diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/conn.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/conn.h
index ad52cdafef18..f72a8f138f47 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/conn.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/conn.h
@@ -10,4 +10,9 @@ struct nvif_conn {
 
 int nvif_conn_ctor(struct nvif_disp *, const char *name, int id, struct nvif_conn *);
 void nvif_conn_dtor(struct nvif_conn *);
+
+#define NVIF_CONN_HPD_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED 0 /* negative if query fails */
+#define NVIF_CONN_HPD_STATUS_NOT_PRESENT 1
+#define NVIF_CONN_HPD_STATUS_PRESENT     2
+int nvif_conn_hpd_status(struct nvif_conn *);
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/if0011.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/if0011.h
index 9c910b29a730..04ba6581f840 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/if0011.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/include/nvif/if0011.h
@@ -9,4 +9,15 @@ union nvif_conn_args {
 		__u8 pad02[6];
 	} v0;
 };
+
+#define NVIF_CONN_V0_HPD_STATUS 0x00000000
+
+union nvif_conn_hpd_status_args {
+	struct nvif_conn_hpd_status_v0 {
+		__u8 version;
+		__u8 support;
+		__u8 present;
+		__u8 pad03[5];
+	} v0;
+};
 #endif
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dp.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dp.c
index c36f510d5d4c..20db8ea1a0ba 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dp.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_dp.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ nouveau_dp_detect(struct nouveau_connector *nv_connector,
 	struct nv50_mstm *mstm = nv_encoder->dp.mstm;
 	enum drm_connector_status status;
 	u8 *dpcd = nv_encoder->dp.dpcd;
-	int ret = NOUVEAU_DP_NONE;
+	int ret = NOUVEAU_DP_NONE, hpd;
 
 	/* If we've already read the DPCD on an eDP device, we don't need to
 	 * reread it as it won't change
@@ -133,6 +133,16 @@ nouveau_dp_detect(struct nouveau_connector *nv_connector,
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* Check status of HPD pin before attempting an AUX transaction that
+	 * would result in a number of (futile) retries on a connector which
+	 * has no display plugged.
+	 *
+	 * TODO: look into checking this before probing I2C to detect DVI/HDMI
+	 */
+	hpd = nvif_conn_hpd_status(&nv_connector->conn);
+	if (hpd == NVIF_CONN_HPD_STATUS_NOT_PRESENT)
+		goto out;
+
 	status = nouveau_dp_probe_dpcd(nv_connector, nv_encoder);
 	if (status == connector_status_disconnected)
 		goto out;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/conn.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/conn.c
index a83b8a4a57e6..4ce935d58c90 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/conn.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvif/conn.c
@@ -26,6 +26,20 @@
 #include <nvif/class.h>
 #include <nvif/if0011.h>
 
+int
+nvif_conn_hpd_status(struct nvif_conn *conn)
+{
+	struct nvif_conn_hpd_status_v0 args;
+	int ret;
+
+	args.version = 0;
+
+	ret = nvif_mthd(&conn->object, NVIF_CONN_V0_HPD_STATUS, &args, sizeof(args));
+	NVIF_ERRON(ret, &conn->object, "[HPD_STATUS] support:%d present:%d",
+		   args.support, args.present);
+	return ret ? ret : !!args.support + !!args.present;
+}
+
 void
 nvif_conn_dtor(struct nvif_conn *conn)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/conn.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/conn.c
index febc5c274488..7ed11801a3ae 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/conn.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/conn.c
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ nvkm_conn_ctor(struct nvkm_disp *disp, int index, struct nvbios_connE *info,
 	conn->disp = disp;
 	conn->index = index;
 	conn->info = *info;
+	conn->info.hpd = DCB_GPIO_UNUSED;
 
 	CONN_DBG(conn, "type %02x loc %d hpd %02x dp %x di %x sr %x lcdid %x",
 		 info->type, info->location, info->hpd, info->dp,
@@ -100,11 +101,12 @@ nvkm_conn_ctor(struct nvkm_disp *disp, int index, struct nvbios_connE *info,
 
 		ret = nvkm_gpio_find(gpio, 0, info->hpd, DCB_GPIO_UNUSED, &func);
 		if (ret) {
-			CONN_ERR(conn, "func %02x lookup failed, %d",
-				 info->hpd, ret);
+			CONN_ERR(conn, "func %02x lookup failed, %d", info->hpd, ret);
 			return;
 		}
 
+		conn->info.hpd = func.line;
+
 		ret = nvkm_notify_init(NULL, &gpio->event, nvkm_conn_hpd,
 				       true, &(struct nvkm_gpio_ntfy_req) {
 					.mask = NVKM_GPIO_TOGGLED,
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/uconn.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/uconn.c
index 3fbbb6e6a66b..fd9f18144c26 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/uconn.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nvkm/engine/disp/uconn.c
@@ -22,8 +22,50 @@
 #define nvkm_uconn(p) container_of((p), struct nvkm_conn, object)
 #include "conn.h"
 
+#include <subdev/gpio.h>
+
 #include <nvif/if0011.h>
 
+static int
+nvkm_uconn_mthd_hpd_status(struct nvkm_conn *conn, void *argv, u32 argc)
+{
+	struct nvkm_gpio *gpio = conn->disp->engine.subdev.device->gpio;
+	union nvif_conn_hpd_status_args *args = argv;
+
+	if (argc != sizeof(args->v0) || args->v0.version != 0)
+		return -ENOSYS;
+
+	args->v0.support = gpio && conn->info.hpd != DCB_GPIO_UNUSED;
+	args->v0.present = 0;
+
+	if (args->v0.support) {
+		int ret = nvkm_gpio_get(gpio, 0, DCB_GPIO_UNUSED, conn->info.hpd);
+
+		if (WARN_ON(ret < 0)) {
+			args->v0.support = false;
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		args->v0.present = ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+nvkm_uconn_mthd(struct nvkm_object *object, u32 mthd, void *argv, u32 argc)
+{
+	struct nvkm_conn *conn = nvkm_uconn(object);
+
+	switch (mthd) {
+	case NVIF_CONN_V0_HPD_STATUS: return nvkm_uconn_mthd_hpd_status(conn, argv, argc);
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return -EINVAL;
+}
+
 static void *
 nvkm_uconn_dtor(struct nvkm_object *object)
 {
@@ -39,6 +81,7 @@ nvkm_uconn_dtor(struct nvkm_object *object)
 static const struct nvkm_object_func
 nvkm_uconn = {
 	.dtor = nvkm_uconn_dtor,
+	.mthd = nvkm_uconn_mthd,
 };
 
 int