diff --git a/drivers/dio/dio.c b/drivers/dio/dio.c
index c9aa15fb86a9..d07bceb3e34b 100644
--- a/drivers/dio/dio.c
+++ b/drivers/dio/dio.c
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ static char dio_no_name[] = { 0 };
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_DIO_CONSTANTS */
 
+static void dio_dev_release(struct device *dev)
+{
+	struct dio_dev *ddev = container_of(dev, typeof(struct dio_dev), dev);
+	kfree(ddev);
+}
+
 int __init dio_find(int deviceid)
 {
 	/* Called to find a DIO device before the full bus scan has run.
@@ -222,6 +228,7 @@ static int __init dio_init(void)
 		dev->bus = &dio_bus;
 		dev->dev.parent = &dio_bus.dev;
 		dev->dev.bus = &dio_bus_type;
+		dev->dev.release = dio_dev_release;
 		dev->scode = scode;
 		dev->resource.start = pa;
 		dev->resource.end = pa + DIO_SIZE(scode, va);
@@ -249,6 +256,7 @@ static int __init dio_init(void)
 		if (error) {
 			pr_err("DIO: Error registering device %s\n",
 			       dev->name);
+			put_device(&dev->dev);
 			continue;
 		}
 		error = dio_create_sysfs_dev_files(dev);