diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_panel.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_panel.c
index 545fe93dc28fe..a00ae98ed0956 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_panel.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_panel.c
@@ -458,14 +458,17 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(__devm_drm_panel_alloc);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_OF
 /**
- * of_drm_find_panel - look up a panel using a device tree node
+ * of_drm_find_panel - look up and reference a panel by device tree node
  * @np: device tree node of the panel
  *
  * Searches the set of registered panels for one that matches the given device
- * tree node. If a matching panel is found, return a pointer to it.
+ * tree node. If a matching panel is found, the panel's reference count is
+ * incremented before returning a pointer to it. The caller must call
+ * drm_panel_put() when it no longer needs the panel pointer.
  *
- * Return: A pointer to the panel registered for the specified device tree
- * node or an ERR_PTR() if no panel matching the device tree node can be found.
+ * Return: A reference-counted pointer to the panel registered for the specified
+ * device tree node or an ERR_PTR() if no panel matching the device tree node
+ * can be found.
  *
  * Possible error codes returned by this function:
  *
@@ -484,6 +487,7 @@ struct drm_panel *of_drm_find_panel(const struct device_node *np)
 
 	list_for_each_entry(panel, &panel_list, list) {
 		if (panel->dev->of_node == np) {
+			drm_panel_get(panel);
 			mutex_unlock(&panel_lock);
 			return panel;
 		}
@@ -538,7 +542,13 @@ int of_drm_get_panel_orientation(const struct device_node *np,
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(of_drm_get_panel_orientation);
 #endif
 
-/* Find panel by fwnode. This should be identical to of_drm_find_panel(). */
+/*
+ * Find panel by fwnode, returning a counted reference.
+ *
+ * Behaves identically to of_drm_find_panel(). On success the returned
+ * pointer has been passed through drm_panel_get(); the caller must call
+ * drm_panel_put() when done with it.
+ */
 static struct drm_panel *find_panel_by_fwnode(const struct fwnode_handle *fwnode)
 {
 	struct drm_panel *panel;
@@ -550,6 +560,7 @@ static struct drm_panel *find_panel_by_fwnode(const struct fwnode_handle *fwnode
 
 	list_for_each_entry(panel, &panel_list, list) {
 		if (dev_fwnode(panel->dev) == fwnode) {
+			drm_panel_get(panel);
 			mutex_unlock(&panel_lock);
 			return panel;
 		}
@@ -686,6 +697,7 @@ void drm_panel_remove_follower(struct drm_panel_follower *follower)
 	mutex_unlock(&panel->follower_lock);
 
 	put_device(panel->dev);
+	drm_panel_put(panel);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(drm_panel_remove_follower);