diff --git a/.pick_status.json b/.pick_status.json
index 8d29a58c2ad..824a208e71e 100644
--- a/.pick_status.json
+++ b/.pick_status.json
@@ -2065,7 +2065,7 @@
         "description": "vulkan/wsi/x11: do not inherit last_present_mode",
         "nominated": true,
         "nomination_type": 1,
-        "resolution": 0,
+        "resolution": 1,
         "main_sha": null,
         "because_sha": "61309c2a727d52d543207d6ae79fcb3e68b5cff3"
     },
diff --git a/src/vulkan/wsi/wsi_common_x11.c b/src/vulkan/wsi/wsi_common_x11.c
index 54769b81ccc..8476819bc97 100644
--- a/src/vulkan/wsi/wsi_common_x11.c
+++ b/src/vulkan/wsi/wsi_common_x11.c
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ struct x11_swapchain {
    bool                                         has_present_queue;
    bool                                         has_acquire_queue;
    VkResult                                     status;
-   xcb_present_complete_mode_t                  last_present_mode;
+   bool                                         copy_is_suboptimal;
    struct wsi_queue                             present_queue;
    struct wsi_queue                             acquire_queue;
    pthread_t                                    queue_manager;
@@ -919,25 +919,30 @@ x11_handle_dri3_present_event(struct x11_swapchain *chain,
          chain->last_present_msc = complete->msc;
 
       VkResult result = VK_SUCCESS;
-
-      /* The winsys is now trying to flip directly and cannot due to our
-       * configuration. Request the user reallocate.
-       */
+      switch (complete->mode) {
+      case XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_COPY:
+         if (chain->copy_is_suboptimal)
+            result = VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR;
+         break;
+      case XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_FLIP:
+         /* If we ever go from flipping to copying, the odds are very likely
+          * that we could reallocate in a more optimal way if we didn't have
+          * to care about scanout, so we always do this.
+          */
+         chain->copy_is_suboptimal = true;
+         break;
 #ifdef HAVE_DRI3_MODIFIERS
-      if (complete->mode == XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_SUBOPTIMAL_COPY &&
-          chain->last_present_mode != XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_SUBOPTIMAL_COPY)
+      case XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_SUBOPTIMAL_COPY:
+         /* The winsys is now trying to flip directly and cannot due to our
+          * configuration. Request the user reallocate.
+          */
          result = VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR;
+         break;
 #endif
+      default:
+         break;
+      }
 
-      /* When we go from flipping to copying, the odds are very likely that
-       * we could reallocate in a more optimal way if we didn't have to care
-       * about scanout, so we always do this.
-       */
-      if (complete->mode == XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_COPY &&
-          chain->last_present_mode == XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_FLIP)
-         result = VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR;
-
-      chain->last_present_mode = complete->mode;
       return result;
    }
 
@@ -1611,17 +1616,15 @@ x11_surface_create_swapchain(VkIcdSurfaceBase *icd_surface,
    chain->status = VK_SUCCESS;
    chain->has_dri3_modifiers = wsi_conn->has_dri3_modifiers;
 
-   /* If we are reallocating from an old swapchain, then we inherit its
-    * last completion mode, to ensure we don't get into reallocation
-    * cycles. If we are starting anew, we set 'COPY', as that is the only
-    * mode which provokes reallocation when anything changes, to make
-    * sure we have the most optimal allocation.
+   /* We used to inherit copy_is_suboptimal from pCreateInfo->oldSwapchain.
+    * When it was true, and when the next present was completed with copying,
+    * we would return VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR and hint the app to reallocate again
+    * for no good reason.  If all following presents on the surface were
+    * completed with copying because of some surface state change, we would
+    * always return VK_SUBOPTIMAL_KHR no matter how many times the app had
+    * reallocated.
     */
-   VK_FROM_HANDLE(x11_swapchain, old_chain, pCreateInfo->oldSwapchain);
-   if (old_chain)
-      chain->last_present_mode = old_chain->last_present_mode;
-   else
-      chain->last_present_mode = XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_COPY;
+   chain->copy_is_suboptimal = false;
 
    if (!wsi_device->sw)
       if (!wsi_x11_check_dri3_compatible(wsi_device, conn))