diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/panel/panel-ilitek-ili9881c.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/panel/panel-ilitek-ili9881c.c
index 6e03d9b0be60c..c2afc4368553a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/panel/panel-ilitek-ili9881c.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/panel/panel-ilitek-ili9881c.c
@@ -888,6 +888,7 @@ static int ili9881c_dsi_probe(struct mipi_dsi_device *dsi)
 	ctx->dsi = dsi;
 	ctx->desc = of_device_get_match_data(&dsi->dev);
 
+	ctx->panel.prepare_upstream_first = true;
 	drm_panel_init(&ctx->panel, &dsi->dev, &ili9881c_funcs,
 		       DRM_MODE_CONNECTOR_DSI);
 
@@ -913,7 +914,11 @@ static int ili9881c_dsi_probe(struct mipi_dsi_device *dsi)
 	dsi->format = MIPI_DSI_FMT_RGB888;
 	dsi->lanes = 4;
 
-	return mipi_dsi_attach(dsi);
+	ret = mipi_dsi_attach(dsi);
+	if (ret)
+		drm_panel_remove(&ctx->panel);
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int ili9881c_dsi_remove(struct mipi_dsi_device *dsi)