diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index f2b61111e26d5c5c16d621e548065a8fed15dfcd..5a7f20f7857468aeab6ba56ba391c228a59efc91 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -3314,7 +3314,6 @@ void netdev_run_todo(void)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		netdev_unregister_sysfs(dev);
 		dev->reg_state = NETREG_UNREGISTERED;
 
 		netdev_wait_allrefs(dev);
@@ -3325,11 +3324,11 @@ void netdev_run_todo(void)
 		BUG_TRAP(!dev->ip6_ptr);
 		BUG_TRAP(!dev->dn_ptr);
 
-		/* It must be the very last action,
-		 * after this 'dev' may point to freed up memory.
-		 */
 		if (dev->destructor)
 			dev->destructor(dev);
+
+		/* Free network device */
+		kobject_put(&dev->dev.kobj);
 	}
 
 out:
@@ -3480,6 +3479,9 @@ void unregister_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 	/* Notifier chain MUST detach us from master device. */
 	BUG_TRAP(!dev->master);
 
+	/* Remove entries from sysfs */
+	netdev_unregister_sysfs(dev);
+
 	/* Finish processing unregister after unlock */
 	net_set_todo(dev);
 
diff --git a/net/core/net-sysfs.c b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
index b21307b15b82d7e09d34101180d9f7131bf1f418..5c19b0646d7a3e09c0284a93686c2d738fc92fd1 100644
--- a/net/core/net-sysfs.c
+++ b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
@@ -456,9 +456,15 @@ static struct class net_class = {
 #endif
 };
 
+/* Delete sysfs entries but hold kobject reference until after all
+ * netdev references are gone.
+ */
 void netdev_unregister_sysfs(struct net_device * net)
 {
-	device_del(&(net->dev));
+	struct device *dev = &(net->dev);
+
+	kobject_get(&dev->kobj);
+	device_del(dev);
 }
 
 /* Create sysfs entries for network device. */