diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
index 3f60cf4fe6fd..d38ceb039de6 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_display.c
@@ -11142,11 +11142,10 @@ static void ilk_do_mmio_flip(struct intel_crtc *intel_crtc)
 static void intel_do_mmio_flip(struct intel_crtc *intel_crtc)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = intel_crtc->base.dev;
-	u32 start_vbl_count;
 
 	intel_mark_page_flip_active(intel_crtc);
 
-	intel_pipe_update_start(intel_crtc, &start_vbl_count);
+	intel_pipe_update_start(intel_crtc);
 
 	if (INTEL_INFO(dev)->gen >= 9)
 		skl_do_mmio_flip(intel_crtc);
@@ -11154,7 +11153,7 @@ static void intel_do_mmio_flip(struct intel_crtc *intel_crtc)
 		/* use_mmio_flip() retricts MMIO flips to ilk+ */
 		ilk_do_mmio_flip(intel_crtc);
 
-	intel_pipe_update_end(intel_crtc, start_vbl_count);
+	intel_pipe_update_end(intel_crtc);
 }
 
 static void intel_mmio_flip_work_func(struct work_struct *work)
@@ -13463,7 +13462,7 @@ static void intel_begin_crtc_commit(struct drm_crtc *crtc,
 
 	/* Perform vblank evasion around commit operation */
 	if (crtc->state->active)
-		intel_pipe_update_start(intel_crtc, &intel_crtc->start_vbl_count);
+		intel_pipe_update_start(intel_crtc);
 
 	if (!needs_modeset(crtc->state) && INTEL_INFO(dev)->gen >= 9)
 		skl_detach_scalers(intel_crtc);
@@ -13475,7 +13474,7 @@ static void intel_finish_crtc_commit(struct drm_crtc *crtc,
 	struct intel_crtc *intel_crtc = to_intel_crtc(crtc);
 
 	if (crtc->state->active)
-		intel_pipe_update_end(intel_crtc, intel_crtc->start_vbl_count);
+		intel_pipe_update_end(intel_crtc);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
index 30012c8ea42f..8f8d320486ff 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_drv.h
@@ -1414,9 +1414,8 @@ bool intel_sdvo_init(struct drm_device *dev, uint32_t sdvo_reg, bool is_sdvob);
 int intel_plane_init(struct drm_device *dev, enum pipe pipe, int plane);
 int intel_sprite_set_colorkey(struct drm_device *dev, void *data,
 			      struct drm_file *file_priv);
-void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc,
-			     uint32_t *start_vbl_count);
-void intel_pipe_update_end(struct intel_crtc *crtc, u32 start_vbl_count);
+void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc);
+void intel_pipe_update_end(struct intel_crtc *crtc);
 
 /* intel_tv.c */
 void intel_tv_init(struct drm_device *dev);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_sprite.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_sprite.c
index 9d8af2f8a875..c35c2339f472 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_sprite.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/intel_sprite.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static int usecs_to_scanlines(const struct drm_display_mode *mode, int usecs)
  * avoid random delays. The value written to @start_vbl_count should be
  * supplied to intel_pipe_update_end() for error checking.
  */
-void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc, uint32_t *start_vbl_count)
+void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = crtc->base.dev;
 	const struct drm_display_mode *mode = &crtc->config->base.adjusted_mode;
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc, uint32_t *start_vbl_count)
 	max = vblank_start - 1;
 
 	local_irq_disable();
-	*start_vbl_count = 0;
+	crtc->start_vbl_count = 0;
 
 	if (min <= 0 || max <= 0)
 		return;
@@ -134,9 +134,10 @@ void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc, uint32_t *start_vbl_count)
 
 	drm_crtc_vblank_put(&crtc->base);
 
-	*start_vbl_count = dev->driver->get_vblank_counter(dev, pipe);
+	crtc->start_vbl_count = dev->driver->get_vblank_counter(dev, pipe);
 
-	trace_i915_pipe_update_vblank_evaded(crtc, min, max, *start_vbl_count);
+	trace_i915_pipe_update_vblank_evaded(crtc, min, max,
+					     crtc->start_vbl_count);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ void intel_pipe_update_start(struct intel_crtc *crtc, uint32_t *start_vbl_count)
  * re-enables interrupts and verifies the update was actually completed
  * before a vblank using the value of @start_vbl_count.
  */
-void intel_pipe_update_end(struct intel_crtc *crtc, u32 start_vbl_count)
+void intel_pipe_update_end(struct intel_crtc *crtc)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = crtc->base.dev;
 	enum pipe pipe = crtc->pipe;
@@ -158,9 +159,9 @@ void intel_pipe_update_end(struct intel_crtc *crtc, u32 start_vbl_count)
 
 	local_irq_enable();
 
-	if (start_vbl_count && start_vbl_count != end_vbl_count)
+	if (crtc->start_vbl_count && crtc->start_vbl_count != end_vbl_count)
 		DRM_ERROR("Atomic update failure on pipe %c (start=%u end=%u)\n",
-			  pipe_name(pipe), start_vbl_count, end_vbl_count);
+			  pipe_name(pipe), crtc->start_vbl_count, end_vbl_count);
 }
 
 static void