diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-kms-device.c b/src/backends/native/meta-kms-device.c
index b5b50d602..9084d248f 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-kms-device.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-kms-device.c
@@ -281,22 +281,12 @@ meta_create_kms_impl_device (MetaKmsDevice  *device,
 {
   GType impl_device_type;
   gboolean supports_atomic_mode_setting;
-  int ret;
   g_autofree char *driver_name = NULL;
   g_autofree char *driver_description = NULL;
   const char *atomic_kms_enable_env;
 
   meta_assert_in_kms_impl (meta_kms_impl_get_kms (impl));
 
-  ret = drmSetClientCap (fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_UNIVERSAL_PLANES, 1);
-  if (ret != 0)
-    {
-      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, g_io_error_from_errno (-ret),
-                   "Failed to activate universal planes: %s",
-                   g_strerror (-ret));
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
   if (!get_driver_info (fd, &driver_name, &driver_description))
     {
       driver_name = g_strdup ("unknown");
@@ -340,6 +330,8 @@ meta_create_kms_impl_device (MetaKmsDevice  *device,
     }
   else
     {
+      int ret;
+
       ret = drmSetClientCap (fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_ATOMIC, 1);
       if (ret == 0)
         supports_atomic_mode_setting = TRUE;
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-kms-impl-device.c b/src/backends/native/meta-kms-impl-device.c
index 1f72de75b..f2a000fd1 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-kms-impl-device.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-kms-impl-device.c
@@ -787,8 +787,18 @@ meta_kms_impl_device_init_mode_setting (MetaKmsImplDevice  *impl_device,
 {
   MetaKmsImplDevicePrivate *priv =
     meta_kms_impl_device_get_instance_private (impl_device);
+  int ret;
   drmModeRes *drm_resources;
 
+  ret = drmSetClientCap (priv->fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_UNIVERSAL_PLANES, 1);
+  if (ret != 0)
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, g_io_error_from_errno (-ret),
+                   "Failed to activate universal planes: %s",
+                   g_strerror (-ret));
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
   drm_resources = drmModeGetResources (priv->fd);
   if (!drm_resources)
     {