diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
index 52e03f1c76e3..21c3ffdc8a09 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #include <linux/init.h>		/* For __init/__exit/... */
 #include <linux/jiffies.h>	/* For timeout functions */
 #include <linux/kernel.h>	/* For printk/panic/... */
-#include <linux/kref.h>		/* For data references */
 #include <linux/miscdevice.h>	/* For handling misc devices */
 #include <linux/module.h>	/* For module stuff/... */
 #include <linux/mutex.h>	/* For mutexes */
@@ -53,14 +52,14 @@
 
 /*
  * struct watchdog_core_data - watchdog core internal data
- * @kref:	Reference count.
+ * @dev:	The watchdog's internal device
  * @cdev:	The watchdog's Character device.
  * @wdd:	Pointer to watchdog device.
  * @lock:	Lock for watchdog core.
  * @status:	Watchdog core internal status bits.
  */
 struct watchdog_core_data {
-	struct kref kref;
+	struct device dev;
 	struct cdev cdev;
 	struct watchdog_device *wdd;
 	struct mutex lock;
@@ -802,7 +801,7 @@ static int watchdog_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	file->private_data = wd_data;
 
 	if (!hw_running)
-		kref_get(&wd_data->kref);
+		get_device(&wd_data->dev);
 
 	/* dev/watchdog is a virtual (and thus non-seekable) filesystem */
 	return nonseekable_open(inode, file);
@@ -814,11 +813,11 @@ out_clear:
 	return err;
 }
 
-static void watchdog_core_data_release(struct kref *kref)
+static void watchdog_core_data_release(struct device *dev)
 {
 	struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data;
 
-	wd_data = container_of(kref, struct watchdog_core_data, kref);
+	wd_data = container_of(dev, struct watchdog_core_data, dev);
 
 	kfree(wd_data);
 }
@@ -878,7 +877,7 @@ done:
 	 */
 	if (!running) {
 		module_put(wd_data->cdev.owner);
-		kref_put(&wd_data->kref, watchdog_core_data_release);
+		put_device(&wd_data->dev);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -897,17 +896,22 @@ static struct miscdevice watchdog_miscdev = {
 	.fops		= &watchdog_fops,
 };
 
+static struct class watchdog_class = {
+	.name =		"watchdog",
+	.owner =	THIS_MODULE,
+	.dev_groups =	wdt_groups,
+};
+
 /*
  *	watchdog_cdev_register: register watchdog character device
  *	@wdd: watchdog device
- *	@devno: character device number
  *
  *	Register a watchdog character device including handling the legacy
  *	/dev/watchdog node. /dev/watchdog is actually a miscdevice and
  *	thus we set it up like that.
  */
 
-static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd, dev_t devno)
+static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
 	struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data;
 	int err;
@@ -915,7 +919,6 @@ static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd, dev_t devno)
 	wd_data = kzalloc(sizeof(struct watchdog_core_data), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!wd_data)
 		return -ENOMEM;
-	kref_init(&wd_data->kref);
 	mutex_init(&wd_data->lock);
 
 	wd_data->wdd = wdd;
@@ -942,23 +945,33 @@ static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd, dev_t devno)
 		}
 	}
 
+	device_initialize(&wd_data->dev);
+	wd_data->dev.devt = MKDEV(MAJOR(watchdog_devt), wdd->id);
+	wd_data->dev.class = &watchdog_class;
+	wd_data->dev.parent = wdd->parent;
+	wd_data->dev.groups = wdd->groups;
+	wd_data->dev.release = watchdog_core_data_release;
+	dev_set_drvdata(&wd_data->dev, wdd);
+	dev_set_name(&wd_data->dev, "watchdog%d", wdd->id);
+
 	/* Fill in the data structures */
 	cdev_init(&wd_data->cdev, &watchdog_fops);
-	wd_data->cdev.owner = wdd->ops->owner;
 
 	/* Add the device */
-	err = cdev_add(&wd_data->cdev, devno, 1);
+	err = cdev_device_add(&wd_data->cdev, &wd_data->dev);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_err("watchdog%d unable to add device %d:%d\n",
 			wdd->id,  MAJOR(watchdog_devt), wdd->id);
 		if (wdd->id == 0) {
 			misc_deregister(&watchdog_miscdev);
 			old_wd_data = NULL;
-			kref_put(&wd_data->kref, watchdog_core_data_release);
+			put_device(&wd_data->dev);
 		}
 		return err;
 	}
 
+	wd_data->cdev.owner = wdd->ops->owner;
+
 	/* Record time of most recent heartbeat as 'just before now'. */
 	wd_data->last_hw_keepalive = jiffies - 1;
 
@@ -968,7 +981,7 @@ static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd, dev_t devno)
 	 */
 	if (watchdog_hw_running(wdd)) {
 		__module_get(wdd->ops->owner);
-		kref_get(&wd_data->kref);
+		get_device(&wd_data->dev);
 		if (handle_boot_enabled)
 			queue_delayed_work(watchdog_wq, &wd_data->work, 0);
 		else
@@ -991,7 +1004,7 @@ static void watchdog_cdev_unregister(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
 	struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data = wdd->wd_data;
 
-	cdev_del(&wd_data->cdev);
+	cdev_device_del(&wd_data->cdev, &wd_data->dev);
 	if (wdd->id == 0) {
 		misc_deregister(&watchdog_miscdev);
 		old_wd_data = NULL;
@@ -1009,15 +1022,9 @@ static void watchdog_cdev_unregister(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&wd_data->work);
 
-	kref_put(&wd_data->kref, watchdog_core_data_release);
+	put_device(&wd_data->dev);
 }
 
-static struct class watchdog_class = {
-	.name =		"watchdog",
-	.owner =	THIS_MODULE,
-	.dev_groups =	wdt_groups,
-};
-
 /*
  *	watchdog_dev_register: register a watchdog device
  *	@wdd: watchdog device
@@ -1029,27 +1036,14 @@ static struct class watchdog_class = {
 
 int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
-	struct device *dev;
-	dev_t devno;
 	int ret;
 
-	devno = MKDEV(MAJOR(watchdog_devt), wdd->id);
-
-	ret = watchdog_cdev_register(wdd, devno);
+	ret = watchdog_cdev_register(wdd);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	dev = device_create_with_groups(&watchdog_class, wdd->parent,
-					devno, wdd, wdd->groups,
-					"watchdog%d", wdd->id);
-	if (IS_ERR(dev)) {
-		watchdog_cdev_unregister(wdd);
-		return PTR_ERR(dev);
-	}
-
 	ret = watchdog_register_pretimeout(wdd);
 	if (ret) {
-		device_destroy(&watchdog_class, devno);
 		watchdog_cdev_unregister(wdd);
 	}
 
@@ -1067,7 +1061,6 @@ int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 void watchdog_dev_unregister(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
 	watchdog_unregister_pretimeout(wdd);
-	device_destroy(&watchdog_class, wdd->wd_data->cdev.dev);
 	watchdog_cdev_unregister(wdd);
 }