diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_dma.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_dma.c
index 96177eec0a0e..283ff06001bc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_dma.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_dma.c
@@ -1277,12 +1277,13 @@ static void i915_switcheroo_set_state(struct pci_dev *pdev, enum vga_switcheroo_
 static bool i915_switcheroo_can_switch(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = pci_get_drvdata(pdev);
-	bool can_switch;
 
-	spin_lock(&dev->count_lock);
-	can_switch = (dev->open_count == 0);
-	spin_unlock(&dev->count_lock);
-	return can_switch;
+	/*
+	 * FIXME: open_count is protected by drm_global_mutex but that would lead to
+	 * locking inversion with the driver load path. And the access here is
+	 * completely racy anyway. So don't bother with locking for now.
+	 */
+	return dev->open_count == 0;
 }
 
 static const struct vga_switcheroo_client_ops i915_switcheroo_ops = {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_vga.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_vga.c
index fb84da3cb50d..4f4c3fec6916 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_vga.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_vga.c
@@ -64,12 +64,13 @@ static bool
 nouveau_switcheroo_can_switch(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = pci_get_drvdata(pdev);
-	bool can_switch;
 
-	spin_lock(&dev->count_lock);
-	can_switch = (dev->open_count == 0);
-	spin_unlock(&dev->count_lock);
-	return can_switch;
+	/*
+	 * FIXME: open_count is protected by drm_global_mutex but that would lead to
+	 * locking inversion with the driver load path. And the access here is
+	 * completely racy anyway. So don't bother with locking for now.
+	 */
+	return dev->open_count == 0;
 }
 
 static const struct vga_switcheroo_client_ops
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_device.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_device.c
index 511fe26198e4..9aa1afd1786e 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_device.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/radeon/radeon_device.c
@@ -1125,12 +1125,13 @@ static void radeon_switcheroo_set_state(struct pci_dev *pdev, enum vga_switchero
 static bool radeon_switcheroo_can_switch(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = pci_get_drvdata(pdev);
-	bool can_switch;
 
-	spin_lock(&dev->count_lock);
-	can_switch = (dev->open_count == 0);
-	spin_unlock(&dev->count_lock);
-	return can_switch;
+	/*
+	 * FIXME: open_count is protected by drm_global_mutex but that would lead to
+	 * locking inversion with the driver load path. And the access here is
+	 * completely racy anyway. So don't bother with locking for now.
+	 */
+	return dev->open_count == 0;
 }
 
 static const struct vga_switcheroo_client_ops radeon_switcheroo_ops = {
diff --git a/include/drm/drmP.h b/include/drm/drmP.h
index 9f1fb8d36b67..a20d882ca265 100644
--- a/include/drm/drmP.h
+++ b/include/drm/drmP.h
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ struct drm_device {
 
 	/** \name Usage Counters */
 	/*@{ */
-	int open_count;			/**< Outstanding files open */
+	int open_count;			/**< Outstanding files open, protected by drm_global_mutex. */
 	int buf_use;			/**< Buffers in use -- cannot alloc */
 	atomic_t buf_alloc;		/**< Buffer allocation in progress */
 	/*@} */