diff --git a/net/batman-adv/bat_iv_ogm.c b/net/batman-adv/bat_iv_ogm.c
index 9ed4f1fc6ac53c7dfb735c5789101f5978ffcc98..3c7900d543ca95b1e633e28d383a32db8fec4d3c 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/bat_iv_ogm.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/bat_iv_ogm.c
@@ -324,17 +324,18 @@ batadv_iv_ogm_orig_get(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv, const u8 *addr)
 	if (!orig_node->bat_iv.bcast_own_sum)
 		goto free_orig_node;
 
+	kref_get(&orig_node->refcount);
 	hash_added = batadv_hash_add(bat_priv->orig_hash, batadv_compare_orig,
 				     batadv_choose_orig, orig_node,
 				     &orig_node->hash_entry);
 	if (hash_added != 0)
-		goto free_orig_node;
+		goto free_orig_node_hash;
 
 	return orig_node;
 
-free_orig_node:
-	/* free twice, as batadv_orig_node_new sets refcount to 2 */
+free_orig_node_hash:
 	batadv_orig_node_put(orig_node);
+free_orig_node:
 	batadv_orig_node_put(orig_node);
 
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/bat_v_ogm.c b/net/batman-adv/bat_v_ogm.c
index 6fbba4eb06171161d41d15efc7e0e525d1c0fe85..1aeeadca620cd090ce763ef017cb01f6a2ec2890 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/bat_v_ogm.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/bat_v_ogm.c
@@ -73,13 +73,12 @@ struct batadv_orig_node *batadv_v_ogm_orig_get(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 	if (!orig_node)
 		return NULL;
 
+	kref_get(&orig_node->refcount);
 	hash_added = batadv_hash_add(bat_priv->orig_hash, batadv_compare_orig,
 				     batadv_choose_orig, orig_node,
 				     &orig_node->hash_entry);
 	if (hash_added != 0) {
-		/* orig_node->refcounter is initialised to 2 by
-		 * batadv_orig_node_new()
-		 */
+		/* remove refcnt for newly created orig_node and hash entry */
 		batadv_orig_node_put(orig_node);
 		batadv_orig_node_put(orig_node);
 		orig_node = NULL;
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/gateway_client.c b/net/batman-adv/gateway_client.c
index c2928c2287b88decd5c88e812c05fcb3d33d547b..b889e1fdba4d3336e0e00cd37617ff4968e76174 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/gateway_client.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/gateway_client.c
@@ -339,8 +339,8 @@ static void batadv_gw_node_add(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 	if (!gw_node)
 		return;
 
-	kref_get(&orig_node->refcount);
 	INIT_HLIST_NODE(&gw_node->list);
+	kref_get(&orig_node->refcount);
 	gw_node->orig_node = orig_node;
 	gw_node->bandwidth_down = ntohl(gateway->bandwidth_down);
 	gw_node->bandwidth_up = ntohl(gateway->bandwidth_up);
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c b/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c
index 293ef4ffd4e1650318020f9e6772bcf58a9e1300..3814cfb9484620343c229ec8e718f260479ebcd0 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/network-coding.c
@@ -856,14 +856,13 @@ batadv_nc_get_nc_node(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 	if (!nc_node)
 		return NULL;
 
-	kref_get(&orig_neigh_node->refcount);
-
 	/* Initialize nc_node */
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&nc_node->list);
-	ether_addr_copy(nc_node->addr, orig_node->orig);
-	nc_node->orig_node = orig_neigh_node;
 	kref_init(&nc_node->refcount);
 	kref_get(&nc_node->refcount);
+	ether_addr_copy(nc_node->addr, orig_node->orig);
+	kref_get(&orig_neigh_node->refcount);
+	nc_node->orig_node = orig_neigh_node;
 
 	/* Select ingoing or outgoing coding node */
 	if (in_coding) {
diff --git a/net/batman-adv/originator.c b/net/batman-adv/originator.c
index 0792de869f4ecfb0b5a650f158de32d32ed8a6a4..0b7d57aad417b4f9e85b7b15ee30cce0b1bf85b4 100644
--- a/net/batman-adv/originator.c
+++ b/net/batman-adv/originator.c
@@ -989,7 +989,6 @@ struct batadv_orig_node *batadv_orig_node_new(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv,
 
 	/* extra reference for return */
 	kref_init(&orig_node->refcount);
-	kref_get(&orig_node->refcount);
 
 	orig_node->bat_priv = bat_priv;
 	ether_addr_copy(orig_node->orig, addr);