diff --git a/backend/drm/backend.c b/backend/drm/backend.c
index 7f93e7550..f758eb6ed 100644
--- a/backend/drm/backend.c
+++ b/backend/drm/backend.c
@@ -117,11 +117,18 @@ static void handle_session_active(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "DRM FD %s", session->active ? "resumed" : "paused");
 
 	if (!session->active) {
+		// Disconnect any active connectors so that the client will modeset and
+		// rerender when the session is activated again.
+		struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
+		wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
+			if (conn->status == DRM_MODE_CONNECTED) {
+				wlr_output_destroy(&conn->output);
+			}
+		}
 		return;
 	}
 
 	scan_drm_connectors(drm, NULL);
-	restore_drm_device(drm);
 }
 
 static void handle_dev_change(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
diff --git a/backend/drm/drm.c b/backend/drm/drm.c
index d70492af1..dcd9f3af1 100644
--- a/backend/drm/drm.c
+++ b/backend/drm/drm.c
@@ -1851,108 +1851,6 @@ void scan_drm_leases(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
 	drmFree(list);
 }
 
-static void build_current_connector_state(struct wlr_output_state *state,
-		struct wlr_drm_connector *conn) {
-	bool enabled = conn->status != DRM_MODE_DISCONNECTED && conn->output.enabled;
-
-	wlr_output_state_init(state);
-	wlr_output_state_set_enabled(state, enabled);
-	if (!enabled) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if (conn->output.current_mode != NULL) {
-		wlr_output_state_set_mode(state, conn->output.current_mode);
-	} else {
-		wlr_output_state_set_custom_mode(state,
-			conn->output.width, conn->output.height, conn->output.refresh);
-	}
-}
-
-/**
- * Check whether we need to perform a full reset after a VT switch.
- *
- * If any connector or plane has a different CRTC, we need to perform a full
- * reset to restore our mapping. We couldn't avoid a full reset even if we
- * used a single KMS atomic commit to apply our state: the kernel rejects
- * commits which migrate a plane from one CRTC to another without going through
- * an intermediate state where the plane is disabled.
- */
-static bool skip_reset_for_restore(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
-	struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
-	wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
-		drmModeConnector *drm_conn = drmModeGetConnectorCurrent(drm->fd, conn->id);
-		if (drm_conn == NULL) {
-			return false;
-		}
-		struct wlr_drm_crtc *crtc = connector_get_current_crtc(conn, drm_conn);
-		drmModeFreeConnector(drm_conn);
-
-		if (crtc != NULL && conn->crtc != crtc) {
-			return false;
-		}
-	}
-
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_planes; i++) {
-		struct wlr_drm_plane *plane = &drm->planes[i];
-
-		drmModePlane *drm_plane = drmModeGetPlane(drm->fd, plane->id);
-		if (drm_plane == NULL) {
-			return false;
-		}
-		uint32_t crtc_id = drm_plane->crtc_id;
-		drmModeFreePlane(drm_plane);
-
-		struct wlr_drm_crtc *crtc = NULL;
-		for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_crtcs; i++) {
-			if (drm->crtcs[i].id == crtc_id) {
-				crtc = &drm->crtcs[i];
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-		if (crtc == NULL) {
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		bool ok = false;
-		switch (plane->type) {
-		case DRM_PLANE_TYPE_PRIMARY:
-			ok = crtc->primary == plane;
-			break;
-		case DRM_PLANE_TYPE_CURSOR:
-			ok = crtc->cursor == plane;
-			break;
-		}
-		if (!ok) {
-			return false;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return true;
-}
-
-void restore_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
-	// The previous DRM master leaves KMS in an undefined state. We need
-	// to restore our own state, but be careful to avoid invalid
-	// configurations. The connector/CRTC mapping may have changed, so
-	// first disable all CRTCs, then light up the ones we were using
-	// before the VT switch.
-	// TODO: better use the atomic API to improve restoration after a VT switch
-	if (!skip_reset_for_restore(drm) && !drm->iface->reset(drm)) {
-		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to reset state after VT switch");
-	}
-
-	struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
-	wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
-		struct wlr_output_state state;
-		build_current_connector_state(&state, conn);
-		if (!drm_connector_commit_state(conn, &state, false)) {
-			wlr_drm_conn_log(conn, WLR_ERROR, "Failed to restore state after VT switch");
-		}
-		wlr_output_state_finish(&state);
-	}
-}
-
 bool commit_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 		const struct wlr_backend_output_state *output_states, size_t output_states_len,
 		bool test_only) {
diff --git a/include/backend/drm/drm.h b/include/backend/drm/drm.h
index 3ef83e3e0..9d3d62272 100644
--- a/include/backend/drm/drm.h
+++ b/include/backend/drm/drm.h
@@ -225,7 +225,6 @@ void scan_drm_connectors(struct wlr_drm_backend *state,
 void scan_drm_leases(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm);
 bool commit_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 	const struct wlr_backend_output_state *states, size_t states_len, bool test_only);
-void restore_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm);
 int handle_drm_event(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data);
 void destroy_drm_connector(struct wlr_drm_connector *conn);
 bool drm_connector_is_cursor_visible(struct wlr_drm_connector *conn);