diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
index 73299f9e77a8..a297e1ffafb5 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
@@ -12032,11 +12032,16 @@ static void intel_modeset_update_connector_atomic_state(struct drm_device *dev)
 	struct intel_connector *connector;
 
 	for_each_intel_connector(dev, connector) {
+		if (connector->base.state->crtc)
+			drm_connector_unreference(&connector->base);
+
 		if (connector->base.encoder) {
 			connector->base.state->best_encoder =
 				connector->base.encoder;
 			connector->base.state->crtc =
 				connector->base.encoder->crtc;
+
+			drm_connector_reference(&connector->base);
 		} else {
 			connector->base.state->best_encoder = NULL;
 			connector->base.state->crtc = NULL;