diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index d354e4b..173b6fe 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -1230,10 +1230,8 @@
     return NO_ERROR;
 }
 
-void SurfaceFlinger::setDesiredMode(display::DisplayModeRequest&& desiredMode) {
-    const auto mode = desiredMode.mode;
-    const auto displayId = mode.modePtr->getPhysicalDisplayId();
-
+void SurfaceFlinger::setDesiredMode(display::DisplayModeRequest&& request, bool force) {
+    const auto displayId = request.mode.modePtr->getPhysicalDisplayId();
     ATRACE_NAME(ftl::Concat(__func__, ' ', displayId.value).c_str());
 
     const auto display = getDisplayDeviceLocked(displayId);
@@ -1242,9 +1240,10 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    const bool emitEvent = desiredMode.emitEvent;
+    const auto mode = request.mode;
+    const bool emitEvent = request.emitEvent;
 
-    switch (display->setDesiredMode(std::move(desiredMode))) {
+    switch (display->setDesiredMode(std::move(request), force)) {
         case DisplayDevice::DesiredModeAction::InitiateDisplayModeSwitch:
             // DisplayDevice::setDesiredMode updated the render rate, so inform Scheduler.
             mScheduler->setRenderRate(displayId,
@@ -1430,8 +1429,7 @@
               to_string(displayModePtrOpt->get()->getVsyncRate()).c_str(),
               to_string(display->getId()).c_str());
 
-        if ((!FlagManager::getInstance().connected_display() || !desiredModeOpt->force) &&
-            display->getActiveMode() == desiredModeOpt->mode) {
+        if (display->getActiveMode() == desiredModeOpt->mode) {
             applyActiveMode(display);
             continue;
         }
@@ -3286,88 +3284,13 @@
     std::vector<HWComposer::HWCDisplayMode> hwcModes;
     std::optional<hal::HWConfigId> activeModeHwcIdOpt;
 
-    const bool isExternalDisplay = FlagManager::getInstance().connected_display() &&
-            getHwComposer().getDisplayConnectionType(displayId) ==
-                    ui::DisplayConnectionType::External;
-
     int attempt = 0;
     constexpr int kMaxAttempts = 3;
     do {
         hwcModes = getHwComposer().getModes(displayId,
                                             scheduler::RefreshRateSelector::kMinSupportedFrameRate
                                                     .getPeriodNsecs());
-        const auto activeModeHwcIdExp = getHwComposer().getActiveMode(displayId);
-        activeModeHwcIdOpt = activeModeHwcIdExp.value_opt();
-
-        if (isExternalDisplay &&
-            activeModeHwcIdExp.has_error([](status_t error) { return error == NO_INIT; })) {
-            constexpr nsecs_t k59HzVsyncPeriod = 16949153;
-            constexpr nsecs_t k60HzVsyncPeriod = 16666667;
-
-            // DM sets the initial mode for an external display to 1080p@60, but
-            // this comes after SF creates its own state (including the
-            // DisplayDevice). For now, pick the same mode in order to avoid
-            // inconsistent state and unnecessary mode switching.
-            // TODO (b/318534874): Let DM decide the initial mode.
-            //
-            // Try to find 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz
-            if (const auto iter = std::find_if(hwcModes.begin(), hwcModes.end(),
-                                               [](const auto& mode) {
-                                                   return mode.width == 1920 &&
-                                                           mode.height == 1080 &&
-                                                           mode.vsyncPeriod == k60HzVsyncPeriod;
-                                               });
-                iter != hwcModes.end()) {
-                activeModeHwcIdOpt = iter->hwcId;
-                break;
-            }
-
-            // Try to find 1920x1080 @ 59-60 Hz
-            if (const auto iter = std::find_if(hwcModes.begin(), hwcModes.end(),
-                                               [](const auto& mode) {
-                                                   return mode.width == 1920 &&
-                                                           mode.height == 1080 &&
-                                                           mode.vsyncPeriod >= k60HzVsyncPeriod &&
-                                                           mode.vsyncPeriod <= k59HzVsyncPeriod;
-                                               });
-                iter != hwcModes.end()) {
-                activeModeHwcIdOpt = iter->hwcId;
-                break;
-            }
-
-            // The display does not support 1080p@60, and this is the last attempt to pick a display
-            // mode. Prefer 60 Hz if available, with the closest resolution to 1080p.
-            if (attempt + 1 == kMaxAttempts) {
-                std::vector<HWComposer::HWCDisplayMode> hwcModeOpts;
-
-                for (const auto& mode : hwcModes) {
-                    if (mode.width <= 1920 && mode.height <= 1080 &&
-                        mode.vsyncPeriod >= k60HzVsyncPeriod &&
-                        mode.vsyncPeriod <= k59HzVsyncPeriod) {
-                        hwcModeOpts.push_back(mode);
-                    }
-                }
-
-                if (const auto iter = std::max_element(hwcModeOpts.begin(), hwcModeOpts.end(),
-                                                       [](const auto& a, const auto& b) {
-                                                           const auto aSize = a.width * a.height;
-                                                           const auto bSize = b.width * b.height;
-                                                           if (aSize < bSize)
-                                                               return true;
-                                                           else if (aSize == bSize)
-                                                               return a.vsyncPeriod > b.vsyncPeriod;
-                                                           else
-                                                               return false;
-                                                       });
-                    iter != hwcModeOpts.end()) {
-                    activeModeHwcIdOpt = iter->hwcId;
-                    break;
-                }
-
-                // hwcModeOpts was empty, use hwcModes[0] as the last resort
-                activeModeHwcIdOpt = hwcModes[0].hwcId;
-            }
-        }
+        activeModeHwcIdOpt = getHwComposer().getActiveMode(displayId).value_opt();
 
