diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
index 26f03a14a478..eb26a5add57c 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ static void i2c_device_shutdown(struct device *dev)
 
 static void i2c_client_dev_release(struct device *dev)
 {
-	kfree(to_i2c_client(dev));
+	i2c_unregister_device(to_i2c_client(dev));
 }
 
 static ssize_t
@@ -1527,7 +1527,6 @@ void i2c_del_adapter(struct i2c_adapter *adap)
 		dev_dbg(&adap->dev, "Removing %s at 0x%x\n", client->name,
 			client->addr);
 		list_del(&client->detected);
-		i2c_unregister_device(client);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&adap->userspace_clients_lock);
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/usb/pvrusb2/pvrusb2-i2c-core.c b/drivers/media/usb/pvrusb2/pvrusb2-i2c-core.c
index 63db04fe12d3..7facf4568e95 100644
--- a/drivers/media/usb/pvrusb2/pvrusb2-i2c-core.c
+++ b/drivers/media/usb/pvrusb2/pvrusb2-i2c-core.c
@@ -623,9 +623,9 @@ void pvr2_i2c_core_init(struct pvr2_hdw *hdw)
 	hdw->i2c_adap.dev.parent = &hdw->usb_dev->dev;
 	hdw->i2c_adap.algo = &hdw->i2c_algo;
 	hdw->i2c_adap.algo_data = hdw;
-	hdw->i2c_linked = !0;
 	i2c_set_adapdata(&hdw->i2c_adap, &hdw->v4l2_dev);
-	i2c_add_adapter(&hdw->i2c_adap);
+	if (!i2c_add_adapter(&hdw->i2c_adap))
+		hdw->i2c_linked = !0;
 	if (hdw->i2c_func[0x18] == i2c_24xxx_ir) {
 		/* Probe for a different type of IR receiver on this
 		   device.  This is really the only way to differentiate
diff --git a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-i2c.c b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-i2c.c
index b4acca75644b..b059c95cad4a 100644
--- a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-i2c.c
+++ b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-i2c.c
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ struct v4l2_subdev
 error:
 	/*
 	 * If we have a client but no subdev, then something went wrong and
-	 * we must unregister the client.
+	 * we must release the client.
 	 */
 	if (!IS_ERR(client) && !sd)
-		i2c_unregister_device(client);
+		i2c_client_dev_release(client);
 	return sd;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(v4l2_i2c_new_subdev_board);