diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/sysfs.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/sysfs.c
index e688ad66a895..5438224bf325 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx4/sysfs.c
@@ -751,11 +751,13 @@ static int register_one_pkey_tree(struct mlx4_ib_dev *dev, int slave)
 		kobject_put(p);
 	}
 	kobject_put(dev->dev_ports_parent[slave]);
+	dev->dev_ports_parent[slave] = NULL;
 
 err_ports:
 	kobject_put(dev->pkeys.device_parent[slave]);
 	/* extra put for the device_parent create_and_add */
 	kobject_put(dev->pkeys.device_parent[slave]);
+	dev->pkeys.device_parent[slave] = NULL;
 
 fail_dev:
 	kobject_put(dev->iov_parent);
@@ -785,6 +787,8 @@ static void unregister_pkey_tree(struct mlx4_ib_dev *device)
 		return;
 
 	for (slave = device->dev->persist->num_vfs; slave >= 0; --slave) {
+		if (!device->pkeys.device_parent[slave])
+			continue;
 		list_for_each_entry_safe(p, t,
 					 &device->pkeys.pkey_port_list[slave],
 					 entry) {