diff --git a/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c b/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c
index d1d8d8a21ddd50cbadc1ed75e3e4fdc810f9c78c..fe730fad1c38f159185fb2606ec9ab927ebfcb09 100644
--- a/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c
+++ b/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ ax25_dev *ax25_addr_ax25dev(ax25_address *addr)
 		if (ax25cmp(addr, (ax25_address *)ax25_dev->dev->dev_addr) == 0) {
 			res = ax25_dev;
 			ax25_dev_hold(ax25_dev);
+			break;
 		}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
 
@@ -86,7 +87,6 @@ void ax25_dev_device_up(struct net_device *dev)
 	ax25_dev->next = ax25_dev_list;
 	ax25_dev_list  = ax25_dev;
 	spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
-	ax25_dev_hold(ax25_dev);
 
 	ax25_register_dev_sysctl(ax25_dev);
 }
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ void ax25_dev_device_down(struct net_device *dev)
 	if ((s = ax25_dev_list) == ax25_dev) {
 		ax25_dev_list = s->next;
 		spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
-		ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
 		dev->ax25_ptr = NULL;
 		dev_put(dev);
 		ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
@@ -127,7 +126,6 @@ void ax25_dev_device_down(struct net_device *dev)
 		if (s->next == ax25_dev) {
 			s->next = ax25_dev->next;
 			spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
-			ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
 			dev->ax25_ptr = NULL;
 			dev_put(dev);
 			ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);