diff --git a/drivers/block/xen-blkback/xenbus.c b/drivers/block/xen-blkback/xenbus.c
index 55869b362fdfb7c500177890443a6617e2107081..25c41ce070a7feb607eadabb84e52d5bda506fd2 100644
--- a/drivers/block/xen-blkback/xenbus.c
+++ b/drivers/block/xen-blkback/xenbus.c
@@ -179,6 +179,15 @@ static struct xen_blkif *xen_blkif_alloc(domid_t domid)
 	blkif->domid = domid;
 	atomic_set(&blkif->refcnt, 1);
 	init_completion(&blkif->drain_complete);
+
+	/*
+	 * Because freeing back to the cache may be deferred, it is not
+	 * safe to unload the module (and hence destroy the cache) until
+	 * this has completed. To prevent premature unloading, take an
+	 * extra module reference here and release only when the object
+	 * has been freed back to the cache.
+	 */
+	__module_get(THIS_MODULE);
 	INIT_WORK(&blkif->free_work, xen_blkif_deferred_free);
 
 	return blkif;
@@ -328,6 +337,7 @@ static void xen_blkif_free(struct xen_blkif *blkif)
 
 	/* Make sure everything is drained before shutting down */
 	kmem_cache_free(xen_blkif_cachep, blkif);
+	module_put(THIS_MODULE);
 }
 
 int __init xen_blkif_interface_init(void)