diff --git a/drivers/scsi/sg.c b/drivers/scsi/sg.c
index ec89119ce5b798e989baac4862ad69284612f1f4..fbd973b184bbf1be82df76f2f657e83732bc5126 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/sg.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/sg.c
@@ -390,7 +390,6 @@ sg_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 
 	mutex_lock(&sdp->open_rel_lock);
 	scsi_autopm_put_device(sdp->device);
-	kref_put(&sfp->f_ref, sg_remove_sfp);
 	sdp->open_cnt--;
 
 	/* possibly many open()s waiting on exlude clearing, start many;
@@ -402,6 +401,7 @@ sg_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 		wake_up_interruptible(&sdp->open_wait);
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&sdp->open_rel_lock);
+	kref_put(&sfp->f_ref, sg_remove_sfp);
 	return 0;
 }