diff --git a/backend/drm/atomic.c b/backend/drm/atomic.c
index 037c3c23a..c1e5b8026 100644
--- a/backend/drm/atomic.c
+++ b/backend/drm/atomic.c
@@ -525,6 +525,33 @@ out:
 	return ok;
 }
 
+bool drm_atomic_reset(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
+	struct atomic atom;
+	atomic_begin(&atom);
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_crtcs; i++) {
+		struct wlr_drm_crtc *crtc = &drm->crtcs[i];
+		atomic_add(&atom, crtc->id, crtc->props.mode_id, 0);
+		atomic_add(&atom, crtc->id, crtc->props.active, 0);
+	}
+
+	struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
+	wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
+		atomic_add(&atom, conn->id, conn->props.crtc_id, 0);
+	}
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_planes; i++) {
+		plane_disable(&atom, &drm->planes[i]);
+	}
+
+	uint32_t flags = DRM_MODE_ATOMIC_ALLOW_MODESET;
+	bool ok = atomic_commit(&atom, drm, NULL, NULL, flags);
+	atomic_finish(&atom);
+
+	return ok;
+}
+
 const struct wlr_drm_interface atomic_iface = {
 	.commit = atomic_device_commit,
+	.reset = drm_atomic_reset,
 };
diff --git a/backend/drm/backend.c b/backend/drm/backend.c
index 5a545b192..3569885f9 100644
--- a/backend/drm/backend.c
+++ b/backend/drm/backend.c
@@ -112,18 +112,11 @@ static void handle_session_active(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 	wlr_log(WLR_INFO, "DRM FD %s", session->active ? "resumed" : "paused");
 
 	if (!session->active) {
-		// Disconnect any active connectors so that the client will modeset and
-		// rerender when the session is activated again.
-		struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
-		wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
-			if (conn->status == DRM_MODE_CONNECTED) {
-				wlr_output_destroy(&conn->output);
-			}
-		}
 		return;
 	}
 
 	scan_drm_connectors(drm, NULL);
+	restore_drm_device(drm);
 }
 
 static void handle_dev_change(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
diff --git a/backend/drm/drm.c b/backend/drm/drm.c
index 054c24a4b..637618128 100644
--- a/backend/drm/drm.c
+++ b/backend/drm/drm.c
@@ -1888,6 +1888,108 @@ void scan_drm_leases(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
 	drmFree(list);
 }
 
