diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_backlight.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_backlight.c
index 01d08acac2f0..5f5be6368aed 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_backlight.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau_backlight.c
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ nouveau_get_backlight_name(char backlight_name[BL_NAME_SIZE],
 static int
 nv40_get_intensity(struct backlight_device *bd)
 {
-	struct nouveau_drm *drm = bl_get_data(bd);
+	struct nouveau_encoder *nv_encoder = bl_get_data(bd);
+	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(nv_encoder->base.base.dev);
 	struct nvif_object *device = &drm->client.device.object;
 	int val = (nvif_rd32(device, NV40_PMC_BACKLIGHT) &
 		   NV40_PMC_BACKLIGHT_MASK) >> 16;
@@ -76,7 +77,8 @@ nv40_get_intensity(struct backlight_device *bd)
 static int
 nv40_set_intensity(struct backlight_device *bd)
 {
-	struct nouveau_drm *drm = bl_get_data(bd);
+	struct nouveau_encoder *nv_encoder = bl_get_data(bd);
+	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(nv_encoder->base.base.dev);
 	struct nvif_object *device = &drm->client.device.object;
 	int val = bd->props.brightness;
 	int reg = nvif_rd32(device, NV40_PMC_BACKLIGHT);
@@ -94,48 +96,20 @@ static const struct backlight_ops nv40_bl_ops = {
 };
 
 static int
-nv40_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
+nv40_backlight_init(struct nouveau_encoder *encoder,
+		    struct backlight_properties *props,
+		    const struct backlight_ops **ops)
 {
-	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(connector->dev);
-	struct nouveau_backlight *bl;
+	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(encoder->base.base.dev);
 	struct nvif_object *device = &drm->client.device.object;
-	struct backlight_properties props;
-	char backlight_name[BL_NAME_SIZE];
-	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (!(nvif_rd32(device, NV40_PMC_BACKLIGHT) & NV40_PMC_BACKLIGHT_MASK))
-		return 0;
-
-	bl = kzalloc(sizeof(*bl), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!bl)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
-	memset(&props, 0, sizeof(struct backlight_properties));
-	props.type = BACKLIGHT_RAW;
-	props.max_brightness = 31;
-	if (!nouveau_get_backlight_name(backlight_name, bl)) {
-		NV_ERROR(drm, "Failed to retrieve a unique name for the backlight interface\n");
-		goto fail_alloc;
-	}
-
-	bl->dev = backlight_device_register(backlight_name, connector->kdev,
-					    drm, &nv40_bl_ops, &props);
-	if (IS_ERR(bl->dev)) {
-		if (bl->id >= 0)
-			ida_simple_remove(&bl_ida, bl->id);
-
-		ret = PTR_ERR(bl->dev);
-		goto fail_alloc;
-	}
-
-	nouveau_connector(connector)->backlight = bl;
-	bl->dev->props.brightness = nv40_get_intensity(bl->dev);
-	backlight_update_status(bl->dev);
+		return -ENODEV;
 
+	props->type = BACKLIGHT_RAW;
+	props->max_brightness = 31;
+	*ops = &nv40_bl_ops;
 	return 0;
-fail_alloc:
-	kfree(bl);
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -221,41 +195,79 @@ static const struct backlight_ops nva3_bl_ops = {
 };
 
 static int
-nv50_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
+nv50_backlight_init(struct nouveau_encoder *nv_encoder,
+		    struct backlight_properties *props,
+		    const struct backlight_ops **ops)
 {
-	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(connector->dev);
+	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(nv_encoder->base.base.dev);
 	struct nvif_object *device = &drm->client.device.object;
-	struct nouveau_encoder *nv_encoder;
-	struct nouveau_backlight *bl;
-	struct backlight_properties props;
-	const struct backlight_ops *ops;
-	char backlight_name[BL_NAME_SIZE];
-	int ret = 0;
-
-	nv_encoder = find_encoder(connector, DCB_OUTPUT_LVDS);
-	if (!nv_encoder) {
-		nv_encoder = find_encoder(connector, DCB_OUTPUT_DP);
-		if (!nv_encoder)
-			return -ENODEV;
-	}
 
