#if defined(CONFIG_AX25_DAMA_SLAVE) || defined(CONFIG_AX25_DAMA_MASTER)
        ax25_dama_info          dama;
 #endif
+       refcount_t              refcount;
 } ax25_dev;
 
 typedef struct ax25_cb {
        }
 }
 
+#define ax25_dev_hold(__ax25_dev) \
+       refcount_inc(&((__ax25_dev)->refcount))
+
+static __inline__ void ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev *ax25_dev)
+{
+       if (refcount_dec_and_test(&ax25_dev->refcount)) {
+               kfree(ax25_dev);
+       }
+}
 static inline __be16 ax25_type_trans(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 {
        skb->dev      = dev;
 
                        spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_list_lock);
                        lock_sock(sk);
                        s->ax25_dev = NULL;
+                       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
                        release_sock(sk);
                        ax25_disconnect(s, ENETUNREACH);
                        spin_lock_bh(&ax25_list_lock);
          }
 
 out_put:
+       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
        ax25_cb_put(ax25);
        return ret;
 
 
        for (ax25_dev = ax25_dev_list; ax25_dev != NULL; ax25_dev = ax25_dev->next)
                if (ax25cmp(addr, (ax25_address *)ax25_dev->dev->dev_addr) == 0) {
                        res = ax25_dev;
+                       ax25_dev_hold(ax25_dev);
                }
        spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
 
                return;
        }
 
+       refcount_set(&ax25_dev->refcount, 1);
        dev->ax25_ptr     = ax25_dev;
        ax25_dev->dev     = dev;
        dev_hold(dev);
        spin_lock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
        ax25_dev->next = ax25_dev_list;
        ax25_dev_list  = ax25_dev;
+       ax25_dev_hold(ax25_dev);
        spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
 
        ax25_register_dev_sysctl(ax25_dev);
 
        if ((s = ax25_dev_list) == ax25_dev) {
                ax25_dev_list = s->next;
+               ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
                spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
                dev->ax25_ptr = NULL;
                dev_put(dev);
-               kfree(ax25_dev);
+               ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
                return;
        }
 
        while (s != NULL && s->next != NULL) {
                if (s->next == ax25_dev) {
                        s->next = ax25_dev->next;
+                       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
                        spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
                        dev->ax25_ptr = NULL;
                        dev_put(dev);
-                       kfree(ax25_dev);
+                       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
                        return;
                }
 
        }
        spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
        dev->ax25_ptr = NULL;
+       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
 }
 
 int ax25_fwd_ioctl(unsigned int cmd, struct ax25_fwd_struct *fwd)
                if (ax25_dev->forward != NULL)
                        return -EINVAL;
                ax25_dev->forward = fwd_dev->dev;
+               ax25_dev_put(fwd_dev);
                break;
 
        case SIOCAX25DELFWD:
                return -EINVAL;
        }
 
+       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
        return 0;
 }
 
 
        ax25_rt->dev          = ax25_dev->dev;
        ax25_rt->digipeat     = NULL;
        ax25_rt->ip_mode      = ' ';
+       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
        if (route->digi_count != 0) {
                if ((ax25_rt->digipeat = kmalloc(sizeof(ax25_digi), GFP_ATOMIC)) == NULL) {
                        write_unlock_bh(&ax25_route_lock);
                        }
                }
        }
+       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
        write_unlock_bh(&ax25_route_lock);
 
        return 0;
        }
 
 out:
+       ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
        write_unlock_bh(&ax25_route_lock);
        return err;
 }