diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/verbs.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/verbs.c
index 90e7b77d68e8..2d19f9bb434d 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/verbs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/verbs.c
@@ -1779,7 +1779,6 @@ int hfi1_register_ib_device(struct hfi1_devdata *dd)
 	ibdev->alloc_hw_stats = alloc_hw_stats;
 	ibdev->get_hw_stats = get_hw_stats;
 	ibdev->alloc_rdma_netdev = hfi1_vnic_alloc_rn;
-	ibdev->free_rdma_netdev = hfi1_vnic_free_rn;
 
 	/* keep process mad in the driver */
 	ibdev->process_mad = hfi1_process_mad;
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic.h b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic.h
index e2c455299b53..4a621cde4abb 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic.h
@@ -176,7 +176,6 @@ struct net_device *hfi1_vnic_alloc_rn(struct ib_device *device,
 				      const char *name,
 				      unsigned char name_assign_type,
 				      void (*setup)(struct net_device *));
-void hfi1_vnic_free_rn(struct net_device *netdev);
 int hfi1_vnic_send_dma(struct hfi1_devdata *dd, u8 q_idx,
 		       struct hfi1_vnic_vport_info *vinfo,
 		       struct sk_buff *skb, u64 pbc, u8 plen);
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic_main.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic_main.c
index b601c2929f8f..339f0cdd56d6 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic_main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/hfi1/vnic_main.c
@@ -833,6 +833,15 @@ static const struct net_device_ops hfi1_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_get_stats64 = hfi1_vnic_get_stats64,
 };
 
+static void hfi1_vnic_free_rn(struct net_device *netdev)
+{
+	struct hfi1_vnic_vport_info *vinfo = opa_vnic_dev_priv(netdev);
+
+	hfi1_vnic_deinit(vinfo);
+	mutex_destroy(&vinfo->lock);
+	free_netdev(netdev);
+}
+
 struct net_device *hfi1_vnic_alloc_rn(struct ib_device *device,
 				      u8 port_num,
 				      enum rdma_netdev_t type,
@@ -864,6 +873,7 @@ struct net_device *hfi1_vnic_alloc_rn(struct ib_device *device,
 	vinfo->num_tx_q = dd->chip_sdma_engines;
 	vinfo->num_rx_q = HFI1_NUM_VNIC_CTXT;
 	vinfo->netdev = netdev;
+	rn->free_rdma_netdev = hfi1_vnic_free_rn;
 	rn->set_id = hfi1_vnic_set_vesw_id;
 
 	netdev->features = NETIF_F_HIGHDMA | NETIF_F_SG;
@@ -892,12 +902,3 @@ init_fail:
 	free_netdev(netdev);
 	return ERR_PTR(rc);
 }
-
-void hfi1_vnic_free_rn(struct net_device *netdev)
-{
-	struct hfi1_vnic_vport_info *vinfo = opa_vnic_dev_priv(netdev);
-
-	hfi1_vnic_deinit(vinfo);
-	mutex_destroy(&vinfo->lock);
-	free_netdev(netdev);
-}
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c
index 9ecc089d4529..afa5f6e88e1d 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/main.c
@@ -3542,6 +3542,11 @@ static int mlx5_ib_get_hw_stats(struct ib_device *ibdev,
 	return num_counters;
 }
 
+static void mlx5_ib_free_rdma_netdev(struct net_device *netdev)
+{
+	return mlx5_rdma_netdev_free(netdev);
+}
+
 static struct net_device*
 mlx5_ib_alloc_rdma_netdev(struct ib_device *hca,
 			  u8 port_num,
@@ -3550,16 +3555,19 @@ mlx5_ib_alloc_rdma_netdev(struct ib_device *hca,
 			  unsigned char name_assign_type,
 			  void (*setup)(struct net_device *))
 {
+	struct net_device *netdev;
+	struct rdma_netdev *rn;
+
 	if (type != RDMA_NETDEV_IPOIB)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EOPNOTSUPP);
 
-	return mlx5_rdma_netdev_alloc(to_mdev(hca)->mdev, hca,
-				      name, setup);
-}
-
-static void mlx5_ib_free_rdma_netdev(struct net_device *netdev)
-{
-	return mlx5_rdma_netdev_free(netdev);
+	netdev = mlx5_rdma_netdev_alloc(to_mdev(hca)->mdev, hca,
+					name, setup);
+	if (likely(!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(netdev))) {
+		rn = netdev_priv(netdev);
+		rn->free_rdma_netdev = mlx5_ib_free_rdma_netdev;
+	}
+	return netdev;
 }
 
