diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_client_modeset.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_client_modeset.c
index d62b31d934a36df9b36d0c45cf1f0efef23b7f26..251f9431371793f36d58b4cac55dc9cb8674e07d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_client_modeset.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_client_modeset.c
@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ drm_connector_preferred_mode(struct drm_connector *connector, int width, int hei
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static struct drm_display_mode *drm_connector_first_mode(struct drm_connector *connector)
+{
+	return list_first_entry_or_null(&connector->modes,
+					struct drm_display_mode, head);
+}
+
 static struct drm_display_mode *drm_connector_pick_cmdline_mode(struct drm_connector *connector)
 {
 	struct drm_cmdline_mode *cmdline_mode;
@@ -444,10 +450,8 @@ static bool drm_client_target_preferred(struct drm_device *dev,
 			modes[i] = drm_connector_preferred_mode(connector, width, height);
 		}
 		/* No preferred modes, pick one off the list */
-		if (!modes[i] && !list_empty(&connector->modes)) {
-			list_for_each_entry(modes[i], &connector->modes, head)
-				break;
-		}
+		if (!modes[i])
+			modes[i] = drm_connector_first_mode(connector);
 		/*
 		 * In case of tiled mode if all tiles not present fallback to
 		 * first available non tiled mode.
@@ -693,9 +697,7 @@ static bool drm_client_firmware_config(struct drm_client_dev *client,
 		if (!modes[i] && !list_empty(&connector->modes)) {
 			drm_dbg_kms(dev, "[CONNECTOR:%d:%s] using first listed mode\n",
 				    connector->base.id, connector->name);
-			modes[i] = list_first_entry(&connector->modes,
-						    struct drm_display_mode,
-						    head);
+			modes[i] = drm_connector_first_mode(connector);
 		}
 
 		/* last resort: use current mode */