diff --git a/drivers/iio/iio_core.h b/drivers/iio/iio_core.h
index 731f5170d5b9..87868fff7d37 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/iio_core.h
+++ b/drivers/iio/iio_core.h
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ struct iio_dev;
 
 extern struct device_type iio_device_type;
 
+struct iio_dev_buffer_pair {
+	struct iio_dev		*indio_dev;
+	struct iio_buffer	*buffer;
+};
+
 #define IIO_IOCTL_UNHANDLED	1
 struct iio_ioctl_handler {
 	struct list_head entry;
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
index ea91f9578dee..232a60fe57d2 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
@@ -104,8 +104,9 @@ static bool iio_buffer_ready(struct iio_dev *indio_dev, struct iio_buffer *buf,
 ssize_t iio_buffer_read_outer(struct file *filp, char __user *buf,
 			      size_t n, loff_t *f_ps)
 {
-	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = filp->private_data;
-	struct iio_buffer *rb = indio_dev->buffer;
+	struct iio_dev_buffer_pair *ib = filp->private_data;
+	struct iio_buffer *rb = ib->buffer;
+	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = ib->indio_dev;
 	DEFINE_WAIT_FUNC(wait, woken_wake_function);
 	size_t datum_size;
 	size_t to_wait;
@@ -170,8 +171,9 @@ ssize_t iio_buffer_read_outer(struct file *filp, char __user *buf,
 __poll_t iio_buffer_poll(struct file *filp,
 			     struct poll_table_struct *wait)
 {
-	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = filp->private_data;
-	struct iio_buffer *rb = indio_dev->buffer;
+	struct iio_dev_buffer_pair *ib = filp->private_data;
+	struct iio_buffer *rb = ib->buffer;
+	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = ib->indio_dev;
 
 	if (!indio_dev->info || rb == NULL)
 		return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
index b8b149ccecef..b96acfe13e92 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
@@ -1705,13 +1705,24 @@ static int iio_chrdev_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
 	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = container_of(inode->i_cdev,
 						struct iio_dev, chrdev);
+	struct iio_dev_buffer_pair *ib;
 
 	if (test_and_set_bit(IIO_BUSY_BIT_POS, &indio_dev->flags))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	iio_device_get(indio_dev);
 
-	filp->private_data = indio_dev;
+	ib = kmalloc(sizeof(*ib), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ib) {
+		iio_device_put(indio_dev);
+		clear_bit(IIO_BUSY_BIT_POS, &indio_dev->flags);
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
+	ib->indio_dev = indio_dev;
+	ib->buffer = indio_dev->buffer;
+
+	filp->private_data = ib;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1725,8 +1736,10 @@ static int iio_chrdev_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
  */
 static int iio_chrdev_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
+	struct iio_dev_buffer_pair *ib = filp->private_data;
 	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = container_of(inode->i_cdev,
 						struct iio_dev, chrdev);
+	kfree(ib);
 	clear_bit(IIO_BUSY_BIT_POS, &indio_dev->flags);
 	iio_device_put(indio_dev);
 
@@ -1748,7 +1761,8 @@ void iio_device_ioctl_handler_unregister(struct iio_ioctl_handler *h)
 
 static long iio_ioctl(struct file *filp, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 {
-	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = filp->private_data;
+	struct iio_dev_buffer_pair *ib = filp->private_data;
+	struct iio_dev *indio_dev = ib->indio_dev;
 	struct iio_dev_opaque *iio_dev_opaque = to_iio_dev_opaque(indio_dev);
 	struct iio_ioctl_handler *h;
 	int ret = -ENODEV;