 static void *mlx5_ib_add(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev)
@@ -3692,10 +3700,9 @@ static void *mlx5_ib_add(struct mlx5_core_dev *mdev)
 	dev->ib_dev.check_mr_status	= mlx5_ib_check_mr_status;
 	dev->ib_dev.get_port_immutable  = mlx5_port_immutable;
 	dev->ib_dev.get_dev_fw_str      = get_dev_fw_str;
-	if (MLX5_CAP_GEN(mdev, ipoib_enhanced_offloads)) {
+	if (MLX5_CAP_GEN(mdev, ipoib_enhanced_offloads))
 		dev->ib_dev.alloc_rdma_netdev	= mlx5_ib_alloc_rdma_netdev;
-		dev->ib_dev.free_rdma_netdev	= mlx5_ib_free_rdma_netdev;
-	}
+
 	if (mlx5_core_is_pf(mdev)) {
 		dev->ib_dev.get_vf_config	= mlx5_ib_get_vf_config;
 		dev->ib_dev.set_vf_link_state	= mlx5_ib_set_vf_link_state;
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c
index 1015a63de6ae..9ec0dbea3b6b 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/ipoib/ipoib_main.c
@@ -1893,6 +1893,7 @@ static struct net_device
 	rn->send = ipoib_send;
 	rn->attach_mcast = ipoib_mcast_attach;
 	rn->detach_mcast = ipoib_mcast_detach;
+	rn->free_rdma_netdev = free_netdev;
 	rn->hca = hca;
 
 	dev->netdev_ops = &ipoib_netdev_default_pf;
@@ -2288,6 +2289,8 @@ static void ipoib_remove_one(struct ib_device *device, void *client_data)
 		return;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(priv, tmp, dev_list, list) {
+		struct rdma_netdev *rn = netdev_priv(priv->dev);
+
 		ib_unregister_event_handler(&priv->event_handler);
 		flush_workqueue(ipoib_workqueue);
 
@@ -2304,10 +2307,7 @@ static void ipoib_remove_one(struct ib_device *device, void *client_data)
 		flush_workqueue(priv->wq);
 
 		unregister_netdev(priv->dev);
-		if (device->free_rdma_netdev)
-			device->free_rdma_netdev(priv->dev);
-		else
-			free_netdev(priv->dev);
+		rn->free_rdma_netdev(priv->dev);
 
 		list_for_each_entry_safe(cpriv, tcpriv, &priv->child_intfs, list)
 			kfree(cpriv);
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/opa_vnic/opa_vnic_netdev.c b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/opa_vnic/opa_vnic_netdev.c
index 78d9007bc2f6..1a89c6033358 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/ulp/opa_vnic/opa_vnic_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/ulp/opa_vnic/opa_vnic_netdev.c
@@ -323,13 +323,13 @@ struct opa_vnic_adapter *opa_vnic_add_netdev(struct ib_device *ibdev,
 	else if (IS_ERR(netdev))
 		return ERR_CAST(netdev);
 
+	rn = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	adapter = kzalloc(sizeof(*adapter), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!adapter) {
 		rc = -ENOMEM;
 		goto adapter_err;
 	}
 
-	rn = netdev_priv(netdev);
 	rn->clnt_priv = adapter;
 	rn->hca = ibdev;
 	rn->port_num = port_num;
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ netdev_err:
 	mutex_destroy(&adapter->mactbl_lock);
 	kfree(adapter);
 adapter_err:
-	ibdev->free_rdma_netdev(netdev);
+	rn->free_rdma_netdev(netdev);
 
 	return ERR_PTR(rc);
 }
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ adapter_err:
 void opa_vnic_rem_netdev(struct opa_vnic_adapter *adapter)
 {
 	struct net_device *netdev = adapter->netdev;
-	struct ib_device *ibdev = adapter->ibdev;
+	struct rdma_netdev *rn = netdev_priv(netdev);
 
 	v_info("removing\n");
 	unregister_netdev(netdev);
@@ -383,5 +383,5 @@ void opa_vnic_rem_netdev(struct opa_vnic_adapter *adapter)
 	mutex_destroy(&adapter->lock);
 	mutex_destroy(&adapter->mactbl_lock);
 	kfree(adapter);
-	ibdev->free_rdma_netdev(netdev);
+	rn->free_rdma_netdev(netdev);
 }
diff --git a/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h b/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h
index ba8314ec5768..71313d5ca1c8 100644
--- a/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h
+++ b/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h
@@ -1927,6 +1927,9 @@ struct rdma_netdev {
 	struct ib_device  *hca;
 	u8                 port_num;
 
+	/* cleanup function must be specified */
+	void (*free_rdma_netdev)(struct net_device *netdev);
+
 	/* control functions */
 	void (*set_id)(struct net_device *netdev, int id);
 	/* send packet */
@@ -2194,7 +2197,7 @@ struct ib_device {
 							   struct ib_udata *udata);
 	int                        (*destroy_rwq_ind_table)(struct ib_rwq_ind_table *wq_ind_table);
 	/**
-	 * rdma netdev operations
+	 * rdma netdev operation
 	 *
 	 * Driver implementing alloc_rdma_netdev must return -EOPNOTSUPP if it
 	 * doesn't support the specified rdma netdev type.
@@ -2206,7 +2209,6 @@ struct ib_device {
 					const char *name,
 					unsigned char name_assign_type,
 					void (*setup)(struct net_device *));
-	void (*free_rdma_netdev)(struct net_device *netdev);
 
 	struct module               *owner;
 	struct device                dev;