diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/boot.rs b/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/boot.rs
index 509ed3368df77..2de07794d0087 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/boot.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/boot.rs
@@ -439,6 +439,7 @@ impl Orphan {
 }
 
 /// Probe-time admission.
+#[inline(never)]
 pub(crate) fn admit(
     pdev: &platform::Device<Core<'_>>,
     _dev: &AsahiDrmDevice,
@@ -658,6 +659,7 @@ fn run(
 }
 
 /// Brings the firmware to READY.
+#[inline(never)]
 pub(crate) fn start(
     admitted: Admitted,
     dev: &AsahiDrmDevice,
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/mod.rs b/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/mod.rs
index 41fdad4e4cdaa..b62674726d49b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/mod.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/asahi/g16/mod.rs
@@ -437,6 +437,10 @@ impl Gpu {
 impl Firmware {
     /// Builds the graphs and the engine after READY. On failure the firmware stays at READY,
     /// retained as an orphan of `shared`.
+    ///
+    /// Out of line, like [`boot::admit`] and [`boot::start`]: each of [`Gpu::new`]'s phases
+    /// has a large frame, and the probe's stack holds them only one at a time.
+    #[inline(never)]
     fn start_backend(
         dev: &AsahiDrmDevice,
         booted: boot::Booted,