diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
index 7b418c717f296..0290aca18d261 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
@@ -2184,16 +2184,12 @@ int ib_device_set_netdev(struct ib_device *ib_dev, struct net_device *ndev,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (old_ndev)
-		netdev_tracker_free(ndev, &pdata->netdev_tracker);
-	if (ndev)
-		netdev_hold(ndev, &pdata->netdev_tracker, GFP_ATOMIC);
 	rcu_assign_pointer(pdata->netdev, ndev);
+	netdev_put(old_ndev, &pdata->netdev_tracker);
+	netdev_hold(ndev, &pdata->netdev_tracker, GFP_ATOMIC);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&pdata->netdev_lock, flags);
 
 	add_ndev_hash(pdata);
-	__dev_put(old_ndev);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ib_device_set_netdev);