diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm-gbm.c b/libweston/backend-drm/drm-gbm.c
index 25a9cf858..f3caa035e 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm-gbm.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm-gbm.c
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ drm_output_pick_format_egl(struct drm_output *output)
 	}
 
 	if (min_bpc != 0) {
-		if (b->has_underlay) {
+		if (output->has_underlay) {
 			output->format =
 				find_compatible_format(compositor, &supported_formats,
 						       min_bpc, component_type,
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ drm_output_pick_format_egl(struct drm_output *output)
 			weston_log("Disabling underlay planes: EGL GBM or the primary plane for output '%s'\n" \
 				   "does not support format with min bpc %u and alpha channel.\n",
 				   output->base.name, min_bpc);
-			b->has_underlay = false;
+			output->has_underlay = false;
 		}
 
 		output->format =
@@ -486,11 +486,11 @@ drm_output_pick_format_egl(struct drm_output *output)
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	if (b->has_underlay && (b->format->bits.a == 0)) {
+	if (output->has_underlay && (b->format->bits.a == 0)) {
 		weston_log("Disabling underlay planes: b->format %s does not have alpha channel,\n"
 			   "which is required to support underlay planes.\n",
 			   b->format->drm_format_name);
-		b->has_underlay = false;
+		output->has_underlay = false;
 	}
 
 	output->format = b->format;
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ drm_output_init_egl(struct drm_output *output, struct drm_backend *b)
 		return -1;
 
 	format[0] = output->format;
-	if (!b->has_underlay)
+	if (!output->has_underlay)
 		format[1] = fallback_format_for(output->format);
 
 	options.formats = format;
@@ -703,11 +703,11 @@ drm_output_pick_format_vulkan(struct drm_output *output)
 	assert(b->format);
 	output->format = b->format;
 
-	if (b->has_underlay && (output->format->bits.a == 0)) {
+	if (output->has_underlay && (output->format->bits.a == 0)) {
 		weston_log("Disabling underlay planes: output '%s' with format %s does not have alpha channel,\n"
 			   "which is required to support underlay planes.\n",
 			   output->base.name, output->format->drm_format_name);
-		b->has_underlay = false;
+		output->has_underlay = false;
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm-internal.h b/libweston/backend-drm/drm-internal.h
index 24ef662c4..1eceecdc5 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm-internal.h
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm-internal.h
@@ -266,9 +266,6 @@ struct drm_backend {
 
 	uint32_t pageflip_timeout;
 
-	/* True, if underlay planes exist. */
-	bool has_underlay;
-
 	struct weston_log_scope *debug;
 
 	struct {
@@ -448,8 +445,6 @@ struct drm_plane {
 	struct drm_device *device;
 
 	enum wdrm_plane_type type;
-	/* Whether this plane supports overlay, underlay, or both */
-	enum drm_plane_subtype subtype;
 
 	uint32_t possible_crtcs;
 	uint32_t plane_id;
@@ -476,6 +471,9 @@ struct drm_plane_handle {
 	struct drm_output *output;
 	struct drm_plane *plane;
 
+	/* Whether this plane supports overlay, underlay, or both */
+	enum drm_plane_subtype subtype;
+
 	struct wl_list link; /* drm_output::plane_handle_list */
 };
 
@@ -604,6 +602,9 @@ struct drm_output {
 	/* List of hardware planes this output can use */
 	struct wl_list plane_handle_list;
 
+	/* True, if underlay planes exist. */
+	bool has_underlay;
+
 	uint32_t gbm_cursor_handle[2];
 	struct drm_fb *gbm_cursor_fb[2];
 	struct drm_plane_handle *cursor_handle;
@@ -727,24 +728,29 @@ to_drm_mode(struct weston_mode *base)
 }
 
 static inline const char *
-drm_output_get_plane_type_name(struct drm_plane *p)
+drm_output_get_plane_type_name_internal(struct drm_plane *p, struct drm_plane_handle *h)
 {
+	assert(!p || !h);
+
+	if (h)
+		p = h->plane;
+
 	switch (p->type) {
 	case WDRM_PLANE_TYPE_PRIMARY:
 		return "primary";
 	case WDRM_PLANE_TYPE_CURSOR:
 		return "cursor";
 	case WDRM_PLANE_TYPE_OVERLAY:
-		switch (p->subtype) {
+		if (!h)
+			return "overlay(no subtype)";
+
+		switch (h->subtype) {
 		case PLANE_SUBTYPE_OVERLAY_ONLY:
 			return "overlay";
 		case PLANE_SUBTYPE_UNDERLAY_ONLY:
 			return "underlay";
 		case PLANE_SUBTYPE_BOTH:
 			return "over/underlay";
-		default:
-			assert(0);
-			break;
 		}
 		// fall through
 	default:
@@ -753,6 +759,18 @@ drm_output_get_plane_type_name(struct drm_plane *p)
 	}
 }
 
