diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/ib_verbs.h b/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/ib_verbs.h
index 08f71a94d55d..13dac48ed453 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/ib_verbs.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/ib_verbs.h
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ struct bnxt_re_dbr_obj {
 	struct bnxt_re_dev *rdev;
 	struct bnxt_qplib_dpi dpi;
 	struct bnxt_re_user_mmap_entry *entry;
-	atomic_t usecnt; /* QPs using this dbr */
+	struct kref usecnt; /* 1 (uobject) + n (QPs using this dbr) */
 };
 
 struct bnxt_re_flow {
@@ -308,4 +308,5 @@ void bnxt_re_unlock_cqs(struct bnxt_re_qp *qp, unsigned long flags);
 struct bnxt_re_user_mmap_entry*
 bnxt_re_mmap_entry_insert(struct bnxt_re_ucontext *uctx, u64 mem_offset,
 			  enum bnxt_re_mmap_flag mmap_flag, u64 *offset);
+void bnxt_re_dbr_kref_release(struct kref *ref);
 #endif /* __BNXT_RE_IB_VERBS_H__ */
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/uapi.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/uapi.c
index 3eaee7101615..b8fc8bfba2ad 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/uapi.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/bnxt_re/uapi.c
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ static int UVERBS_HANDLER(BNXT_RE_METHOD_DBR_ALLOC)(struct uverbs_attr_bundle *a
 	}
 
 	obj->rdev = rdev;
+	kref_init(&obj->usecnt);
 	uobj->object = obj;
 	uverbs_finalize_uobj_create(attrs, BNXT_RE_ALLOC_DBR_HANDLE);
 
@@ -391,15 +392,24 @@ static int UVERBS_HANDLER(BNXT_RE_METHOD_DBR_ALLOC)(struct uverbs_attr_bundle *a
 	return ret;
 }
 
+void bnxt_re_dbr_kref_release(struct kref *ref)
+{
+	struct bnxt_re_dbr_obj *obj =
+		container_of(ref, struct bnxt_re_dbr_obj, usecnt);
+	struct bnxt_re_dev *rdev = obj->rdev;
+
+	rdma_user_mmap_entry_remove(&obj->entry->rdma_entry);
+	bnxt_qplib_free_uc_dpi(&rdev->qplib_res, &obj->dpi);
+	kfree(obj);
+}
+
 static int bnxt_re_dbr_cleanup(struct ib_uobject *uobject,
 			       enum rdma_remove_reason why,
 			       struct uverbs_attr_bundle *attrs)
 {
 	struct bnxt_re_dbr_obj *obj = uobject->object;
-	struct bnxt_re_dev *rdev = obj->rdev;
 
-	rdma_user_mmap_entry_remove(&obj->entry->rdma_entry);
-	bnxt_qplib_free_uc_dpi(&rdev->qplib_res, &obj->dpi);
+	kref_put(&obj->usecnt, bnxt_re_dbr_kref_release);
 	return 0;
 }