diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic_helper.c
index 27dc6838533ab7529f86069830a2cc97aa71c471..15cc189ed1a33c24010ef6aa8a192c5a5dd632e8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic_helper.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic_helper.c
@@ -907,6 +907,12 @@ disable_outputs(struct drm_device *dev, struct drm_atomic_state *old_state)
  *
  * Drivers can use this for building their own atomic commit if they don't have
  * a pure helper-based modeset implementation.
+ *
+ * Since these updates are not synchronized with lockings, only code paths
+ * called from &drm_mode_config_helper_funcs.atomic_commit_tail can look at the
+ * legacy state filled out by this helper. Defacto this means this helper and
+ * the legacy state pointers are only really useful for transitioning an
+ * existing driver to the atomic world.
  */
 void
 drm_atomic_helper_update_legacy_modeset_state(struct drm_device *dev,
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_connector.h b/include/drm/drm_connector.h
index b34904dc8b9beb5ca068b6ebd63ae4cb03a97665..b81b7fb846f9bfca0fc95aec44ed509c328187a0 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_connector.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_connector.h
@@ -699,7 +699,6 @@ struct drm_cmdline_mode {
  * @force: a DRM_FORCE_<foo> state for forced mode sets
  * @override_edid: has the EDID been overwritten through debugfs for testing?
  * @encoder_ids: valid encoders for this connector
- * @encoder: encoder driving this connector, if any
  * @eld: EDID-like data, if present
  * @latency_present: AV delay info from ELD, if found
  * @video_latency: video latency info from ELD, if found
@@ -869,7 +868,13 @@ struct drm_connector {
 
 #define DRM_CONNECTOR_MAX_ENCODER 3
 	uint32_t encoder_ids[DRM_CONNECTOR_MAX_ENCODER];
-	struct drm_encoder *encoder; /* currently active encoder */
+	/**
+	 * @encoder: Currently bound encoder driving this connector, if any.
+	 * Only really meaningful for non-atomic drivers. Atomic drivers should
+	 * instead look at &drm_connector_state.best_encoder, and in case they
+	 * need the CRTC driving this output, &drm_connector_state.crtc.
+	 */
+	struct drm_encoder *encoder;
 
 #define MAX_ELD_BYTES	128
 	/* EDID bits */
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_encoder.h b/include/drm/drm_encoder.h
index 8d8245ec0181d043324f86ea15b22a63ce12c227..c3ca2278ea6e35e109e73e032a290541d4f335a3 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_encoder.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_encoder.h
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ struct drm_encoder_funcs {
  * @head: list management
  * @base: base KMS object
  * @name: human readable name, can be overwritten by the driver
- * @crtc: currently bound CRTC
  * @bridge: bridge associated to the encoder
  * @funcs: control functions
  * @helper_private: mid-layer private data
@@ -166,6 +165,11 @@ struct drm_encoder {
 	 */
 	uint32_t possible_clones;
 
+	/**
+	 * @crtc: Currently bound CRTC, only really meaningful for non-atomic
+	 * drivers.  Atomic drivers should instead check
+	 * &drm_connector_state.crtc.
+	 */
 	struct drm_crtc *crtc;
 	struct drm_bridge *bridge;
 	const struct drm_encoder_funcs *funcs;
diff --git a/include/drm/drm_plane.h b/include/drm/drm_plane.h
index 82a217bd77f05a8014f364b0e434ea486e665b61..68bf66473faa626049f353a4101e5d351722331e 100644
--- a/include/drm/drm_plane.h
+++ b/include/drm/drm_plane.h
@@ -474,8 +474,6 @@ enum drm_plane_type {
  * @format_types: array of formats supported by this plane
  * @format_count: number of formats supported
  * @format_default: driver hasn't supplied supported formats for the plane
- * @crtc: currently bound CRTC
- * @fb: currently bound fb
  * @old_fb: Temporary tracking of the old fb while a modeset is ongoing. Used by
  * 	drm_mode_set_config_internal() to implement correct refcounting.
  * @funcs: helper functions
@@ -512,7 +510,17 @@ struct drm_plane {
 	uint64_t *modifiers;
 	unsigned int modifier_count;
 
+	/**
+	 * @crtc: Currently bound CRTC, only really meaningful for non-atomic
+	 * drivers.  Atomic drivers should instead check &drm_plane_state.crtc.
+	 */
 	struct drm_crtc *crtc;
+
+	/**
+	 * @fb: Currently bound framebuffer, only really meaningful for
+	 * non-atomic drivers.  Atomic drivers should instead check
+	 * &drm_plane_state.fb.
+	 */
 	struct drm_framebuffer *fb;
 
 	struct drm_framebuffer *old_fb;