diff --git a/src/Backends/DRMBackend.cpp b/src/Backends/DRMBackend.cpp
index 731825456b..9ab0bf67c0 100644
--- a/src/Backends/DRMBackend.cpp
+++ b/src/Backends/DRMBackend.cpp
@@ -1221,17 +1221,18 @@ bool init_drm(struct drm_t *drm, int width, int height, int refresh)
 	}
 
 	drm->fd = wlsession_open_kms( drm->device_name );
-	if ( drm->fd < 0 )
+	if ( drm->fd < 0 && drm->device_name )
 	{
-		drm_log.errorf("Could not open KMS device");
-		return false;
+		drm_log.infof("retrying with an arbitrary DRM device");
+		free( drm->device_name );
+		drm->device_name = nullptr;
+		drm->fd = wlsession_open_kms( nullptr );
 	}
 
-	if ( !drmIsKMS( drm->fd ) )
+	if ( drm->fd < 0 )
 	{
-		drm_log.errorf( "'%s' is not a KMS device", drm->device_name );
-		wlsession_close_kms();
-		return -1;
+		drm_log.errorf("Could not open KMS device");
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	if (drmSetClientCap(drm->fd, DRM_CLIENT_CAP_ATOMIC, 1) != 0) {
diff --git a/src/wlserver.cpp b/src/wlserver.cpp
index 1631ca780d..2c09188072 100644
--- a/src/wlserver.cpp
+++ b/src/wlserver.cpp
@@ -1686,6 +1686,12 @@ int wlsession_open_kms( const char *device_name ) {
 		wlserver.wlr.device = wlr_session_open_file( wlserver.wlr.session, device_name );
 		if ( wlserver.wlr.device == nullptr )
 			return -1;
+		if ( !drmIsKMS(wlserver.wlr.device->fd) ) {
+			wl_log.errorf( "'%s' is not a KMS device", device_name );
+			wlr_session_close_file( wlserver.wlr.session, wlserver.wlr.device );
+			wlserver.wlr.device = nullptr;
+			return -1;
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{