diff --git a/render/drm_syncobj.c b/render/drm_syncobj.c
index 2abe2cff6..15f71c536 100644
--- a/render/drm_syncobj.c
+++ b/render/drm_syncobj.c
@@ -222,14 +222,8 @@ bool wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter_init(struct wlr_drm_syncobj_timeline_waiter
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	struct drm_syncobj_eventfd syncobj_eventfd = {
-		.handle = timeline->handle,
-		.flags = flags,
-		.point = point,
-		.fd = ev_fd,
-	};
-	if (drmIoctl(timeline->drm_fd, DRM_IOCTL_SYNCOBJ_EVENTFD, &syncobj_eventfd) != 0) {
-		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "DRM_IOCTL_SYNCOBJ_EVENTFD failed");
+	if (drmSyncobjEventfd(timeline->drm_fd, timeline->handle, point, ev_fd, flags) != 0) {
+		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "drmSyncobjEventfd() failed");
 		close(ev_fd);
 		return false;
 	}