diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-tiny-usb.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-tiny-usb.c
index 57dfe5f1a7d9..30679c2b787b 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-tiny-usb.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-tiny-usb.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/string_choices.h>
 #include <linux/types.h>
+#include <linux/workqueue.h>
 
 /* include interfaces to usb layer */
 #include <linux/usb.h>
@@ -172,6 +173,9 @@ struct i2c_tiny_usb {
 	struct usb_device *usb_dev; /* the usb device for this device */
 	struct usb_interface *interface; /* the interface for this device */
 	struct i2c_adapter adapter; /* i2c related things */
+	bool disconnected; /* set to true on disconnect */
+	struct work_struct release_work; /* work struct to release the adapter */
+	struct mutex usb_lock; /* lock for usb operations */
 };
 
 static int usb_read(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int cmd,
@@ -184,11 +188,20 @@ static int usb_read(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int cmd,
 	if (!dmadata)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	mutex_lock(&dev->usb_lock);
+	if (dev->disconnected) {
+		mutex_unlock(&dev->usb_lock);
+		kfree(dmadata);
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
 	/* do control transfer */
 	ret = usb_control_msg(dev->usb_dev, usb_rcvctrlpipe(dev->usb_dev, 0),
 			       cmd, USB_TYPE_VENDOR | USB_RECIP_INTERFACE |
 			       USB_DIR_IN, value, index, dmadata, len, 2000);
 
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->usb_lock);
+
 	memcpy(data, dmadata, len);
 	kfree(dmadata);
 	return ret;
@@ -204,11 +217,20 @@ static int usb_write(struct i2c_adapter *adapter, int cmd,
 	if (!dmadata)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	mutex_lock(&dev->usb_lock);
+	if (dev->disconnected) {
+		mutex_unlock(&dev->usb_lock);
+		kfree(dmadata);
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
 	/* do control transfer */
 	ret = usb_control_msg(dev->usb_dev, usb_sndctrlpipe(dev->usb_dev, 0),
 			       cmd, USB_TYPE_VENDOR | USB_RECIP_INTERFACE,
 			       value, index, dmadata, len, 2000);
 
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->usb_lock);
+
 	kfree(dmadata);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -219,6 +241,15 @@ static void i2c_tiny_usb_free(struct i2c_tiny_usb *dev)
 	kfree(dev);
 }
 
+static void i2c_tiny_usb_release(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	struct i2c_tiny_usb *dev = container_of(work, struct i2c_tiny_usb,
+					       release_work);
+
+	i2c_del_adapter(&dev->adapter);
+	i2c_tiny_usb_free(dev);
+}
+
 static int i2c_tiny_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 			      const struct usb_device_id *id)
 {
@@ -239,6 +270,7 @@ static int i2c_tiny_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 
 	dev->usb_dev = usb_get_dev(interface_to_usbdev(interface));
 	dev->interface = interface;
+	mutex_init(&dev->usb_lock);
 
 	/* save our data pointer in this interface device */
 	usb_set_intfdata(interface, dev);
@@ -268,6 +300,8 @@ static int i2c_tiny_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 
 	dev->adapter.dev.parent = &dev->interface->dev;
 
+	INIT_WORK(&dev->release_work, i2c_tiny_usb_release);
+
 	/* and finally attach to i2c layer */
 	i2c_add_adapter(&dev->adapter);
 
@@ -287,9 +321,12 @@ static void i2c_tiny_usb_disconnect(struct usb_interface *interface)
 {
 	struct i2c_tiny_usb *dev = usb_get_intfdata(interface);
 
-	i2c_del_adapter(&dev->adapter);
+	mutex_lock(&dev->usb_lock);
 	usb_set_intfdata(interface, NULL);
-	i2c_tiny_usb_free(dev);
+	dev->disconnected = true;
+	mutex_unlock(&dev->usb_lock);
+
+	queue_work(system_long_wq, &dev->release_work);
 
 	dev_dbg(&interface->dev, "disconnected\n");
 }