diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.c
index 212d4ee68205..7a19215ad844 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.c
@@ -10,6 +10,28 @@
 #include "intel_display_types.h"
 #include "intel_global_state.h"
 
+static void __intel_atomic_global_state_free(struct kref *kref)
+{
+	struct intel_global_state *obj_state =
+		container_of(kref, struct intel_global_state, ref);
+	struct intel_global_obj *obj = obj_state->obj;
+
+	obj->funcs->atomic_destroy_state(obj, obj_state);
+}
+
+static void intel_atomic_global_state_put(struct intel_global_state *obj_state)
+{
+	kref_put(&obj_state->ref, __intel_atomic_global_state_free);
+}
+
+static struct intel_global_state *
+intel_atomic_global_state_get(struct intel_global_state *obj_state)
+{
+	kref_get(&obj_state->ref);
+
+	return obj_state;
+}
+
 void intel_atomic_global_obj_init(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 				  struct intel_global_obj *obj,
 				  struct intel_global_state *state,
@@ -17,6 +39,10 @@ void intel_atomic_global_obj_init(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv,
 {
 	memset(obj, 0, sizeof(*obj));
 
+	state->obj = obj;
+
+	kref_init(&state->ref);
+
 	obj->state = state;
 	obj->funcs = funcs;
 	list_add_tail(&obj->head, &dev_priv->global_obj_list);
@@ -28,7 +54,9 @@ void intel_atomic_global_obj_cleanup(struct drm_i915_private *dev_priv)
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(obj, next, &dev_priv->global_obj_list, head) {
 		list_del(&obj->head);
-		obj->funcs->atomic_destroy_state(obj, obj->state);
+
+		drm_WARN_ON(&dev_priv->drm, kref_read(&obj->state->ref) != 1);
+		intel_atomic_global_state_put(obj->state);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -97,10 +125,14 @@ intel_atomic_get_global_obj_state(struct intel_atomic_state *state,
 	if (!obj_state)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
+	obj_state->obj = obj;
 	obj_state->changed = false;
 
+	kref_init(&obj_state->ref);
+
 	state->global_objs[index].state = obj_state;
-	state->global_objs[index].old_state = obj->state;
+	state->global_objs[index].old_state =
+		intel_atomic_global_state_get(obj->state);
 	state->global_objs[index].new_state = obj_state;
 	state->global_objs[index].ptr = obj;
 	obj_state->state = state;
@@ -163,7 +195,9 @@ void intel_atomic_swap_global_state(struct intel_atomic_state *state)
 		new_obj_state->state = NULL;
 
 		state->global_objs[i].state = old_obj_state;
-		obj->state = new_obj_state;
+
+		intel_atomic_global_state_put(obj->state);
+		obj->state = intel_atomic_global_state_get(new_obj_state);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -172,10 +206,9 @@ void intel_atomic_clear_global_state(struct intel_atomic_state *state)
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < state->num_global_objs; i++) {
-		struct intel_global_obj *obj = state->global_objs[i].ptr;
+		intel_atomic_global_state_put(state->global_objs[i].old_state);
+		intel_atomic_global_state_put(state->global_objs[i].new_state);
 
-		obj->funcs->atomic_destroy_state(obj,
-						 state->global_objs[i].state);
 		state->global_objs[i].ptr = NULL;
 		state->global_objs[i].state = NULL;
 		state->global_objs[i].old_state = NULL;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.h
index e6163a469029..1f16fa3073c9 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/display/intel_global_state.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #ifndef __INTEL_GLOBAL_STATE_H__
 #define __INTEL_GLOBAL_STATE_H__
 
+#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 
 struct drm_i915_private;
@@ -54,7 +55,9 @@ struct intel_global_obj {
 		for_each_if(obj)
 
 struct intel_global_state {
+	struct intel_global_obj *obj;
 	struct intel_atomic_state *state;
+	struct kref ref;
 	bool changed;
 };