diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c b/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c
index 3bb1f1500f6be3b76b2c70e1a7a76c74c07e2131..b67f15b5306749cf18656078fa3727672652a2d9 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/bus.c
@@ -541,6 +541,37 @@ int mei_cldev_disable(struct mei_cl_device *cldev)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(mei_cldev_disable);
 
+/**
+ * mei_cl_bus_module_get - acquire module of the underlying
+ *    hw module.
+ *
+ * @cl: host client
+ *
+ * Return: true on success; false if the module was removed.
+ */
+bool mei_cl_bus_module_get(struct mei_cl *cl)
+{
+	struct mei_cl_device *cldev = cl->cldev;
+
+	if (!cldev)
+		return true;
+
+	return try_module_get(cldev->bus->dev->driver->owner);
+}
+
+/**
+ * mei_cl_bus_module_put -  release the underlying hw module.
+ *
+ * @cl: host client
+ */
+void mei_cl_bus_module_put(struct mei_cl *cl)
+{
+	struct mei_cl_device *cldev = cl->cldev;
+
+	if (cldev)
+		module_put(cldev->bus->dev->driver->owner);
+}
+
 /**
  * mei_cl_device_find - find matching entry in the driver id table
  *
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/client.c b/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
index da1c0703910a4d1d7def39156df2f73ef30b0902..619b4702347f8a528a28e4040bb26d1dfde43a2b 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
@@ -774,6 +774,8 @@ static void mei_cl_set_disconnected(struct mei_cl *cl)
 	cl->tx_flow_ctrl_creds = 0;
 	cl->timer_count = 0;
 
+	mei_cl_bus_module_put(cl);
+
 	if (!cl->me_cl)
 		return;
 
@@ -1077,13 +1079,17 @@ int mei_cl_connect(struct mei_cl *cl, struct mei_me_client *me_cl,
 
 	dev = cl->dev;
 
+	if (!mei_cl_bus_module_get(cl))
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	rets = mei_cl_set_connecting(cl, me_cl);
 	if (rets)
-		return rets;
+		goto nortpm;
 
 	if (mei_cl_is_fixed_address(cl)) {
 		cl->state = MEI_FILE_CONNECTED;
-		return 0;
+		rets = 0;
+		goto nortpm;
 	}
 
 	rets = pm_runtime_get(dev->dev);
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h b/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h
index 8dadb98662a9e61da14ed8d95268bc9b4ec23d2b..33ff4b7e356d6d9c833a82d62e88c9b854665b81 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h
@@ -328,6 +328,8 @@ ssize_t __mei_cl_recv(struct mei_cl *cl, u8 *buf, size_t length,
 bool mei_cl_bus_rx_event(struct mei_cl *cl);
 bool mei_cl_bus_notify_event(struct mei_cl *cl);
 void mei_cl_bus_remove_devices(struct mei_device *bus);
+bool mei_cl_bus_module_get(struct mei_cl *cl);
+void mei_cl_bus_module_put(struct mei_cl *cl);
 int mei_cl_bus_init(void);
 void mei_cl_bus_exit(void);