diff --git a/net/devlink/region.c b/net/devlink/region.c
index 537779bbff07..c22016f23a4a 100644
--- a/net/devlink/region.c
+++ b/net/devlink/region.c
@@ -719,6 +719,11 @@ int devlink_nl_region_new_doit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 	if (!snapshot_id_attr) {
 		struct sk_buff *msg;
 
+		/* Drop the allocation reference, the snapshot
+		 * now holds its own.
+		 */
+		__devlink_snapshot_id_decrement(devlink, snapshot_id);
+
 		snapshot = devlink_region_snapshot_get_by_id(region,
 							     snapshot_id);
 		if (WARN_ON(!snapshot)) {