diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/core/dc_surface.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/core/dc_surface.c
index ff07105bfd99f5f004a855cd2a7b41d69f3f9b9e..c2168dfacc8d60887e41ab54b643b8a144913d6a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/core/dc_surface.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/core/dc_surface.c
@@ -161,17 +161,18 @@ struct dc_gamma *dc_create_gamma()
 
 void dc_transfer_func_retain(struct dc_transfer_func *tf)
 {
-	ASSERT(atomic_read(&tf->ref_count) > 0);
-	atomic_inc(&tf->ref_count);
+	kref_get(&tf->refcount);
 }
 
-void dc_transfer_func_release(struct dc_transfer_func *tf)
+static void dc_transfer_func_free(struct kref *kref)
 {
-	ASSERT(atomic_read(&tf->ref_count) > 0);
-	atomic_dec(&tf->ref_count);
+	struct dc_transfer_func *tf = container_of(kref, struct dc_transfer_func, refcount);
+	kfree(tf);
+}
 
-	if (atomic_read(&tf->ref_count) == 0)
-		kfree(tf);
+void dc_transfer_func_release(struct dc_transfer_func *tf)
+{
+	kref_put(&tf->refcount, dc_transfer_func_free);
 }
 
 struct dc_transfer_func *dc_create_transfer_func()
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ struct dc_transfer_func *dc_create_transfer_func()
 	if (tf == NULL)
 		goto alloc_fail;
 
-	atomic_inc(&tf->ref_count);
+	kref_init(&tf->refcount);
 
 	return tf;
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/dc.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/dc.h
index 259ac69185647ae707b65068c634421fdae30e56..f16c545a87ed0a9e77d0e7d929fcdc129faf2796 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/dc.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/dc.h
@@ -330,11 +330,11 @@ enum dc_transfer_func_predefined {
 };
 
 struct dc_transfer_func {
+	struct kref refcount;
 	struct dc_transfer_func_distributed_points tf_pts;
 	enum dc_transfer_func_type type;
 	enum dc_transfer_func_predefined tf;
 	struct dc_context *ctx;
-	atomic_t ref_count;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/os_types.h b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/os_types.h
index 27ed2a61c3c81d5d31c955b4fb7d38a07587d1b6..e0cd5278aae81af1365d2e3067c3db440a5c3e8e 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/os_types.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/dc/os_types.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 #include <linux/types.h>
 #include <drm/drmP.h>
 
+#include <linux/kref.h>
+
 #include "cgs_linux.h"
 
 #if defined(__BIG_ENDIAN) && !defined(BIGENDIAN_CPU)