diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp
index 4a841fecf8..cc57cd11be 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp
@@ -394,7 +394,9 @@ ColorDescription DrmOutput::createColorDescription(const std::shared_ptr<OutputC
     const double maxPeakBrightness = effectiveHdr ? props->maxPeakBrightnessOverride.value_or(m_state.maxPeakBrightnessOverride).value_or(m_connector->edid()->desiredMaxLuminance().value_or(800)) : 200;
     const double referenceLuminance = effectiveHdr ? props->referenceLuminance.value_or(m_state.referenceLuminance) : maxPeakBrightness;
     const auto transferFunction = TransferFunction{effectiveHdr ? TransferFunction::PerceptualQuantizer : TransferFunction::gamma22}.relativeScaledTo(referenceLuminance);
-    const double minBrightness = effectiveHdr ? props->minBrightnessOverride.value_or(m_state.minBrightnessOverride).value_or(m_connector->edid()->desiredMinLuminance()) : transferFunction.minLuminance;
+    // HDR screens are weird, sending them the min. luminance from the EDID does *not* make all of them present the darkest luminance the display can show
+    // to work around that, (unless overridden by the user), assume the min. luminance of the transfer function instead
+    const double minBrightness = effectiveHdr ? props->minBrightnessOverride.value_or(m_state.minBrightnessOverride).value_or(TransferFunction::defaultMinLuminanceFor(TransferFunction::PerceptualQuantizer)) : transferFunction.minLuminance;
     return ColorDescription(containerColorimetry, transferFunction, referenceLuminance, minBrightness, maxAverageBrightness, maxPeakBrightness, masteringColorimetry, sdrColorimetry);
 }