diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
index 62f849f2fe44..0bb3d4bee24c 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_fb_helper.c
@@ -162,40 +162,13 @@ int drm_fb_helper_add_one_connector(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper, struct drm_
 	if (!fb_helper_connector)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	drm_connector_reference(connector);
 	fb_helper_connector->connector = connector;
 	fb_helper->connector_info[fb_helper->connector_count++] = fb_helper_connector;
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_fb_helper_add_one_connector);
 
-static void remove_from_modeset(struct drm_mode_set *set,
-		struct drm_connector *connector)
-{
-	int i, j;
-
-	for (i = 0; i < set->num_connectors; i++) {
-		if (set->connectors[i] == connector)
-			break;
-	}
-
-	if (i == set->num_connectors)
-		return;
-
-	for (j = i + 1; j < set->num_connectors; j++) {
-		set->connectors[j - 1] = set->connectors[j];
-	}
-	set->num_connectors--;
-
-	/*
-	 * TODO maybe need to makes sure we set it back to !=NULL somewhere?
-	 */
-	if (set->num_connectors == 0) {
-		set->fb = NULL;
-		drm_mode_destroy(connector->dev, set->mode);
-		set->mode = NULL;
-	}
-}
-
 int drm_fb_helper_remove_one_connector(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper,
 				       struct drm_connector *connector)
 {
@@ -215,6 +188,7 @@ int drm_fb_helper_remove_one_connector(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper,
 	if (i == fb_helper->connector_count)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	fb_helper_connector = fb_helper->connector_info[i];
+	drm_connector_unreference(fb_helper_connector->connector);
 
 	for (j = i + 1; j < fb_helper->connector_count; j++) {
 		fb_helper->connector_info[j - 1] = fb_helper->connector_info[j];
@@ -222,10 +196,6 @@ int drm_fb_helper_remove_one_connector(struct drm_fb_helper *fb_helper,
 	fb_helper->connector_count--;
 	kfree(fb_helper_connector);
 
-	/* also cleanup dangling references to the connector: */
-	for (i = 0; i < fb_helper->crtc_count; i++)
-		remove_from_modeset(&fb_helper->crtc_info[i].mode_set, connector);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_fb_helper_remove_one_connector);
@@ -635,8 +605,10 @@ static void drm_fb_helper_crtc_free(struct drm_fb_helper *helper)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < helper->connector_count; i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < helper->connector_count; i++) {
+		drm_connector_unreference(helper->connector_info[i]->connector);
 		kfree(helper->connector_info[i]);
+	}
 	kfree(helper->connector_info);
 	for (i = 0; i < helper->crtc_count; i++) {
 		kfree(helper->crtc_info[i].mode_set.connectors);