diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
index cf9d3ca12bb855148342e690280775187b067ccd..6549ef8e167d3b7ee5b5a87e857a2fac11feb754 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ msBlockHandler_oneshot(ScreenPtr pScreen, void *pTimeout)
 
     msBlockHandler(pScreen, pTimeout);
 
-    drmmode_set_desired_modes(pScrn, &ms->drmmode, TRUE);
+    drmmode_set_desired_modes(pScrn, &ms->drmmode, TRUE, FALSE);
 }
 
 Bool
@@ -1530,7 +1530,7 @@ CreateScreenResources(ScreenPtr pScreen)
     ret = pScreen->CreateScreenResources(pScreen);
     pScreen->CreateScreenResources = CreateScreenResources;
 
-    if (!drmmode_set_desired_modes(pScrn, &ms->drmmode, pScrn->is_gpu))
+    if (!drmmode_set_desired_modes(pScrn, &ms->drmmode, pScrn->is_gpu, FALSE))
         return FALSE;
 
     if (!drmmode_glamor_handle_new_screen_pixmap(&ms->drmmode))
@@ -2016,8 +2016,23 @@ EnterVT(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn)
 
     drmmode_update_kms_state(&ms->drmmode);
 
-    if (!drmmode_set_desired_modes(pScrn, &ms->drmmode, TRUE))
-        return FALSE;
+    /* allow not all modes to be set successfully since some events might have
+     * happened while not being master that could prevent the previous
+     * configuration from being re-applied.
+     */
+    if (!drmmode_set_desired_modes(pScrn, &ms->drmmode, TRUE, TRUE)) {
+        xf86DisableUnusedFunctions(pScrn);
+
+        /* TODO: check that at least one screen is on, to allow the user to fix
+         * their setup if all modeset failed...
+         */
+
+        /* Tell the desktop environment that something changed, so that they
+         * can hopefully correct the situation
+         */
+        RRSetChanged(xf86ScrnToScreen(pScrn));
+        RRTellChanged(xf86ScrnToScreen(pScrn));
+    }
 
     return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
index f4a174e76d4dcae16c335239fb8145c9bc338ef5..d74f62ab68959fcdaa00204d95a74b8536cd1806 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
@@ -3571,9 +3571,11 @@ drmmode_adjust_frame(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, int x, int y)
 }
 
 Bool
-drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, Bool set_hw)
+drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, Bool set_hw,
+                          Bool ign_err)
 {
     xf86CrtcConfigPtr config = XF86_CRTC_CONFIG_PTR(pScrn);
+    Bool success = TRUE;
     int c;
 
     for (c = 0; c < config->num_crtc; c++) {
@@ -3621,8 +3623,17 @@ drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, Bool set_hw)
         if (set_hw) {
             if (!crtc->funcs->
                 set_mode_major(crtc, &crtc->desiredMode, crtc->desiredRotation,
-                               crtc->desiredX, crtc->desiredY))
-                return FALSE;
+                               crtc->desiredX, crtc->desiredY)) {
+                if (!ign_err)
+                    return FALSE;
+                else {
+                    success = FALSE;
+                    crtc->enabled = FALSE;
+                    xf86DrvMsg(pScrn->scrnIndex, X_WARNING,
+                               "Failed to set the desired mode on connector %s\n",
+                               output->name);
+                }
+            }
         } else {
             crtc->mode = crtc->desiredMode;
             crtc->rotation = crtc->desiredRotation;
@@ -3636,7 +3647,7 @@ drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, Bool set_hw)
     /* Validate leases on VT re-entry */
     drmmode_validate_leases(pScrn);
 
-    return TRUE;
+    return success;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h
index 205d1011f07cba100e7d335d65065737db56e7c6..ce85546bf1fbe8164c6193c20553de1b21573702 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.h
@@ -280,7 +280,8 @@ void drmmode_DisableSharedPixmapFlipping(xf86CrtcPtr crtc, drmmode_ptr drmmode);
 extern Bool drmmode_pre_init(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, int cpp);
 extern Bool drmmode_init(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode);
 void drmmode_adjust_frame(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, int x, int y);
-extern Bool drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode, Bool set_hw);
+extern Bool drmmode_set_desired_modes(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, drmmode_ptr drmmode,
+                                      Bool set_hw, Bool ign_err);
 extern Bool drmmode_setup_colormap(ScreenPtr pScreen, ScrnInfoPtr pScrn);
 
 extern void drmmode_update_kms_state(drmmode_ptr drmmode);