diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/file_ops.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/file_ops.c
index 259115886d35145a8ffbde8a804b93b7c96dec4a..e7fdd70c6e788529cd5314becd22f310bec1fab5 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/file_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/file_ops.c
@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ static int hfi1_file_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *fp)
 	fd->mm = current->mm;
 	mmgrab(fd->mm);
 	fd->dd = dd;
-	kobject_get(&fd->dd->kobj);
 	fp->private_data = fd;
 	return 0;
 nomem:
@@ -713,7 +712,6 @@ static int hfi1_file_close(struct inode *inode, struct file *fp)
 	deallocate_ctxt(uctxt);
 done:
 	mmdrop(fdata->mm);
-	kobject_put(&dd->kobj);
 
 	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&dd->user_refcount))
 		complete(&dd->user_comp);
@@ -1696,7 +1694,7 @@ static int user_add(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%s_%d", class_name(), dd->unit);
 	ret = hfi1_cdev_init(dd->unit, name, &hfi1_file_ops,
 			     &dd->user_cdev, &dd->user_device,
-			     true, &dd->kobj);
+			     true, &dd->verbs_dev.rdi.ibdev.dev.kobj);
 	if (ret)
 		user_remove(dd);
 
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/hfi.h b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/hfi.h
index cae12f416ca0e4e8ac9e29fb0da486cf0c225db6..b06c2594105ac320d9af56bc7af0be93e1428221 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/hfi.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/hfi.h
@@ -1413,8 +1413,6 @@ struct hfi1_devdata {
 	bool aspm_enabled;	/* ASPM state: enabled/disabled */
 	struct rhashtable *sdma_rht;
 
-	struct kobject kobj;
-
 	/* vnic data */
 	struct hfi1_vnic_data vnic;
 	/* Lock to protect IRQ SRC register access */
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/init.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/init.c
index e3acda7a080043c66326159826f5f1f38f3968a2..3759d9233a1ccc71f57f07235fb8ac9660857133 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/init.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/init.c
@@ -1198,13 +1198,13 @@ static void finalize_asic_data(struct hfi1_devdata *dd,
 }
 
 /**
- * hfi1_clean_devdata - cleans up per-unit data structure
+ * hfi1_free_devdata - cleans up and frees per-unit data structure
  * @dd: pointer to a valid devdata structure
  *
- * It cleans up all data structures set up by
+ * It cleans up and frees all data structures set up by
  * by hfi1_alloc_devdata().
  */
-static void hfi1_clean_devdata(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
+void hfi1_free_devdata(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
 {
 	struct hfi1_asic_data *ad;
 	unsigned long flags;
@@ -1231,23 +1231,6 @@ static void hfi1_clean_devdata(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
 	rvt_dealloc_device(&dd->verbs_dev.rdi);
 }
 
-static void __hfi1_free_devdata(struct kobject *kobj)
-{
-	struct hfi1_devdata *dd =
-		container_of(kobj, struct hfi1_devdata, kobj);
-
-	hfi1_clean_devdata(dd);
-}
-
-static struct kobj_type hfi1_devdata_type = {
-	.release = __hfi1_free_devdata,
-};
-
-void hfi1_free_devdata(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
-{
-	kobject_put(&dd->kobj);
-}
-
 /**
  * hfi1_alloc_devdata - Allocate our primary per-unit data structure.
  * @pdev: Valid PCI device
@@ -1333,11 +1316,10 @@ static struct hfi1_devdata *hfi1_alloc_devdata(struct pci_dev *pdev,
 		goto bail;
 	}
 
-	kobject_init(&dd->kobj, &hfi1_devdata_type);
 	return dd;
 
 bail:
-	hfi1_clean_devdata(dd);
+	hfi1_free_devdata(dd);
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }