diff --git a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h
index 5d8962f46355..0f81099d0efb 100644
--- a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h
+++ b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/include/linux/cdev.h
@@ -54,21 +54,27 @@ static inline void
 cdev_release(struct kobject *kobj)
 {
 	struct linux_cdev *cdev;
+	struct kobject *parent;
 
 	cdev = container_of(kobj, struct linux_cdev, kobj);
+	parent = kobj->parent;
 	if (cdev->cdev)
 		destroy_dev(cdev->cdev);
 	kfree(cdev);
+	kobject_put(parent);
 }
 
 static inline void
 cdev_static_release(struct kobject *kobj)
 {
 	struct linux_cdev *cdev;
+	struct kobject *parent;
 
 	cdev = container_of(kobj, struct linux_cdev, kobj);
+	parent = kobj->parent;
 	if (cdev->cdev)
 		destroy_dev(cdev->cdev);
+	kobject_put(parent);
 }
 
 static struct kobj_type cdev_ktype = {
@@ -114,6 +120,7 @@ cdev_add(struct linux_cdev *cdev, dev_t dev, unsigned count)
 	cdev->dev = dev;
 	cdev->cdev->si_drv1 = cdev;
 
+	kobject_get(cdev->kobj.parent);
 	return (0);
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
index 91ec693065c3..b57326ae2e74 100644
--- a/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
+++ b/sys/compat/linuxkpi/common/src/linux_compat.c
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ kobject_add_complete(struct kobject *kobj, struct kobject *parent)
 	struct kobj_type *t;
 	int error;
 
-	kobj->parent = kobject_get(parent);
+	kobj->parent = parent;
 	error = sysfs_create_dir(kobj);
 	if (error == 0 && kobj->ktype && kobj->ktype->default_attrs) {
 		struct attribute **attr;
@@ -198,9 +198,6 @@ kobject_release(struct kref *kref)
 
 	kobj = container_of(kref, struct kobject, kref);
 	sysfs_remove_dir(kobj);
-	if (kobj->parent)
-		kobject_put(kobj->parent);
-	kobj->parent = NULL;
 	name = kobj->name;
 	if (kobj->ktype && kobj->ktype->release)
 		kobj->ktype->release(kobj);