diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_panel.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_panel.c
index faa24537ef63..81e638d0c7b3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_panel.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_panel.c
@@ -72,9 +72,20 @@ static bool is_best_fixed_mode(struct intel_connector *connector,
 		abs(drm_mode_vrefresh(best_mode) - vrefresh);
 }
 
+static bool is_vrr_compatible(const struct drm_display_mode *mode1,
+			      const struct drm_display_mode *mode2)
+{
+	return drm_mode_match(mode1, mode2,
+			      DRM_MODE_MATCH_CLOCK |
+			      DRM_MODE_MATCH_TIMINGS_VRR |
+			      DRM_MODE_MATCH_FLAGS |
+			      DRM_MODE_MATCH_3D_FLAGS);
+}
+
 static const struct drm_display_mode *
 intel_panel_fixed_mode_vrr(struct intel_connector *connector,
-			   const struct drm_display_mode *mode)
+			   const struct drm_display_mode *mode,
+			   const struct drm_display_mode *vrr_ref_mode)
 {
 	const struct drm_display_mode *fixed_mode, *best_mode = NULL;
 	int vrefresh = drm_mode_vrefresh(mode);
@@ -82,6 +93,10 @@ intel_panel_fixed_mode_vrr(struct intel_connector *connector,
 	if (!intel_vrr_is_in_range(connector, vrefresh))
 		return NULL;
 
+	if (vrr_ref_mode &&
+	    !intel_vrr_is_in_range(connector, drm_mode_vrefresh(vrr_ref_mode)))
+		return NULL;
+
 	list_for_each_entry(fixed_mode, &connector->panel.fixed_modes, head) {
 		int fixed_mode_vrefresh = drm_mode_vrefresh(fixed_mode);
 
@@ -96,6 +111,10 @@ intel_panel_fixed_mode_vrr(struct intel_connector *connector,
 		if (fixed_mode_vrefresh < vrefresh)
 			continue;
 
+		if (vrr_ref_mode &&
+		    !is_vrr_compatible(fixed_mode, vrr_ref_mode))
+			continue;
+
 		if (is_best_fixed_mode(connector, vrefresh,
 				       fixed_mode_vrefresh, best_mode))
 			best_mode = fixed_mode;
@@ -224,10 +243,27 @@ static int intel_panel_compute_config_vrr(struct intel_atomic_state *state,
 					  struct intel_connector *connector)
 {
 	struct drm_display_mode *adjusted_mode = &crtc_state->hw.adjusted_mode;
-	const struct drm_display_mode *fixed_mode;
+	const struct drm_display_mode *fixed_mode = NULL;
 	int vrefresh, fixed_mode_vrefresh;
 
-	fixed_mode = intel_panel_fixed_mode_vrr(connector, adjusted_mode);
+	/*
+	 * Attempt a VRR based refresh rate change if possible
+	 * when userspace has forbidden a full modeset.
+	 */
+	if (!state->base.allow_modeset) {
+		struct intel_crtc *crtc = to_intel_crtc(crtc_state->uapi.crtc);
+		const struct intel_crtc_state *old_crtc_state =
+			intel_atomic_get_old_crtc_state(state, crtc);
+
+		if (old_crtc_state->hw.enable &&
+		    old_crtc_state->uapi.encoder_mask == crtc_state->uapi.encoder_mask)
+			fixed_mode = intel_panel_fixed_mode_vrr(connector, adjusted_mode,
+								&old_crtc_state->hw.adjusted_mode);
+	}
+
+	if (!fixed_mode)
+		fixed_mode = intel_panel_fixed_mode_vrr(connector, adjusted_mode, NULL);
+
 	if (!fixed_mode)
 		return -EINVAL;