diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
index df1abea17fc1ebb2d3af1c9202421f2f75fec48f..8f40ba19728118ba5a7010ced5befd0ce39ac841 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.c
@@ -1227,6 +1227,16 @@ PreInit(ScrnInfoPtr pScrn, int flags)
         ms->atomic_modeset = FALSE;
     }
 
+    /* Universal planes are implied by atomic modeset. However, if atomic modeset
+       is disabled, universal planes are still useful for us to understand what
+       modifiers the primary plane can support (see drmmode_crtc_create_planes())
+    */
+    ms->universal_planes = ms->atomic_modeset;
+    if (ms->universal_planes == FALSE) {
+        ret = drmSetClientCap(ms->fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_UNIVERSAL_PLANES, 1);
+        ms->universal_planes = (ret == 0);
+    }
+
     ms->kms_has_modifiers = FALSE;
     ret = drmGetCap(ms->fd, DRM_CAP_ADDFB2_MODIFIERS, &value);
     if (ret == 0 && value != 0)
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
index 11497104832ce2d0a337831413e5da40c4a2169a..da514c9ba4bcb396883473f4b6644197dddcafef 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/driver.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ typedef struct _modesettingRec {
      *  @{
      */
     Bool atomic_modeset;
+    Bool universal_planes;
     Bool pending_modeset;
     /** @} */
 
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
index c10504c32901c2157f280f8404141e75ef3aed57..a2ca1087dcbfdf2d976e38844b1c682c1993c709 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/drivers/modesetting/drmmode_display.c
@@ -3563,7 +3563,7 @@ drmmode_create_lease(RRLeasePtr lease, int *fd)
 
     nobjects = ncrtc + noutput;
 
-    if (ms->atomic_modeset)
+    if (ms->universal_planes)
         nobjects += ncrtc; /* account for planes as well */
 
     if (nobjects == 0)
@@ -3588,7 +3588,7 @@ drmmode_create_lease(RRLeasePtr lease, int *fd)
         drmmode_crtc_private_ptr drmmode_crtc = crtc->driver_private;
 
         objects[i++] = drmmode_crtc->mode_crtc->crtc_id;
-        if (ms->atomic_modeset)
+        if (ms->universal_planes)
             objects[i++] = drmmode_crtc->plane_id;
     }