diff --git a/sway/config/output.c b/sway/config/output.c
index 16ec9339..65f09258 100644
--- a/sway/config/output.c
+++ b/sway/config/output.c
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ void apply_output_config(struct output_config *oc, struct sway_container *output
 		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Set %s mode to %dx%d (%f GHz)", oc->name, oc->width,
 			oc->height, oc->refresh_rate);
 		set_mode(wlr_output, oc->width, oc->height, oc->refresh_rate);
+	} else if (!wl_list_empty(&wlr_output->modes)) {
+		struct wlr_output_mode *mode =
+			wl_container_of(wlr_output->modes.prev, mode, link);
+		wlr_output_set_mode(wlr_output, mode);
 	}
 	if (oc && oc->scale > 0) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Set %s scale to %f", oc->name, oc->scale);
diff --git a/sway/desktop/output.c b/sway/desktop/output.c
index c228979d..c30e52a1 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/output.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/output.c
@@ -559,12 +559,6 @@ void handle_new_output(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data) {
 
 	wl_list_insert(&root_container.sway_root->all_outputs, &output->link);
 
-	if (!wl_list_empty(&wlr_output->modes)) {
-		struct wlr_output_mode *mode =
-			wl_container_of(wlr_output->modes.prev, mode, link);
-		wlr_output_set_mode(wlr_output, mode);
-	}
-
 	output_enable(output);
 }