 	if (!nvif_rd32(device, NV50_PDISP_SOR_PWM_CTL(ffs(nv_encoder->dcb->or) - 1)))
+		return -ENODEV;
+
+	if (drm->client.device.info.chipset <= 0xa0 ||
+	    drm->client.device.info.chipset == 0xaa ||
+	    drm->client.device.info.chipset == 0xac)
+		*ops = &nv50_bl_ops;
+	else
+		*ops = &nva3_bl_ops;
+
+	props->type = BACKLIGHT_RAW;
+	props->max_brightness = 100;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+nouveau_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
+{
+	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(connector->dev);
+	struct nouveau_backlight *bl;
+	struct nouveau_encoder *nv_encoder = NULL;
+	struct nvif_device *device = &drm->client.device;
+	char backlight_name[BL_NAME_SIZE];
+	struct backlight_properties props = {0};
+	const struct backlight_ops *ops;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (apple_gmux_present()) {
+		NV_INFO_ONCE(drm, "Apple GMUX detected: not registering Nouveau backlight interface\n");
 		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (connector->connector_type == DRM_MODE_CONNECTOR_LVDS)
+		nv_encoder = find_encoder(connector, DCB_OUTPUT_LVDS);
+	else if (connector->connector_type == DRM_MODE_CONNECTOR_eDP)
+		nv_encoder = find_encoder(connector, DCB_OUTPUT_DP);
+	else
+		return 0;
+
+	if (!nv_encoder)
+		return 0;
+
+	switch (device->info.family) {
+	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_CURIE:
+		ret = nv40_backlight_init(nv_encoder, &props, &ops);
+		break;
+	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_TESLA:
+	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_FERMI:
+	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_KEPLER:
+	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_MAXWELL:
+		ret = nv50_backlight_init(nv_encoder, &props, &ops);
+		break;
+	default:
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (ret == -ENODEV)
+		return 0;
+	else if (ret)
+		return ret;
 
 	bl = kzalloc(sizeof(*bl), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!bl)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (drm->client.device.info.chipset <= 0xa0 ||
-	    drm->client.device.info.chipset == 0xaa ||
-	    drm->client.device.info.chipset == 0xac)
-		ops = &nv50_bl_ops;
-	else
-		ops = &nva3_bl_ops;
-
-	memset(&props, 0, sizeof(struct backlight_properties));
-	props.type = BACKLIGHT_RAW;
-	props.max_brightness = 100;
 	if (!nouveau_get_backlight_name(backlight_name, bl)) {
 		NV_ERROR(drm, "Failed to retrieve a unique name for the backlight interface\n");
 		goto fail_alloc;
@@ -266,7 +278,6 @@ nv50_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
 	if (IS_ERR(bl->dev)) {
 		if (bl->id >= 0)
 			ida_simple_remove(&bl_ida, bl->id);
-
 		ret = PTR_ERR(bl->dev);
 		goto fail_alloc;
 	}
@@ -274,6 +285,7 @@ nv50_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
 	nouveau_connector(connector)->backlight = bl;
 	bl->dev->props.brightness = bl->dev->ops->get_brightness(bl->dev);
 	backlight_update_status(bl->dev);
+
 	return 0;
 
 fail_alloc:
@@ -281,34 +293,6 @@ nv50_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int
-nouveau_backlight_init(struct drm_connector *connector)
-{
-	struct nouveau_drm *drm = nouveau_drm(connector->dev);
-	struct nvif_device *device = &drm->client.device;
-
-	if (apple_gmux_present()) {
-		NV_INFO_ONCE(drm, "Apple GMUX detected: not registering Nouveau backlight interface\n");
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (connector->connector_type != DRM_MODE_CONNECTOR_LVDS &&
-	    connector->connector_type != DRM_MODE_CONNECTOR_eDP)
-		return 0;
-
-	switch (device->info.family) {
-	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_CURIE:
-		return nv40_backlight_init(connector);
-	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_TESLA:
-	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_FERMI:
-	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_KEPLER:
-	case NV_DEVICE_INFO_V0_MAXWELL:
-		return nv50_backlight_init(connector);
-	default:
-		return 0;
-	}
-}
-
 void
 nouveau_backlight_fini(struct drm_connector *connector)
 {