diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_framebuffer.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_framebuffer.c
index 1955eaeba0ab..4ef05c8c75e6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_framebuffer.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_framebuffer.c
@@ -844,11 +844,23 @@ void drm_framebuffer_free(struct kref *kref)
 int drm_framebuffer_init(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_framebuffer *fb,
 			 const struct drm_framebuffer_funcs *funcs)
 {
+	unsigned int i;
 	int ret;
+	bool exists;
 
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(fb->dev != dev || !fb->format))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	for (i = 0; i < fb->format->num_planes; i++) {
+		if (drm_WARN_ON_ONCE(dev, fb->internal_flags & DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(i)))
+			fb->internal_flags &= ~DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(i);
+		if (fb->obj[i]) {
+			exists = drm_gem_object_handle_get_if_exists_unlocked(fb->obj[i]);
+			if (exists)
+				fb->internal_flags |= DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(i);
+		}
+	}
+
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&fb->filp_head);
 
 	fb->funcs = funcs;
@@ -857,7 +869,7 @@ int drm_framebuffer_init(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_framebuffer *fb,
 	ret = __drm_mode_object_add(dev, &fb->base, DRM_MODE_OBJECT_FB,
 				    false, drm_framebuffer_free);
 	if (ret)
-		goto out;
+		goto err;
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->mode_config.fb_lock);
 	dev->mode_config.num_fb++;
@@ -865,7 +877,16 @@ int drm_framebuffer_init(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_framebuffer *fb,
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->mode_config.fb_lock);
 
 	drm_mode_object_register(dev, &fb->base);
-out:
+
+	return 0;
+
+err:
+	for (i = 0; i < fb->format->num_planes; i++) {
+		if (fb->internal_flags & DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(i)) {
+			drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(fb->obj[i]);
+			fb->internal_flags &= ~DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(i);
+		}
+	}
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_framebuffer_init);
@@ -942,6 +963,12 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_framebuffer_unregister_private);
 void drm_framebuffer_cleanup(struct drm_framebuffer *fb)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = fb->dev;
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < fb->format->num_planes; i++) {
+		if (fb->internal_flags & DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(i))
+			drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(fb->obj[i]);
+	}
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->mode_config.fb_lock);
 	list_del(&fb->head);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c
index d7a577483d1f..a3370c77e949 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem.c
@@ -197,23 +197,34 @@ static void drm_gem_object_handle_get(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
 }
 
 /**
- * drm_gem_object_handle_get_unlocked - acquire reference on user-space handles
+ * drm_gem_object_handle_get_if_exists_unlocked - acquire reference on user-space handle, if any
  * @obj: GEM object
  *
- * Acquires a reference on the GEM buffer object's handle. Required
- * to keep the GEM object alive. Call drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked()
- * to release the reference.
+ * Acquires a reference on the GEM buffer object's handle. Required to keep
+ * the GEM object alive. Call drm_gem_object_handle_put_if_exists_unlocked()
+ * to release the reference. Does nothing if the buffer object has no handle.
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ * True if a handle exists, or false otherwise
  */
-void drm_gem_object_handle_get_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
+bool drm_gem_object_handle_get_if_exists_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = obj->dev;
 
 	guard(mutex)(&dev->object_name_lock);
 
-	drm_WARN_ON(dev, !obj->handle_count); /* first ref taken in create-tail helper */
+	/*
+	 * First ref taken during GEM object creation, if any. Some
+	 * drivers set up internal framebuffers with GEM objects that
+	 * do not have a GEM handle. Hence, this counter can be zero.
+	 */
+	if (!obj->handle_count)
+		return false;
+
 	drm_gem_object_handle_get(obj);
+
+	return true;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_gem_object_handle_get_unlocked);
 
 /**
  * drm_gem_object_handle_free - release resources bound to userspace handles
@@ -246,7 +257,7 @@ static void drm_gem_object_exported_dma_buf_free(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
 }
 
 /**
- * drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked - releases reference on user-space handles
+ * drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked - releases reference on user-space handle
  * @obj: GEM object
  *
  * Releases a reference on the GEM buffer object's handle. Possibly releases
@@ -257,14 +268,14 @@ void drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
 	struct drm_device *dev = obj->dev;
 	bool final = false;
 
-	if (WARN_ON(READ_ONCE(obj->handle_count) == 0))
+	if (drm_WARN_ON(dev, READ_ONCE(obj->handle_count) == 0))
 		return;
 
 	/*
-	* Must bump handle count first as this may be the last
-	* ref, in which case the object would disappear before we
-	* checked for a name
-	*/
+	 * Must bump handle count first as this may be the last
+	 * ref, in which case the object would disappear before
+	 * we checked for a name.
+	 */
 
 	mutex_lock(&dev->object_name_lock);
 	if (--obj->handle_count == 0) {
@@ -277,7 +288,6 @@ void drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj)
 	if (final)
 		drm_gem_object_put(obj);
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked);
 
 /*
  * Called at device or object close to release the file's
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_framebuffer_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_framebuffer_helper.c
index 70cf930b83f4..3bdb6ba37ff4 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_framebuffer_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_gem_framebuffer_helper.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ void drm_gem_fb_destroy(struct drm_framebuffer *fb)
 	unsigned int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < fb->format->num_planes; i++)
-		drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(fb->obj[i]);
+		drm_gem_object_put(fb->obj[i]);
 
 	drm_framebuffer_cleanup(fb);
 	kfree(fb);
@@ -182,10 +182,8 @@ int drm_gem_fb_init_with_funcs(struct drm_device *dev,
 		if (!objs[i]) {
 			drm_dbg_kms(dev, "Failed to lookup GEM object\n");
 			ret = -ENOENT;
-			goto err_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked;
+			goto err_gem_object_put;
 		}
-		drm_gem_object_handle_get_unlocked(objs[i]);
-		drm_gem_object_put(objs[i]);
 
 		min_size = (height - 1) * mode_cmd->pitches[i]
 			 + drm_format_info_min_pitch(info, i, width)
@@ -195,22 +193,22 @@ int drm_gem_fb_init_with_funcs(struct drm_device *dev,
 			drm_dbg_kms(dev,
 				    "GEM object size (%zu) smaller than minimum size (%u) for plane %d\n",
 				    objs[i]->size, min_size, i);
-			drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(objs[i]);
+			drm_gem_object_put(objs[i]);
 			ret = -EINVAL;
-			goto err_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked;
+			goto err_gem_object_put;
 		}
 	}
 
 	ret = drm_gem_fb_init(dev, fb, mode_cmd, objs, i, funcs);
 	if (ret)
-		goto err_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked;
+		goto err_gem_object_put;
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked:
+err_gem_object_put:
 	while (i > 0) {
 		--i;
-		drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(objs[i]);
+		drm_gem_object_put(objs[i]);
 	}
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h
index dbba0abffae1..8d433fe37e8f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_internal.h
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ void drm_sysfs_lease_event(struct drm_device *dev);
 
 /* drm_gem.c */
 int drm_gem_init(struct drm_device *dev);
-void drm_gem_object_handle_get_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj);
+bool drm_gem_object_handle_get_if_exists_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj);
 void drm_gem_object_handle_put_unlocked(struct drm_gem_object *obj);
 int drm_gem_handle_create_tail(struct drm_file *file_priv,
 			       struct drm_gem_object *obj,
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_framebuffer.h b/include/drm/drm_framebuffer.h
index 0dcc07b68654..990259873e1e 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_framebuffer.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_framebuffer.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #ifndef __DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_H__
 #define __DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_H__
 
+#include <linux/bits.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/sched.h>
@@ -100,6 +101,8 @@ struct drm_framebuffer_funcs {
 		     unsigned num_clips);
 };
 
+#define DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF(_i)	BIT(0u + (_i))
+
 /**
  * struct drm_framebuffer - frame buffer object
  *
@@ -188,6 +191,10 @@ struct drm_framebuffer {
 	 * DRM_MODE_FB_MODIFIERS.
 	 */
 	int flags;
+	/**
+	 * @internal_flags: Framebuffer flags like DRM_FRAMEBUFFER_HAS_HANDLE_REF.
+	 */
+	unsigned int internal_flags;
 	/**
 	 * @hot_x: X coordinate of the cursor hotspot. Used by the legacy cursor
 	 * IOCTL when the driver supports cursor through a DRM_PLANE_TYPE_CURSOR