (intel_crtc->active) {
 			enabled++;
 			if (intel_crtc->plane == 0) {
 				DRM_DEBUG_KMS("plane A (pipe %d) clock: %d\n",
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
index c0891b1ec7b5..5171b0523178 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ struct intel_crtc {
 	enum plane plane;
 	u8 lut_r[256], lut_g[256], lut_b[256];
 	int dpms_mode;
+	bool active; /* is the crtc on? independent of the dpms mode */
 	bool busy; /* is scanout buffer being updated frequently? */
 	struct timer_list idle_timer;
 	bool lowfreq_avail;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_overlay.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_overlay.c
index 3dff16118ee5..c4699c916698 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_overlay.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_overlay.c
@@ -875,15 +875,13 @@ static int check_overlay_possible_on_crtc(struct intel_overlay *overlay,
 					  struct intel_crtc *crtc)
 {
 	drm_i915_private_t *dev_priv = overlay->dev->dev_private;
-	u32 pipeconf;
 
-	if (!crtc->base.enabled || crtc->dpms_mode != DRM_MODE_DPMS_ON)
+	if (!crtc->active)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	pipeconf = I915_READ(PIPECONF(crtc->pipe));
-
 	/* can't use the overlay with double wide pipe */
-	if (!IS_I965G(overlay->dev) && pipeconf & PIPECONF_DOUBLE_WIDE)
+	if (!IS_I965G(overlay->dev) &&
+	    (I915_READ(PIPECONF(crtc->pipe)) & (PIPECONF_DOUBLE_WIDE | PIPECONF_ENABLE)) != PIPECONF_ENABLE)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	return 0;