diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac-phy.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac-phy.c
index 99a14df28b9634dd8e6fdeb6bc9bce2d219a3e1a..2851b4c5657049600c6df2c9c9fa90649cbb832a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac-phy.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac-phy.c
@@ -201,6 +201,13 @@ int emac_phy_config(struct platform_device *pdev, struct emac_adapter *adpt)
 		else
 			adpt->phydev = mdiobus_get_phy(mii_bus, phy_addr);
 
+		/* of_phy_find_device() claims a reference to the phydev,
+		 * so we do that here manually as well. When the driver
+		 * later unloads, it can unilaterally drop the reference
+		 * without worrying about ACPI vs DT.
+		 */
+		if (adpt->phydev)
+			get_device(&adpt->phydev->mdio.dev);
 	} else {
 		struct device_node *phy_np;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c
index 422289c232bc77b2c08c49e5646967b94aeedff8..f46d300bd58597ce64cc4cefe3be2b1aa4b03afa 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qualcomm/emac/emac.c
@@ -719,8 +719,7 @@ static int emac_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 err_undo_napi:
 	netif_napi_del(&adpt->rx_q.napi);
 err_undo_mdiobus:
-	if (!has_acpi_companion(&pdev->dev))
-		put_device(&adpt->phydev->mdio.dev);
+	put_device(&adpt->phydev->mdio.dev);
 	mdiobus_unregister(adpt->mii_bus);
 err_undo_clocks:
 	emac_clks_teardown(adpt);
@@ -740,8 +739,7 @@ static int emac_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 
 	emac_clks_teardown(adpt);
 
-	if (!has_acpi_companion(&pdev->dev))
-		put_device(&adpt->phydev->mdio.dev);
+	put_device(&adpt->phydev->mdio.dev);
 	mdiobus_unregister(adpt->mii_bus);
 	free_netdev(netdev);