diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
index 7913b804311e..d1fba4153332 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ void ib_dealloc_device(struct ib_device *device)
 
 	BUG_ON(device->reg_state != IB_DEV_UNREGISTERED);
 
-	ib_device_unregister_sysfs(device);
+	kobject_put(&device->dev.kobj);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ib_dealloc_device);
 
@@ -348,6 +348,8 @@ void ib_unregister_device(struct ib_device *device)
 
 	mutex_unlock(&device_mutex);
 
+	ib_device_unregister_sysfs(device);
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&device->client_data_lock, flags);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(context, tmp, &device->client_data_list, list)
 		kfree(context);
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/sysfs.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/sysfs.c
index b43f7d3682d3..5270aeb56e9e 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/sysfs.c
@@ -848,6 +848,9 @@ void ib_device_unregister_sysfs(struct ib_device *device)
 	struct kobject *p, *t;
 	struct ib_port *port;
 
+	/* Hold kobject until ib_dealloc_device() */
+	kobject_get(&device->dev.kobj);
+
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(p, t, &device->port_list, entry) {
 		list_del(&p->entry);
 		port = container_of(p, struct ib_port, kobj);