+static inline const char *
+drm_output_get_plane_type_name(struct drm_plane *p)
+{
+	return drm_output_get_plane_type_name_internal(p, NULL);
+}
+
+static inline const char *
+drm_output_get_handle_type_name(struct drm_plane_handle *h)
+{
+	return drm_output_get_plane_type_name_internal(NULL, h);
+}
+
 struct drm_crtc *
 drm_crtc_find(struct drm_device *device, uint32_t crtc_id);
 
diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
index 18a06a5f2..d68e38db4 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/drm.c
@@ -1574,13 +1574,12 @@ drm_plane_create_handle(struct drm_plane *plane, struct drm_output *output)
 static void
 create_sprites(struct drm_device *device)
 {
-	struct drm_backend *b = device->backend;
 	drmModePlaneRes *kplane_res;
 	drmModePlane *kplane;
 	struct drm_plane *drm_plane;
 	uint32_t i;
 	uint32_t next_plane_idx = 0;
-	uint64_t primary_plane_zpos_min = DRM_PLANE_ZPOS_INVALID_PLANE;
+
 	kplane_res = drmModeGetPlaneResources(device->kms_device->fd);
 
 	if (!kplane_res) {
@@ -1596,35 +1595,11 @@ create_sprites(struct drm_device *device)
 
 		drm_plane = drm_plane_create(device, kplane);
 		drmModeFreePlane(kplane);
-		if (!drm_plane)
-			continue;
-
-		if (drm_plane->type == WDRM_PLANE_TYPE_PRIMARY)
-			primary_plane_zpos_min = drm_plane->zpos_min;
 	}
 
-	wl_list_for_each (drm_plane, &device->plane_list, link) {
+	wl_list_for_each (drm_plane, &device->plane_list, link)
 		drm_plane->plane_idx = next_plane_idx++;
 
-		if (primary_plane_zpos_min == DRM_PLANE_ZPOS_INVALID_PLANE ||
-		    drm_plane->zpos_max == DRM_PLANE_ZPOS_INVALID_PLANE ||
-		    drm_plane->zpos_min == DRM_PLANE_ZPOS_INVALID_PLANE)
-			continue;
-
-		if (drm_plane->zpos_min < primary_plane_zpos_min &&
-		    drm_plane->zpos_max >= primary_plane_zpos_min) {
-			drm_plane->subtype = PLANE_SUBTYPE_BOTH;
-			b->has_underlay = true;
-		} else if (drm_plane->zpos_min < primary_plane_zpos_min &&
-			   drm_plane->zpos_max < primary_plane_zpos_min) {
-			drm_plane->subtype = PLANE_SUBTYPE_UNDERLAY_ONLY;
-			b->has_underlay = true;
-		} else {
-			drm_plane->subtype = PLANE_SUBTYPE_OVERLAY_ONLY;
-		}
-
-	}
-
 	drmModeFreePlaneResources(kplane_res);
 }
 
@@ -1895,12 +1870,12 @@ drm_output_pick_format_pixman(struct drm_output *output)
 
 	output->format = b->format;
 
-	if (b->has_underlay && (output->format->bits.a == 0)) {
+	if (output->has_underlay && (output->format->bits.a == 0)) {
 		weston_log("Disabling underlay planes: "
 			   "output '%s' with format %s does not have alpha channel, "
 			   "which is required to support underlay planes.\n",
 			   output->base.name, output->format->drm_format_name);
-		b->has_underlay = false;
+		output->has_underlay = false;
 	}
 
 	return true;
@@ -2582,6 +2557,8 @@ drm_output_init_planes(struct drm_output *output)
 {
 	struct drm_device *device = output->device;
 	struct drm_plane *plane, *scanout_plane, *cursor_plane;
+	struct drm_plane_handle *handle;
+	uint64_t primary_plane_zpos_min;
 
 	scanout_plane =	drm_output_find_special_plane(device, output,
 						      WDRM_PLANE_TYPE_PRIMARY);
@@ -2590,6 +2567,7 @@ drm_output_init_planes(struct drm_output *output)
 			   output->base.name);
 		return -1;
 	}
+	primary_plane_zpos_min = scanout_plane->zpos_min;
 
