--- a/net/can/j1939/j1939-priv.h
+++ b/net/can/j1939/j1939-priv.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ struct j1939_priv {
 	/* segments need a lock to protect the above list */
 	rwlock_t lock;
 
+	int unregistered;
 	struct net_device *ndev;
 
 	/* list of 256 ecu ptrs, that cache the claimed addresses.
--- a/net/can/j1939/main.c
+++ b/net/can/j1939/main.c
@@ -157,13 +157,15 @@ static void __j1939_priv_release(struct
 	struct j1939_priv *priv = container_of(kref, struct j1939_priv, kref);
 	struct net_device *ndev = priv->ndev;
 
-	netdev_dbg(priv->ndev, "%s: 0x%p\n", __func__, priv);
+	if (!priv->unregistered)
+		netdev_dbg(priv->ndev, "%s: 0x%p\n", __func__, priv);
 
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&priv->active_session_list));
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&priv->ecus));
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&priv->j1939_socks));
 
-	dev_put(ndev);
+	if (!priv->unregistered)
+		dev_put(ndev);
 	kfree(priv);
 }
 
@@ -377,6 +379,10 @@ static int j1939_netdev_notify(struct no
 		j1939_sk_netdev_event_netdown(priv);
 		j1939_ecu_unmap_all(priv);
 		break;
+	case NETDEV_UNREGISTER:
+		priv->unregistered++;
+		dev_put(priv->ndev);
+		break;
 	}
 
 	j1939_priv_put(priv);