diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.c
index 9d04f2b5225cf..ad93c35b4cf70 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static void ast_kick_out_firmware_fb(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 
 static int ast_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 {
+	struct ast_private *ast;
 	struct drm_device *dev;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -118,27 +119,23 @@ static int ast_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	dev = drm_dev_alloc(&ast_driver, &pdev->dev);
-	if (IS_ERR(dev))
-		return  PTR_ERR(dev);
-
-	dev->pdev = pdev;
-	pci_set_drvdata(pdev, dev);
-
-	ret = ast_driver_load(dev, ent->driver_data);
-	if (ret)
+	ast = ast_device_create(&ast_driver, pdev, ent->driver_data);
+	if (IS_ERR(ast)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(ast);
 		goto err_drm_dev_put;
+	}
+	dev = ast->dev;
 
 	ret = drm_dev_register(dev, ent->driver_data);
 	if (ret)
-		goto err_ast_driver_unload;
+		goto err_ast_device_destroy;
 
 	drm_fbdev_generic_setup(dev, 32);
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_ast_driver_unload:
-	ast_driver_unload(dev);
+err_ast_device_destroy:
+	ast_device_destroy(ast);
 err_drm_dev_put:
 	drm_dev_put(dev);
 	return ret;
@@ -147,9 +144,10 @@ static int ast_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 static void ast_pci_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
 {
 	struct drm_device *dev = pci_get_drvdata(pdev);
+	struct ast_private *ast = to_ast_private(dev);
 
 	drm_dev_unregister(dev);
-	ast_driver_unload(dev);
+	ast_device_destroy(ast);
 	drm_dev_put(dev);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.h
index e7564055fa70e..210d62f69fb91 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_drv.h
@@ -159,8 +159,10 @@ static inline struct ast_private *to_ast_private(struct drm_device *dev)
 	return dev->dev_private;
 }
 
-int ast_driver_load(struct drm_device *dev, unsigned long flags);
-void ast_driver_unload(struct drm_device *dev);
+struct ast_private *ast_device_create(struct drm_driver *drv,
+				      struct pci_dev *pdev,
+				      unsigned long flags);
+void ast_device_destroy(struct ast_private *ast);
 
 #define AST_IO_AR_PORT_WRITE		(0x40)
 #define AST_IO_MISC_PORT_WRITE		(0x42)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_main.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_main.c
index dd12b55d57a24..8d46166f84620 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_main.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/ast/ast_main.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <drm/drm_atomic_helper.h>
 #include <drm/drm_crtc_helper.h>
+#include <drm/drm_drv.h>
 #include <drm/drm_gem.h>
 #include <drm/drm_gem_vram_helper.h>
 
@@ -378,15 +379,25 @@ static int ast_get_dram_info(struct drm_device *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int ast_driver_load(struct drm_device *dev, unsigned long flags)
+struct ast_private *ast_device_create(struct drm_driver *drv,
+				      struct pci_dev *pdev,
+				      unsigned long flags)
 {
+	struct drm_device *dev;
 	struct ast_private *ast;
 	bool need_post;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	dev = drm_dev_alloc(drv, &pdev->dev);
+	if (IS_ERR(dev))
+		return ERR_CAST(dev);
+
+	dev->pdev = pdev;
+	pci_set_drvdata(pdev, dev);
+
 	ast = kzalloc(sizeof(struct ast_private), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!ast)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	dev->dev_private = ast;
 	ast->dev = dev;
@@ -435,16 +446,17 @@ int ast_driver_load(struct drm_device *dev, unsigned long flags)
 	if (ret)
 		goto out_free;
 
-	return 0;
+	return ast;
+
 out_free:
 	kfree(ast);
 	dev->dev_private = NULL;
-	return ret;
+	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
-void ast_driver_unload(struct drm_device *dev)
+void ast_device_destroy(struct ast_private *ast)
 {
-	struct ast_private *ast = to_ast_private(dev);
+	struct drm_device *dev = ast->dev;
 
 	/* enable standard VGA decode */
 	ast_set_index_reg(ast, AST_IO_CRTC_PORT, 0xa1, 0x04);