diff --git a/drivers/hid/hid-roccat.c b/drivers/hid/hid-roccat.c
index 4f15eb951039..264977e8e301 100644
--- a/drivers/hid/hid-roccat.c
+++ b/drivers/hid/hid-roccat.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ struct roccat_device {
 	int report_size;
 	int open;
 	int exist;
+	struct kref ref;
 	wait_queue_head_t wait;
 	struct device *dev;
 	struct hid_device *hid;
@@ -70,10 +71,12 @@ static struct roccat_device *devices[ROCCAT_MAX_DEVICES];
 /* protects modifications of devices array */
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(devices_lock);
 
-static void roccat_free_device(struct roccat_device *device)
+static void roccat_free_device(struct kref *ref)
 {
+	struct roccat_device *device;
 	int i;
 
+	device = container_of(ref, struct roccat_device, ref);
 	for (i = 0; i < ROCCAT_CBUF_SIZE; i++)
 		kfree(device->cbuf[i].value);
 	kfree(device);
@@ -193,6 +196,7 @@ static int roccat_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		}
 	}
 
+	kref_get(&device->ref);
 	reader->device = device;
 	/* new reader doesn't get old events */
 	reader->cbuf_start = device->cbuf_end;
@@ -235,7 +239,8 @@ static int roccat_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 			hid_hw_power(device->hid, PM_HINT_NORMAL);
 			hid_hw_close(device->hid);
 		} else {
-			roccat_free_device(device);
+			if (kref_put(&device->ref, roccat_free_device))
+				devices[minor] = NULL;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -344,18 +349,18 @@ int roccat_connect(const struct class *klass, struct hid_device *hid, int report
 		return temp;
 	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&devices_lock);
-
 	init_waitqueue_head(&device->wait);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&device->readers);
 	mutex_init(&device->readers_lock);
 	mutex_init(&device->cbuf_lock);
+	kref_init(&device->ref);
 	device->minor = minor;
 	device->hid = hid;
 	device->exist = 1;
 	device->cbuf_end = 0;
 	device->report_size = report_size;
 
+	mutex_unlock(&devices_lock);
 	return minor;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(roccat_connect);
@@ -368,23 +373,23 @@ void roccat_disconnect(int minor)
 	struct roccat_device *device;
 
 	mutex_lock(&devices_lock);
+
 	device = devices[minor];
-	mutex_unlock(&devices_lock);
+	if (!device)
+		goto out;
 
 	device->exist = 0; /* TODO exist maybe not needed */
-
 	device_destroy(device->dev->class, MKDEV(roccat_major, minor));
 
-	mutex_lock(&devices_lock);
-	devices[minor] = NULL;
-	mutex_unlock(&devices_lock);
-
 	if (device->open) {
 		hid_hw_close(device->hid);
 		wake_up_interruptible(&device->wait);
 	} else {
-		roccat_free_device(device);
+		if (kref_put(&device->ref, roccat_free_device))
+			devices[minor] = NULL;
 	}
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&devices_lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(roccat_disconnect);