diff --git a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
index 1c310e790b6238092ecf347c4466a0836a601be9..229be419b0146f18052a2debac607e9a7482e7cf 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c
@@ -520,7 +520,6 @@ static int do_devconfig_ioctl(struct comedi_device *dev,
 			      struct comedi_devconfig __user *arg)
 {
 	struct comedi_devconfig it;
-	int ret;
 
 	if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
@@ -551,15 +550,8 @@ static int do_devconfig_ioctl(struct comedi_device *dev,
 		/* don't re-use dynamically allocated comedi devices */
 		return -EBUSY;
 
-	ret = comedi_device_attach(dev, &it);
-	if (ret == 0) {
-		if (!try_module_get(dev->driver->module)) {
-			comedi_device_detach(dev);
-			ret = -ENOSYS;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return ret;
+	/* This increments the driver module count on success. */
+	return comedi_device_attach(dev, &it);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/drivers/staging/comedi/drivers.c b/drivers/staging/comedi/drivers.c
index caadd3bd72acd346b6c814ccf8eef5f7d7b02a7d..73727a73bd34c69fe0c8c527d05eed5099e66c2b 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/comedi/drivers.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/comedi/drivers.c
@@ -277,11 +277,11 @@ static int __comedi_device_postconfig(struct comedi_device *dev)
 }
 
 /* do a little post-config cleanup */
-/* called with module refcount incremented, decrements it */
 static int comedi_device_postconfig(struct comedi_device *dev)
 {
-	int ret = __comedi_device_postconfig(dev);
-	module_put(dev->driver->module);
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = __comedi_device_postconfig(dev);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		__comedi_device_detach(dev);
 		return ret;
@@ -400,7 +400,11 @@ int comedi_device_attach(struct comedi_device *dev, struct comedi_devconfig *it)
 		__comedi_device_detach(dev);
 		return ret;
 	}
-	return comedi_device_postconfig(dev);
+	ret = comedi_device_postconfig(dev);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		module_put(dev->driver->module);
+	/* On success, the driver module count has been incremented. */
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int comedi_auto_config(struct device *hardware_device,
@@ -431,19 +435,13 @@ int comedi_auto_config(struct device *hardware_device,
 		return PTR_ERR(comedi_dev);
 	/* Note: comedi_alloc_board_minor() locked comedi_dev->mutex. */
 
-	if (!try_module_get(driver->module))
-		ret = -EIO;
-	else {
-		comedi_set_hw_dev(comedi_dev, hardware_device);
-		comedi_dev->driver = driver;
-		ret = driver->auto_attach(comedi_dev, context);
-		if (ret < 0) {
-			module_put(driver->module);
-			__comedi_device_detach(comedi_dev);
-		} else {
-			ret = comedi_device_postconfig(comedi_dev);
-		}
-	}
+	comedi_set_hw_dev(comedi_dev, hardware_device);
+	comedi_dev->driver = driver;
+	ret = driver->auto_attach(comedi_dev, context);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		__comedi_device_detach(comedi_dev);
+	else
+		ret = comedi_device_postconfig(comedi_dev);
 	mutex_unlock(&comedi_dev->mutex);
 
 	if (ret < 0)