diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.c
index cd34a9629e5e..3dd9b4991a42 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.c
@@ -3363,6 +3363,7 @@ static struct irdma_mr *irdma_alloc_iwmr(struct ib_umem *region,
 	if (!iwmr)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
+	refcount_set(&iwmr->user_ring_refs, 1);
 	iwpbl = &iwmr->iwpbl;
 	iwpbl->iwmr = iwmr;
 	iwmr->region = region;
@@ -3927,13 +3928,16 @@ static struct ib_mr *irdma_get_dma_mr(struct ib_pd *pd, int acc)
  * irdma_del_memlist - Deleting pbl list entries for CQ/QP
  * @iwmr: iwmr for IB's user page addresses
  * @ucontext: ptr to user context
+ *
+ * Return: True if the MR is currently in-use by a QP/CQ/SRQ ring.
  */
-static void irdma_del_memlist(struct irdma_mr *iwmr,
+static bool irdma_del_memlist(struct irdma_mr *iwmr,
 			      struct irdma_ucontext *ucontext)
 {
 	struct irdma_pbl *iwpbl = &iwmr->iwpbl;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	spinlock_t *lock;
+	bool in_use = false;
 
 	switch (iwmr->type) {
 	case IRDMA_MEMREG_TYPE_CQ:
@@ -3946,15 +3950,19 @@ static void irdma_del_memlist(struct irdma_mr *iwmr,
 		lock = &ucontext->srq_reg_mem_list_lock;
 		break;
 	default:
-		return;
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(lock, flags);
-	if (iwpbl->on_list) {
+	if (!refcount_dec_if_one(&iwmr->user_ring_refs)) {
+		in_use = true;
+	} else if (iwpbl->on_list) {
 		iwpbl->on_list = false;
 		list_del(&iwpbl->list);
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(lock, flags);
+
+	return in_use;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3977,7 +3985,12 @@ static int irdma_dereg_mr(struct ib_mr *ib_mr, struct ib_udata *udata)
 			ucontext = rdma_udata_to_drv_context(udata,
 						struct irdma_ucontext,
 						ibucontext);
-			irdma_del_memlist(iwmr, ucontext);
+
+			/* Do not allow the MR to be unpinned if it is still
+			 * backing a user ring.
+			 */
+			if (irdma_del_memlist(iwmr, ucontext))
+				return -EBUSY;
 		}
 		goto done;
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.h b/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.h
index 289ebc9b23ca..fbd487dbebfb 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/irdma/verbs.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ struct irdma_mr {
 	u64 len;
 	u64 pgaddrmem[IRDMA_MAX_SAVED_PHY_PGADDR];
 	struct irdma_pbl iwpbl;
+	refcount_t user_ring_refs;
 };
 
 struct irdma_srq {