diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c b/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c
index a05aa271a1b..c3bb114b89d 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_frontend.c
@@ -2911,6 +2911,7 @@ static int dvb_frontend_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		mb();
 	}
 
+	dvb_device_get(dvbdev);
 	ret = dvb_generic_release(inode, file);
 
 	if (dvbdev->users == -1) {
@@ -2931,6 +2932,7 @@ static int dvb_frontend_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 			fe->ops.ts_bus_ctrl(fe, 0);
 	}
 
+	dvb_device_put(dvbdev);
 	dvb_frontend_put(fe);
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvbdev.c b/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvbdev.c
index 8b980d371a4..00674bab6e4 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvbdev.c
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb-core/dvbdev.c
@@ -96,14 +96,16 @@ static int dvb_device_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 	dvbdev = dvb_minors[minor];
 
-	if (dvbdev && dvbdev->fops) {
+	if (dvbdev && kref_get_unless_zero(&dvbdev->ref)) {
 		int err = 0;
 		const struct file_operations *new_fops;
 
 		new_fops = fops_get(dvbdev->fops);
-		if (!new_fops)
+		if (!new_fops) {
+			dvb_device_put(dvbdev);
 			goto fail;
-		file->private_data = dvb_device_get(dvbdev);
+		}
+		file->private_data = dvbdev;
 		replace_fops(file, new_fops);
 		if (file->f_op->open)
 			err = file->f_op->open(inode, file);