diff --git a/drivers/rtc/class.c b/drivers/rtc/class.c
index 565562ba6ac9dacc7d8aa4842c7ddedb29de074d..e6539cbabb35fb8f143f1710a004744fa1abe745 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/class.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/class.c
@@ -158,8 +158,10 @@ struct rtc_device *rtc_device_register(const char *name, struct device *dev,
 	rtc_dev_prepare(rtc);
 
 	err = device_register(&rtc->dev);
-	if (err)
+	if (err) {
+		put_device(&rtc->dev);
 		goto exit_kfree;
+	}
 
 	rtc_dev_add_device(rtc);
 	rtc_sysfs_add_device(rtc);