diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/Kconfig.debug b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/Kconfig.debug
index 04b686d2c2d0..09aa0f4c8bf1 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/Kconfig.debug
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/Kconfig.debug
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ config DRM_I915_DEBUG
 	select DRM_I915_SW_FENCE_DEBUG_OBJECTS
 	select DRM_I915_SELFTEST
 	select DRM_I915_DEBUG_RUNTIME_PM
+	select DRM_I915_DEBUG_MMIO
         default n
         help
           Choose this option to turn on extra driver debugging that may affect
@@ -41,6 +42,19 @@ config DRM_I915_DEBUG
 
           If in doubt, say "N".
 
+config DRM_I915_DEBUG_MMIO
+	bool "Always insert extra checks around mmio access by default"
+	default n
+	help
+	  By default, always enables the extra sanity checks (extra register
+	  reads) around every mmio (register) access that will slow the system
+	  down. This sets the default value of i915.mmio_debug to -1 and can
+	  be overridden at module load.
+
+	  Recommended for driver developers only.
+
+	  If in doubt, say "N".
+
 config DRM_I915_DEBUG_GEM
         bool "Insert extra checks into the GEM internals"
         default n
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_params.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_params.h
index 3f14e9881a0d..cf9d0be49a38 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_params.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/i915_params.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ struct drm_printer;
 	param(char *, guc_firmware_path, NULL) \
 	param(char *, huc_firmware_path, NULL) \
 	param(char *, dmc_firmware_path, NULL) \
-	param(int, mmio_debug, 0) \
+	param(int, mmio_debug, -IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DRM_I915_DEBUG_MMIO)) \
 	param(int, edp_vswing, 0) \
 	param(int, reset, 2) \
 	param(unsigned int, inject_load_failure, 0) \