diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.c
index 1e8f273f7c8b..40b71da5a214 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "drm_fb_helper.h"
 
 static LIST_HEAD(module_list);
+static bool slave_probing;
 
 void tilcdc_module_init(struct tilcdc_module *mod, const char *name,
 		const struct tilcdc_module_ops *funcs)
@@ -41,6 +42,11 @@ void tilcdc_module_cleanup(struct tilcdc_module *mod)
 	list_del(&mod->list);
 }
 
+void tilcdc_slave_probedefer(bool defered)
+{
+	slave_probing = defered;
+}
+
 static struct of_device_id tilcdc_of_match[];
 
 static struct drm_framebuffer *tilcdc_fb_create(struct drm_device *dev,
@@ -580,6 +586,10 @@ static int tilcdc_pdev_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		return -ENXIO;
 	}
 
+	/* defer probing if slave is in deferred probing */
+	if (slave_probing == true)
+		return -EPROBE_DEFER;
+
 	return drm_platform_init(&tilcdc_driver, pdev);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.h
index 66df316ca434..093803683b25 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_drv.h
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ struct tilcdc_module {
 void tilcdc_module_init(struct tilcdc_module *mod, const char *name,
 		const struct tilcdc_module_ops *funcs);
 void tilcdc_module_cleanup(struct tilcdc_module *mod);
-
+void tilcdc_slave_probedefer(bool defered);
 
 /* Panel config that needs to be set in the crtc, but is not coming from
  * the mode timings.  The display module is expected to call
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_slave.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_slave.c
index 8bf4fd19181c..dfffaf014022 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_slave.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/tilcdc/tilcdc_slave.c
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ static int slave_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	struct tilcdc_module *mod;
 	struct pinctrl *pinctrl;
 	uint32_t i2c_phandle;
+	struct i2c_adapter *slavei2c;
 	int ret = -EINVAL;
 
 	/* bail out early if no DT data: */
@@ -306,44 +307,48 @@ static int slave_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		return -ENXIO;
 	}
 
+	/* Bail out early if i2c not specified */
+	if (of_property_read_u32(node, "i2c", &i2c_phandle)) {
+		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "could not get i2c bus phandle\n");
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	i2c_node = of_find_node_by_phandle(i2c_phandle);
+	if (!i2c_node) {
+		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "could not get i2c bus node\n");
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	/* but defer the probe if it can't be initialized it might come later */
+	slavei2c = of_find_i2c_adapter_by_node(i2c_node);
+	of_node_put(i2c_node);
+
+	if (!slavei2c) {
+		ret = -EPROBE_DEFER;
+		tilcdc_slave_probedefer(true);
+		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "could not get i2c\n");
+		return ret;
+	}
+
 	slave_mod = kzalloc(sizeof(*slave_mod), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!slave_mod)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	mod = &slave_mod->base;
 
+	mod->preferred_bpp = slave_info.bpp;
+
+	slave_mod->i2c = slavei2c;
+
 	tilcdc_module_init(mod, "slave", &slave_module_ops);
 
 	pinctrl = devm_pinctrl_get_select_default(&pdev->dev);
 	if (IS_ERR(pinctrl))
 		dev_warn(&pdev->dev, "pins are not configured\n");
 
-	if (of_property_read_u32(node, "i2c", &i2c_phandle)) {
-		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "could not get i2c bus phandle\n");
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
-	mod->preferred_bpp = slave_info.bpp;
-
-	i2c_node = of_find_node_by_phandle(i2c_phandle);
-	if (!i2c_node) {
-		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "could not get i2c bus node\n");
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
-	slave_mod->i2c = of_find_i2c_adapter_by_node(i2c_node);
-	if (!slave_mod->i2c) {
-		dev_err(&pdev->dev, "could not get i2c\n");
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
-	of_node_put(i2c_node);
+	tilcdc_slave_probedefer(false);
 
 	return 0;
-
-fail:
-	slave_destroy(mod);
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static int slave_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)