diff --git a/drivers/net/vrf.c b/drivers/net/vrf.c
index 95097cb793540d292e244408ef441d4612e67bb7..cd4bc77f2e045788ac1d05a7d0ace9ca139becb6 100644
--- a/drivers/net/vrf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/vrf.c
@@ -334,14 +334,12 @@ static struct slave *__vrf_find_slave_dev(struct slave_queue *queue,
 /* inverse of __vrf_insert_slave */
 static void __vrf_remove_slave(struct slave_queue *queue, struct slave *slave)
 {
-	dev_put(slave->dev);
 	list_del(&slave->list);
 	queue->num_slaves--;
 }
 
 static void __vrf_insert_slave(struct slave_queue *queue, struct slave *slave)
 {
-	dev_hold(slave->dev);
 	list_add(&slave->list, &queue->all_slaves);
 	queue->num_slaves++;
 }