diff --git a/backend/drm/atomic.c b/backend/drm/atomic.c
index cacb8e87a..1d4f9df43 100644
--- a/backend/drm/atomic.c
+++ b/backend/drm/atomic.c
@@ -264,7 +264,12 @@ static bool atomic_crtc_commit(struct wlr_drm_connector *conn,
 	}
 	if (modeset) {
 		flags |= DRM_MODE_ATOMIC_ALLOW_MODESET;
-	} else if (!test_only) {
+	} else if (!test_only && (state->base->committed & WLR_OUTPUT_STATE_BUFFER)) {
+		// The wlr_output API requires non-modeset commits with a new buffer to
+		// wait for the frame event. However compositors often perform
+		// non-modesets commits without a new buffer without waiting for the
+		// frame event. In that case we need to make the KMS commit blocking,
+		// otherwise the kernel will error out with EBUSY.
 		flags |= DRM_MODE_ATOMIC_NONBLOCK;
 	}