diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic.c
index 1fcb5f8aea20..166d329de939 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic.c
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ drm_atomic_state_init(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_atomic_state *state)
 	if (!state->planes)
 		goto fail;
 
+	/*
+	 * Because drm_atomic_state can be committed asynchronously we need our
+	 * own reference and cannot rely on the on implied by drm_file in the
+	 * ioctl call.
+	 */
+	drm_dev_get(dev);
 	state->dev = dev;
 
 	DRM_DEBUG_ATOMIC("Allocated atomic state %p\n", state);
@@ -297,7 +303,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_atomic_state_clear);
 void __drm_atomic_state_free(struct kref *ref)
 {
 	struct drm_atomic_state *state = container_of(ref, typeof(*state), ref);
-	struct drm_mode_config *config = &state->dev->mode_config;
+	struct drm_device *dev = state->dev;
+	struct drm_mode_config *config = &dev->mode_config;
 
 	drm_atomic_state_clear(state);
 
@@ -309,6 +316,8 @@ void __drm_atomic_state_free(struct kref *ref)
 		drm_atomic_state_default_release(state);
 		kfree(state);
 	}
+
+	drm_dev_put(dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__drm_atomic_state_free);