+static void build_current_connector_state(struct wlr_output_state *state,
+		struct wlr_drm_connector *conn) {
+	bool enabled = conn->status != DRM_MODE_DISCONNECTED && conn->output.enabled;
+
+	wlr_output_state_init(state);
+	wlr_output_state_set_enabled(state, enabled);
+	if (!enabled) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (conn->output.current_mode != NULL) {
+		wlr_output_state_set_mode(state, conn->output.current_mode);
+	} else {
+		wlr_output_state_set_custom_mode(state,
+			conn->output.width, conn->output.height, conn->output.refresh);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check whether we need to perform a full reset after a VT switch.
+ *
+ * If any connector or plane has a different CRTC, we need to perform a full
+ * reset to restore our mapping. We couldn't avoid a full reset even if we
+ * used a single KMS atomic commit to apply our state: the kernel rejects
+ * commits which migrate a plane from one CRTC to another without going through
+ * an intermediate state where the plane is disabled.
+ */
+static bool skip_reset_for_restore(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
+	struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
+	wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
+		drmModeConnector *drm_conn = drmModeGetConnectorCurrent(drm->fd, conn->id);
+		if (drm_conn == NULL) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		struct wlr_drm_crtc *crtc = connector_get_current_crtc(conn, drm_conn);
+		drmModeFreeConnector(drm_conn);
+
+		if (crtc != NULL && conn->crtc != crtc) {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_planes; i++) {
+		struct wlr_drm_plane *plane = &drm->planes[i];
+
+		drmModePlane *drm_plane = drmModeGetPlane(drm->fd, plane->id);
+		if (drm_plane == NULL) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		uint32_t crtc_id = drm_plane->crtc_id;
+		drmModeFreePlane(drm_plane);
+
+		struct wlr_drm_crtc *crtc = NULL;
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_crtcs; i++) {
+			if (drm->crtcs[i].id == crtc_id) {
+				crtc = &drm->crtcs[i];
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (crtc == NULL) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		bool ok = false;
+		switch (plane->type) {
+		case DRM_PLANE_TYPE_PRIMARY:
+			ok = crtc->primary == plane;
+			break;
+		case DRM_PLANE_TYPE_CURSOR:
+			ok = crtc->cursor == plane;
+			break;
+		}
+		if (!ok) {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+void restore_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
+	// The previous DRM master leaves KMS in an undefined state. We need
+	// to restore our own state, but be careful to avoid invalid
+	// configurations. The connector/CRTC mapping may have changed, so
+	// first disable all CRTCs, then light up the ones we were using
+	// before the VT switch.
+	// TODO: better use the atomic API to improve restoration after a VT switch
+	if (!skip_reset_for_restore(drm) && !drm->iface->reset(drm)) {
+		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to reset state after VT switch");
+	}
+
+	struct wlr_drm_connector *conn;
+	wl_list_for_each(conn, &drm->connectors, link) {
+		struct wlr_output_state state;
+		build_current_connector_state(&state, conn);
+		if (!drm_connector_commit_state(conn, &state, false)) {
+			wlr_drm_conn_log(conn, WLR_ERROR, "Failed to restore state after VT switch");
+		}
+		wlr_output_state_finish(&state);
+	}
+}
+
 bool commit_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 		const struct wlr_backend_output_state *output_states, size_t output_states_len,
 		bool test_only) {
diff --git a/backend/drm/legacy.c b/backend/drm/legacy.c
index d77c9d342..0e1230bfc 100644
--- a/backend/drm/legacy.c
+++ b/backend/drm/legacy.c
@@ -272,6 +272,20 @@ bool drm_legacy_crtc_set_gamma(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 	return true;
 }
 
+static bool legacy_reset(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm) {
+	bool ok = true;
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < drm->num_crtcs; i++) {
+		struct wlr_drm_crtc *crtc = &drm->crtcs[i];
+		if (drmModeSetCrtc(drm->fd, crtc->id, 0, 0, 0, NULL, 0, NULL) != 0) {
+			wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "Failed to disable CRTC %"PRIu32,
+				crtc->id);
+			ok = false;
+		}
+	}
+	return ok;
+}
+
 const struct wlr_drm_interface legacy_iface = {
 	.commit = legacy_commit,
+	.reset = legacy_reset,
 };
diff --git a/backend/drm/libliftoff.c b/backend/drm/libliftoff.c
index 12761afd4..042de940b 100644
--- a/backend/drm/libliftoff.c
+++ b/backend/drm/libliftoff.c
@@ -507,4 +507,5 @@ const struct wlr_drm_interface liftoff_iface = {
 	.init = init,
 	.finish = finish,
 	.commit = commit,
+	.reset = drm_atomic_reset,
 };
diff --git a/include/backend/drm/drm.h b/include/backend/drm/drm.h
index 9409b7b10..a100aebe4 100644
--- a/include/backend/drm/drm.h
+++ b/include/backend/drm/drm.h
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ void scan_drm_connectors(struct wlr_drm_backend *state,
 void scan_drm_leases(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm);
 bool commit_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 	const struct wlr_backend_output_state *states, size_t states_len, bool test_only);
+void restore_drm_device(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm);
 int handle_drm_event(int fd, uint32_t mask, void *data);
 void destroy_drm_connector(struct wlr_drm_connector *conn);
 bool drm_connector_is_cursor_visible(struct wlr_drm_connector *conn);
diff --git a/include/backend/drm/iface.h b/include/backend/drm/iface.h
index bc9610589..1ac1095a8 100644
--- a/include/backend/drm/iface.h
+++ b/include/backend/drm/iface.h
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ struct wlr_drm_interface {
 	bool (*commit)(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 		const struct wlr_drm_device_state *state,
 		struct wlr_drm_page_flip *page_flip, uint32_t flags, bool test_only);
+	// Turn off everything
+	bool (*reset)(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm);
 };
 
 extern const struct wlr_drm_interface atomic_iface;