diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_cmd.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_cmd.c
index 97823644d34743a285d025c810a5168ed8c8f142..f33251d67914cfcd42722ecc3b5bf2760f4256ff 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/qxl/qxl_cmd.c
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ int qxl_hw_surface_alloc(struct qxl_device *qdev,
 
 	cmd = (struct qxl_surface_cmd *)qxl_release_map(qdev, release);
 	cmd->type = QXL_SURFACE_CMD_CREATE;
+	cmd->flags = QXL_SURF_FLAG_KEEP_DATA;
 	cmd->u.surface_create.format = surf->surf.format;
 	cmd->u.surface_create.width = surf->surf.width;
 	cmd->u.surface_create.height = surf->surf.height;