diff --git a/backend/drm/legacy.c b/backend/drm/legacy.c
index cb672023..84e8a914 100644
--- a/backend/drm/legacy.c
+++ b/backend/drm/legacy.c
@@ -151,9 +151,13 @@ static bool legacy_crtc_commit(struct wlr_drm_connector *conn,
 
 		int ret = drmModeSetCursor(drm->fd, crtc->id, cursor_handle,
 			cursor_width, cursor_height);
-		close_bo_handle(drm->fd, cursor_handle);
+		int set_cursor_errno = errno;
+		if (drmCloseBufferHandle(drm->fd, cursor_handle) != 0) {
+			wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "drmCloseBufferHandle failed");
+		}
 		if (ret != 0) {
-			wlr_drm_conn_log_errno(conn, WLR_DEBUG, "drmModeSetCursor failed");
+			wlr_drm_conn_log(conn, WLR_DEBUG, "drmModeSetCursor failed: %s",
+				strerror(set_cursor_errno));
 			return false;
 		}
 
diff --git a/backend/drm/renderer.c b/backend/drm/renderer.c
index 815ba981..792de938 100644
--- a/backend/drm/renderer.c
+++ b/backend/drm/renderer.c
@@ -271,7 +271,9 @@ static void close_all_bo_handles(struct wlr_drm_backend *drm,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		close_bo_handle(drm->fd, handles[i]);
+		if (drmCloseBufferHandle(drm->fd, handles[i]) != 0) {
+			wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "drmCloseBufferHandle failed");
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/drm/util.c b/backend/drm/util.c
index 407c19a5..3cf656fb 100644
--- a/backend/drm/util.c
+++ b/backend/drm/util.c
@@ -320,14 +320,3 @@ size_t match_obj(size_t num_objs, const uint32_t objs[static restrict num_objs],
 	match_obj_(&st, 0, 0, 0, 0);
 	return st.score;
 }
-
-void close_bo_handle(int drm_fd, uint32_t handle) {
-	if (handle == 0) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	struct drm_gem_close args = { .handle = handle };
-	if (drmIoctl(drm_fd, DRM_IOCTL_GEM_CLOSE, &args) != 0) {
-		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "drmIoctl(GEM_CLOSE) failed");
-	}
-}
diff --git a/include/backend/drm/util.h b/include/backend/drm/util.h
index 6e97505c..b4cdee7d 100644
--- a/include/backend/drm/util.h
+++ b/include/backend/drm/util.h
@@ -36,11 +36,4 @@ size_t match_obj(size_t num_objs, const uint32_t objs[static restrict num_objs],
 		size_t num_res, const uint32_t res[static restrict num_res],
 		uint32_t out[static restrict num_res]);
 
-/**
- * Close a GEM buffer handle.
- *
- * TODO: replace with drmCloseBufferHandle.
- */
-void close_bo_handle(int drm_fd, uint32_t handle);
-
 #endif