diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline.cpp
index 375c4e8fff..4ba9d0ff24 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline.cpp
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ void DrmPipeline::prepareAtomicPresentation()
         contentType->setEnum(m_pending.contentType);
     }
 
-    m_pending.crtc->setPending(DrmCrtc::PropertyIndex::VrrEnabled, m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::Adaptive);
+    m_pending.crtc->setPending(DrmCrtc::PropertyIndex::VrrEnabled, m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::Adaptive || m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::AdaptiveAsync);
     m_pending.crtc->setPending(DrmCrtc::PropertyIndex::Gamma_LUT, m_pending.gamma ? m_pending.gamma->blobId() : 0);
     const auto modeSize = m_pending.mode->size();
     const auto fb = m_pending.layer->currentBuffer().get();
diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline_legacy.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline_legacy.cpp
index 0d3a0177e6..c17bccd0e8 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline_legacy.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_pipeline_legacy.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ DrmPipeline::Error DrmPipeline::presentLegacy()
     }
     const auto buffer = m_pending.layer->currentBuffer();
     uint32_t flags = DRM_MODE_PAGE_FLIP_EVENT;
-    if (m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::Async) {
+    if (m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::Async || m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::AdaptiveAsync) {
         flags |= DRM_MODE_PAGE_FLIP_ASYNC;
     }
     if (drmModePageFlip(gpu()->fd(), m_pending.crtc->id(), buffer->framebufferId(), flags, gpu()) != 0) {
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ DrmPipeline::Error DrmPipeline::applyPendingChangesLegacy()
     }
     if (activePending()) {
         auto vrr = m_pending.crtc->getProp(DrmCrtc::PropertyIndex::VrrEnabled);
-        if (vrr && !vrr->setPropertyLegacy(m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::Adaptive)) {
+        if (vrr && !vrr->setPropertyLegacy(m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::Adaptive || m_pending.syncMode == RenderLoopPrivate::SyncMode::AdaptiveAsync)) {
             qCWarning(KWIN_DRM) << "Setting vrr failed!" << strerror(errno);
             return errnoToError();
         }
diff --git a/src/core/renderloop.cpp b/src/core/renderloop.cpp
index 1b3e98c909..f3cb474d26 100644
--- a/src/core/renderloop.cpp
+++ b/src/core/renderloop.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void RenderLoopPrivate::scheduleRepaint()
         return;
     }
     if (vrrPolicy == RenderLoop::VrrPolicy::Always || (vrrPolicy == RenderLoop::VrrPolicy::Automatic && fullscreenItem != nullptr)) {
-        presentMode = SyncMode::Adaptive;
+        presentMode = allowTearing ? SyncMode::AdaptiveAsync : SyncMode::Adaptive;
     } else {
         presentMode = allowTearing ? SyncMode::Async : SyncMode::Fixed;
     }
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void RenderLoopPrivate::scheduleRepaint()
         nextRenderTimestamp = currentTime;
     }
 
-    if (presentMode == SyncMode::Async) {
+    if (presentMode == SyncMode::Async || presentMode == SyncMode::AdaptiveAsync) {
         compositeTimer.start(0);
     } else {
         const std::chrono::nanoseconds waitInterval = nextRenderTimestamp - currentTime;
diff --git a/src/core/renderloop_p.h b/src/core/renderloop_p.h
index 9c9533a2e3..9e7eca050e 100644
--- a/src/core/renderloop_p.h
+++ b/src/core/renderloop_p.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ public:
     enum class SyncMode {
         Fixed,
         Adaptive,
+        /* adaptive if possible, async if not */
+        AdaptiveAsync,
         Async
     };
     SyncMode presentMode = SyncMode::Fixed;