diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
index ddae430b6eae879333a84885256fcd8b14c0c1b6..60e163be5a89a75c4344b32d527abc09d6b47627 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/core.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <linux/types.h>
 #include <linux/sem.h>
 #include <linux/bitmap.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/moduleparam.h>
 #include <linux/miscdevice.h>
 #include <linux/lightnvm.h>
@@ -316,6 +317,8 @@ static int nvm_create_tgt(struct nvm_dev *dev, struct nvm_ioctl_create *create)
 	list_add_tail(&t->list, &dev->targets);
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->mlock);
 
+	__module_get(tt->owner);
+
 	return 0;
 err_sysfs:
 	if (tt->exit)
@@ -351,6 +354,7 @@ static void __nvm_remove_target(struct nvm_target *t)
 
 	nvm_remove_tgt_dev(t->dev, 1);
 	put_disk(tdisk);
+	module_put(t->type->owner);
 
 	list_del(&t->list);
 	kfree(t);
diff --git a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
index 1b0f61233c216ac7f262ff58aee2d4a0bdc76ad6..6df65d14a2c52c42a70690ad72da776e65885a8f 100644
--- a/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
+++ b/drivers/lightnvm/pblk-init.c
@@ -1044,6 +1044,7 @@ static struct nvm_tgt_type tt_pblk = {
 
 	.sysfs_init	= pblk_sysfs_init,
 	.sysfs_exit	= pblk_sysfs_exit,
+	.owner		= THIS_MODULE,
 };
 
 static int __init pblk_module_init(void)
diff --git a/include/linux/lightnvm.h b/include/linux/lightnvm.h
index 7dfa56ebbc6d0f1bd4e215c93d5e642b3231334b..7b80ac911d26ea2417766b3df607a2e6f92129f0 100644
--- a/include/linux/lightnvm.h
+++ b/include/linux/lightnvm.h
@@ -460,6 +460,7 @@ struct nvm_tgt_type {
 
 	/* For internal use */
 	struct list_head list;
+	struct module *owner;
 };
 
 extern struct nvm_tgt_type *nvm_find_target_type(const char *, int);