diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_composer.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_composer.c
index 3c99fb8b54e2df54ab26f8b6b15b4fd30d41183f..d5d4f642d3678077c7053dad9c5026e04b9f2055 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_composer.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_composer.c
@@ -408,10 +408,15 @@ void vkms_set_composer(struct vkms_output *out, bool enabled)
 	if (enabled)
 		drm_crtc_vblank_get(&out->crtc);
 
-	spin_lock_irq(&out->lock);
+	mutex_lock(&out->enabled_lock);
 	old_enabled = out->composer_enabled;
 	out->composer_enabled = enabled;
-	spin_unlock_irq(&out->lock);
+
+	/* the composition wasn't enabled, so unlock the lock to make sure the lock
+	 * will be balanced even if we have a failed commit
+	 */
+	if (!out->composer_enabled)
+		mutex_unlock(&out->enabled_lock);
 
 	if (old_enabled)
 		drm_crtc_vblank_put(&out->crtc);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_crtc.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_crtc.c
index 61e500b8c9da2397b17fe07a98d469e25bc6d846..3c5ebf106b66de958d78518ffecb7e6a343d9fba 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_crtc.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_crtc.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart vkms_vblank_simulate(struct hrtimer *timer)
 	struct drm_crtc *crtc = &output->crtc;
 	struct vkms_crtc_state *state;
 	u64 ret_overrun;
-	bool ret, fence_cookie;
+	bool ret, fence_cookie, composer_enabled;
 
 	fence_cookie = dma_fence_begin_signalling();
 
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart vkms_vblank_simulate(struct hrtimer *timer)
 	if (ret_overrun != 1)
 		pr_warn("%s: vblank timer overrun\n", __func__);
 
-	spin_lock(&output->lock);
 	ret = drm_crtc_handle_vblank(crtc);
 	if (!ret)
 		DRM_ERROR("vkms failure on handling vblank");
 
 	state = output->composer_state;
-	spin_unlock(&output->lock);
+	composer_enabled = output->composer_enabled;
+	mutex_unlock(&output->enabled_lock);
 
-	if (state && output->composer_enabled) {
+	if (state && composer_enabled) {
 		u64 frame = drm_crtc_accurate_vblank_count(crtc);
 
 		/* update frame_start only if a queued vkms_composer_worker()
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ int vkms_crtc_init(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_crtc *crtc,
 
 	spin_lock_init(&vkms_out->lock);
 	spin_lock_init(&vkms_out->composer_lock);
+	mutex_init(&vkms_out->enabled_lock);
 
 	vkms_out->composer_workq = alloc_ordered_workqueue("vkms_composer", 0);
 	if (!vkms_out->composer_workq)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_drv.h
index 8f5710debb1eb708fb9edfaf594c10382a790e66..c7ae6c2ba1df08fe903a8ff8be3782918e70efbb 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/vkms/vkms_drv.h
@@ -108,8 +108,10 @@ struct vkms_output {
 	struct workqueue_struct *composer_workq;
 	/* protects concurrent access to composer */
 	spinlock_t lock;
+	/* guarantees that if the composer is enabled, a job will be queued */
+	struct mutex enabled_lock;
 
-	/* protected by @lock */
+	/* protected by @enabled_lock */
 	bool composer_enabled;
 	struct vkms_crtc_state *composer_state;