         const auto isActiveMode = [activeModeHwcIdOpt](const HWComposer::HWCDisplayMode& mode) {
             return mode.hwcId == activeModeHwcIdOpt;
@@ -3428,10 +3351,6 @@
                 return pair.second->getHwcId() == activeModeHwcIdOpt;
             })->second;
 
-    if (isExternalDisplay) {
-        ALOGI("External display %s initial mode: {%s}", to_string(displayId).c_str(),
-              to_string(*activeMode).c_str());
-    }
     return {modes, activeMode};
 }
 
@@ -3740,27 +3659,6 @@
     }
 
     mDisplays.try_emplace(displayToken, std::move(display));
-
-    // For an external display, loadDisplayModes already attempted to select the same mode
-    // as DM, but SF still needs to be updated to match.
-    // TODO (b/318534874): Let DM decide the initial mode.
-    if (const auto& physical = state.physical;
-        mScheduler && physical && FlagManager::getInstance().connected_display()) {
-        const bool isInternalDisplay = mPhysicalDisplays.get(physical->id)
-                                               .transform(&PhysicalDisplay::isInternal)
-                                               .value_or(false);
-
-        if (!isInternalDisplay) {
-            auto activeModePtr = physical->activeMode;
-            const auto fps = activeModePtr->getPeakFps();
-
-            setDesiredMode(
-                    {.mode = scheduler::FrameRateMode{fps,
-                                                      ftl::as_non_null(std::move(activeModePtr))},
-                     .emitEvent = false,
-                     .force = true});
-        }
-    }
 }
 
 void SurfaceFlinger::processDisplayRemoved(const wp<IBinder>& displayToken) {
@@ -8485,7 +8383,7 @@
         return INVALID_OPERATION;
     }
 
-    setDesiredMode({std::move(preferredMode), .emitEvent = true, .force = force});
+    setDesiredMode({std::move(preferredMode), .emitEvent = true}, force);
 
     // Update the frameRateOverride list as the display render rate might have changed
     if (mScheduler->updateFrameRateOverrides(scheduler::GlobalSignals{}, preferredFps)) {