diff --git a/drivers/hid/usbhid/hiddev.c b/drivers/hid/usbhid/hiddev.c
index 6378801b22c6..21396481995b 100644
--- a/drivers/hid/usbhid/hiddev.c
+++ b/drivers/hid/usbhid/hiddev.c
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ struct hiddev_list {
 	struct mutex thread_lock;
 };
 
+static void hiddev_put(struct hiddev *hiddev)
+{
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&hiddev->refcount))
+		kfree(hiddev);
+}
+
 /*
  * Find a report, given the report's type and ID.  The ID can be specified
  * indirectly by REPORT_ID_FIRST (which returns the first report of the given
@@ -216,26 +222,21 @@ static int hiddev_fasync(int fd, struct file *file, int on)
 static int hiddev_release(struct inode * inode, struct file * file)
 {
 	struct hiddev_list *list = file->private_data;
+	struct hiddev *hiddev = list->hiddev;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&list->hiddev->list_lock, flags);
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&hiddev->list_lock, flags);
 	list_del(&list->node);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&list->hiddev->list_lock, flags);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&hiddev->list_lock, flags);
 
-	mutex_lock(&list->hiddev->existancelock);
-	if (!--list->hiddev->open) {
-		if (list->hiddev->exist) {
-			hid_hw_close(list->hiddev->hid);
-			hid_hw_power(list->hiddev->hid, PM_HINT_NORMAL);
-		} else {
-			mutex_unlock(&list->hiddev->existancelock);
-			kfree(list->hiddev);
-			vfree(list);
-			return 0;
-		}
+	mutex_lock(&hiddev->existancelock);
+	if (!--hiddev->open && hiddev->exist) {
+		hid_hw_close(hiddev->hid);
+		hid_hw_power(hiddev->hid, PM_HINT_NORMAL);
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&list->hiddev->existancelock);
+	mutex_unlock(&hiddev->existancelock);
+	hiddev_put(hiddev);
 	vfree(list);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -270,6 +271,7 @@ static int __hiddev_open(struct hiddev *hiddev, struct file *file)
 	spin_unlock_irq(&hiddev->list_lock);
 
 	file->private_data = list;
+	refcount_inc(&hiddev->refcount);
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -897,6 +899,7 @@ int hiddev_connect(struct hid_device *hid, unsigned int force)
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&hiddev->list);
 	spin_lock_init(&hiddev->list_lock);
 	mutex_init(&hiddev->existancelock);
+	refcount_set(&hiddev->refcount, 1);
 	hid->hiddev = hiddev;
 	hiddev->hid = hid;
 	hiddev->exist = 1;
@@ -937,9 +940,7 @@ void hiddev_disconnect(struct hid_device *hid)
 	if (hiddev->open) {
 		hid_hw_close(hiddev->hid);
 		wake_up_interruptible(&hiddev->wait);
-		mutex_unlock(&hiddev->existancelock);
-	} else {
-		mutex_unlock(&hiddev->existancelock);
-		kfree(hiddev);
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&hiddev->existancelock);
+	hiddev_put(hiddev);
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/hiddev.h b/include/linux/hiddev.h
index 2164c03d2c72..8e9f8a33e359 100644
--- a/include/linux/hiddev.h
+++ b/include/linux/hiddev.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #ifndef _HIDDEV_H
 #define _HIDDEV_H
 
+#include <linux/refcount.h>
 #include <uapi/linux/hiddev.h>
 
 
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ struct hiddev {
 	int minor;
 	int exist;
 	int open;
+	refcount_t refcount;
 	struct mutex existancelock;
 	wait_queue_head_t wait;
 	struct hid_device *hid;