 	/* Failing to find a cursor plane is not fatal, as we'll fall back
 	 * to software cursor. */
@@ -2614,6 +2592,24 @@ drm_output_init_planes(struct drm_output *output)
 	assert(output->scanout_handle);
 	assert(!cursor_plane || output->cursor_handle);
 
+	output->has_underlay = false;
+	wl_list_for_each(handle, &output->plane_handle_list, link) {
+		plane = handle->plane;
+
+		if (plane->zpos_min < primary_plane_zpos_min &&
+		    plane->zpos_max >= primary_plane_zpos_min) {
+			handle->subtype = PLANE_SUBTYPE_BOTH;
+			output->has_underlay = true;
+		} else if (plane->zpos_min < primary_plane_zpos_min &&
+			   plane->zpos_max < primary_plane_zpos_min) {
+			handle->subtype = PLANE_SUBTYPE_UNDERLAY_ONLY;
+			output->has_underlay = true;
+		} else {
+			handle->subtype = PLANE_SUBTYPE_OVERLAY_ONLY;
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -4620,7 +4616,6 @@ drm_backend_create(struct weston_compositor *compositor,
 	b->pageflip_timeout = config->pageflip_timeout;
 	b->use_pixman_shadow = config->use_pixman_shadow;
 	b->offload_blend_to_output = config->offload_blend_to_output;
-	b->has_underlay = false;
 
 	b->debug = weston_compositor_add_log_scope(compositor, "drm-backend",
 						   "Debug messages from DRM/KMS backend\n",
diff --git a/libweston/backend-drm/state-propose.c b/libweston/backend-drm/state-propose.c
index 996ca5e16..9d3a41d2d 100644
--- a/libweston/backend-drm/state-propose.c
+++ b/libweston/backend-drm/state-propose.c
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ drm_output_prepare_cursor_paint_node(struct drm_output_state *output_state,
 	assert(!plane->state_cur->handle ||
 	       plane->state_cur->handle->output == output);
 
-	p_name = drm_output_get_plane_type_name(plane);
+	p_name = drm_output_get_handle_type_name(handle);
 
 	/* We use GBM to import SHM buffers. */
 	assert(b->gbm);
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ drm_output_find_plane_for_view(struct drm_output_state *state,
 	/* assemble a list with possible candidates */
 	wl_list_for_each(handle, &output->plane_handle_list, link) {
 		struct drm_plane *plane = handle->plane;
-		const char *p_name = drm_output_get_plane_type_name(plane);
+		const char *p_name = drm_output_get_handle_type_name(handle);
 		uint64_t zpos;
 		bool mm_underlay_only = false;
 
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ drm_output_find_plane_for_view(struct drm_output_state *state,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (!b->has_underlay && mm_underlay_only) {
+		if (!output->has_underlay && mm_underlay_only) {
 			drm_debug(b, "\t\t\t\t[plane] not adding plane %d to "
 				     "candidate list: plane is below the primary "
 				     "plane and backend format (%s) is opaque, "
@@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ drm_output_propose_state(struct weston_output *output_base,
 		pixman_region32_intersect(&tmp, &renderer_region,
 					  &pnode->clipped_view);
 		if (pixman_region32_not_empty(&tmp)) {
-			if (b->has_underlay) {
+			if (output->has_underlay) {
 				need_underlay = true;
 			} else {
 				pnode->try_view_on_plane_failure_reasons |=
@@ -1385,7 +1385,7 @@ drm_assign_planes(struct weston_output *output_base)
 		if (target_plane) {
 			drm_debug(b, "\t[repaint] view %s on %s plane %lu\n",
 				  ev->internal_name,
-				  drm_output_get_plane_type_name(target_plane),
+				  drm_output_get_handle_type_name(target_handle),
 				  (unsigned long) target_plane->plane_id);
 			weston_paint_node_move_to_plane(pnode, &target_plane->base);
 		} else {