diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_crtc.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_crtc.c
index 0acbe62901d9..161a74a3ac5e 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_crtc.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_crtc.c
@@ -621,6 +621,25 @@ static void omap_crtc_post_apply(struct omap_drm_apply *apply)
 	/* nothing needed for post-apply */
 }
 
+void omap_crtc_flush(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
+{
+	struct omap_crtc *omap_crtc = to_omap_crtc(crtc);
+	int loops = 0;
+
+	while (!list_empty(&omap_crtc->pending_applies) ||
+		!list_empty(&omap_crtc->queued_applies) ||
+		omap_crtc->event || omap_crtc->old_fb) {
+
+		if (++loops > 10) {
+			dev_err(crtc->dev->dev,
+				"omap_crtc_flush() timeout\n");
+			break;
+		}
+
+		schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(msecs_to_jiffies(20));
+	}
+}
+
 static const char *channel_names[] = {
 		[OMAP_DSS_CHANNEL_LCD] = "lcd",
 		[OMAP_DSS_CHANNEL_DIGIT] = "tv",
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.c
index f16a07d1668d..c8270e4b26f3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.c
@@ -513,12 +513,18 @@ static int dev_load(struct drm_device *dev, unsigned long flags)
 static int dev_unload(struct drm_device *dev)
 {
 	struct omap_drm_private *priv = dev->dev_private;
+	int i;
 
 	DBG("unload: dev=%p", dev);
 
 	drm_kms_helper_poll_fini(dev);
 
 	omap_fbdev_free(dev);
+
+	/* flush crtcs so the fbs get released */
+	for (i = 0; i < priv->num_crtcs; i++)
+		omap_crtc_flush(priv->crtcs[i]);
+
 	omap_modeset_free(dev);
 	omap_gem_deinit(dev);
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.h
index 428b2981fd68..284b80fc3c54 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/omapdrm/omap_drv.h
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ void omap_crtc_pre_init(void);
 void omap_crtc_pre_uninit(void);
 struct drm_crtc *omap_crtc_init(struct drm_device *dev,
 		struct drm_plane *plane, enum omap_channel channel, int id);
+void omap_crtc_flush(struct drm_crtc *crtc);
 
 struct drm_plane *omap_plane_init(struct drm_device *dev,
 		int plane_id, bool private_plane);