diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712.h b/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712.h
index 2cba1e73ed24..c7ebf03b8d53 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712.h
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712.h
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@
 
 #define FB_ACCEL_SMI_LYNX 88
 
-#define SCREEN_X_RES      1024
-#define SCREEN_Y_RES      600
-#define SCREEN_BPP        16
+#define SCREEN_X_RES          1024
+#define SCREEN_Y_RES_PC       768
+#define SCREEN_Y_RES_NETBOOK  600
+#define SCREEN_BPP            16
 
 #define dac_reg	(0x3c8)
 #define dac_val	(0x3c9)
diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712fb.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712fb.c
index c39a2641182a..1e2503b52c6f 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712fb.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/sm712fb.c
@@ -1475,6 +1475,43 @@ static u_long sm7xx_vram_probe(struct smtcfb_info *sfb)
 	return 0;  /* unknown hardware */
 }
 
+static void sm7xx_resolution_probe(struct smtcfb_info *sfb)
+{
+	/* get mode parameter from smtc_scr_info */
+	if (smtc_scr_info.lfb_width != 0) {
+		sfb->fb->var.xres = smtc_scr_info.lfb_width;
+		sfb->fb->var.yres = smtc_scr_info.lfb_height;
+		sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel = smtc_scr_info.lfb_depth;
+		goto final;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * No parameter, default resolution is 1024x768-16.
+	 *
+	 * FIXME: earlier laptops, such as IBM Thinkpad 240X, has a 800x600
+	 * panel, also see the comments about Thinkpad 240X above.
+	 */
+	sfb->fb->var.xres = SCREEN_X_RES;
+	sfb->fb->var.yres = SCREEN_Y_RES_PC;
+	sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel = SCREEN_BPP;
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_MIPS
+	/*
+	 * Loongson MIPS netbooks use 1024x600 LCD panels, which is the original
+	 * target platform of this driver, but nearly all old x86 laptops have
+	 * 1024x768. Lighting 768 panels using 600's timings would partially
+	 * garble the display, so we don't want that. But it's not possible to
+	 * distinguish them reliably.
+	 *
+	 * So we change the default to 768, but keep 600 as-is on MIPS.
+	 */
+	sfb->fb->var.yres = SCREEN_Y_RES_NETBOOK;
+#endif
+
+final:
+	big_pixel_depth(sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel, smtc_scr_info.lfb_depth);
+}
+
 static int smtcfb_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 			    const struct pci_device_id *ent)
 {
@@ -1520,19 +1557,6 @@ static int smtcfb_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 
 	sm7xx_init_hw();
 
-	/* get mode parameter from smtc_scr_info */
-	if (smtc_scr_info.lfb_width != 0) {
-		sfb->fb->var.xres = smtc_scr_info.lfb_width;
-		sfb->fb->var.yres = smtc_scr_info.lfb_height;
-		sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel = smtc_scr_info.lfb_depth;
-	} else {
-		/* default resolution 1024x600 16bit mode */
-		sfb->fb->var.xres = SCREEN_X_RES;
-		sfb->fb->var.yres = SCREEN_Y_RES;
-		sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel = SCREEN_BPP;
-	}
-
-	big_pixel_depth(sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel, smtc_scr_info.lfb_depth);
 	/* Map address and memory detection */
 	mmio_base = pci_resource_start(pdev, 0);
 	pci_read_config_byte(pdev, PCI_REVISION_ID, &sfb->chip_rev_id);
@@ -1594,6 +1618,9 @@ static int smtcfb_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 		goto failed_fb;
 	}
 
+	/* probe and decide resolution */
+	sm7xx_resolution_probe(sfb);
+
 	/* can support 32 bpp */
 	if (sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel == 15)
 		sfb->fb->var.bits_per_pixel = 16;