diff --git a/drivers/pps/pps.c b/drivers/pps/pps.c
index c50a556..f129f4d 100644
--- a/drivers/pps/pps.c
+++ b/drivers/pps/pps.c
@@ -247,12 +247,15 @@
 	struct pps_device *pps = container_of(inode->i_cdev,
 						struct pps_device, cdev);
 	file->private_data = pps;
-
+	kobject_get(&pps->dev->kobj);
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static int pps_cdev_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
+	struct pps_device *pps = container_of(inode->i_cdev,
+						struct pps_device, cdev);
+	kobject_put(&pps->dev->kobj);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -274,8 +277,10 @@
 {
 	struct pps_device *pps = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 
-	/* release id here to protect others from using it while it's
-	 * still in use */
+	cdev_del(&pps->cdev);
+
+	/* Now we can release the ID for re-use */
+	pr_debug("deallocating pps%d\n", pps->id);
 	mutex_lock(&pps_idr_lock);
 	idr_remove(&pps_idr, pps->id);
 	mutex_unlock(&pps_idr_lock);
@@ -330,6 +335,7 @@
 	if (IS_ERR(pps->dev))
 		goto del_cdev;
 
+	/* Override the release function with our own */
 	pps->dev->release = pps_device_destruct;
 
 	pr_debug("source %s got cdev (%d:%d)\n", pps->info.name,
@@ -350,9 +356,9 @@
 
 void pps_unregister_cdev(struct pps_device *pps)
 {
+	pr_debug("unregistering pps%d\n", pps->id);
 	pps->lookup_cookie = NULL;
 	device_destroy(pps_class, pps->dev->devt);
-	cdev_del(&pps->cdev);
 }
 
 /*