diff --git a/include/net/devlink.h b/include/net/devlink.h
index 6a2e4f21779f..425ecef431b7 100644
--- a/include/net/devlink.h
+++ b/include/net/devlink.h
@@ -1647,6 +1647,8 @@ static inline struct devlink *devlink_alloc(const struct devlink_ops *ops,
 	return devlink_alloc_ns(ops, priv_size, &init_net, dev);
 }
 void devlink_set_features(struct devlink *devlink, u64 features);
+int devl_register(struct devlink *devlink);
+void devl_unregister(struct devlink *devlink);
 void devlink_register(struct devlink *devlink);
 void devlink_unregister(struct devlink *devlink);
 void devlink_free(struct devlink *devlink);
diff --git a/net/devlink/core.c b/net/devlink/core.c
index c53c996edf1d..7cf0b3efbb2f 100644
--- a/net/devlink/core.c
+++ b/net/devlink/core.c
@@ -83,21 +83,10 @@ struct devlink *__must_check devlink_try_get(struct devlink *devlink)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static void __devlink_put_rcu(struct rcu_head *head)
-{
-	struct devlink *devlink = container_of(head, struct devlink, rcu);
-
-	complete(&devlink->comp);
-}
-
 void devlink_put(struct devlink *devlink)
 {
 	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&devlink->refcount))
-		/* Make sure unregister operation that may await the completion
-		 * is unblocked only after all users are after the end of
-		 * RCU grace period.
-		 */
-		call_rcu(&devlink->rcu, __devlink_put_rcu);
+		kfree_rcu(devlink, rcu);
 }
 
 struct devlink *devlinks_xa_find_get(struct net *net, unsigned long *indexp)
@@ -110,13 +99,6 @@ retry:
 	if (!devlink)
 		goto unlock;
 
-	/* In case devlink_unregister() was already called and "unregistering"
-	 * mark was set, do not allow to get a devlink reference here.
-	 * This prevents live-lock of devlink_unregister() wait for completion.
-	 */
-	if (xa_get_mark(&devlinks, *indexp, DEVLINK_UNREGISTERING))
-		goto next;
-
 	if (!devlink_try_get(devlink))
 		goto next;
 	if (!net_eq(devlink_net(devlink), net)) {
@@ -152,37 +134,48 @@ void devlink_set_features(struct devlink *devlink, u64 features)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(devlink_set_features);
 
 /**
- *	devlink_register - Register devlink instance
- *
- *	@devlink: devlink
+ * devl_register - Register devlink instance
+ * @devlink: devlink
  */
-void devlink_register(struct devlink *devlink)
+int devl_register(struct devlink *devlink)
 {
 	ASSERT_DEVLINK_NOT_REGISTERED(devlink);
-	/* Make sure that we are in .probe() routine */
+	devl_assert_locked(devlink);
 
 	xa_set_mark(&devlinks, devlink->index, DEVLINK_REGISTERED);
 	devlink_notify_register(devlink);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(devl_register);
+
+void devlink_register(struct devlink *devlink)
+{
+	devl_lock(devlink);
+	devl_register(devlink);
+	devl_unlock(devlink);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(devlink_register);
 
 /**
- *	devlink_unregister - Unregister devlink instance
- *
- *	@devlink: devlink
+ * devl_unregister - Unregister devlink instance
+ * @devlink: devlink
  */
-void devlink_unregister(struct devlink *devlink)
+void devl_unregister(struct devlink *devlink)
 {
 	ASSERT_DEVLINK_REGISTERED(devlink);
-	/* Make sure that we are in .remove() routine */
-
-	xa_set_mark(&devlinks, devlink->index, DEVLINK_UNREGISTERING);
-	devlink_put(devlink);
-	wait_for_completion(&devlink->comp);
+	devl_assert_locked(devlink);
 
 	devlink_notify_unregister(devlink);
 	xa_clear_mark(&devlinks, devlink->index, DEVLINK_REGISTERED);
-	xa_clear_mark(&devlinks, devlink->index, DEVLINK_UNREGISTERING);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(devl_unregister);
+
+void devlink_unregister(struct devlink *devlink)
+{
+	devl_lock(devlink);
+	devl_unregister(devlink);
+	devl_unlock(devlink);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(devlink_unregister);
 
@@ -246,7 +239,6 @@ struct devlink *devlink_alloc_ns(const struct devlink_ops *ops,
 	mutex_init(&devlink->reporters_lock);
 	mutex_init(&devlink->linecards_lock);
 	refcount_set(&devlink->refcount, 1);
-	init_completion(&devlink->comp);
 
 	return devlink;
 
@@ -292,7 +284,7 @@ void devlink_free(struct devlink *devlink)
 
 	xa_erase(&devlinks, devlink->index);
 
-	kfree(devlink);
+	devlink_put(devlink);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(devlink_free);
 
diff --git a/net/devlink/devl_internal.h b/net/devlink/devl_internal.h
index 01a00df81d0e..5d2bbe295659 100644
--- a/net/devlink/devl_internal.h
+++ b/net/devlink/devl_internal.h
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <net/net_namespace.h>
 
 #define DEVLINK_REGISTERED XA_MARK_1
-#define DEVLINK_UNREGISTERING XA_MARK_2
 
 #define DEVLINK_RELOAD_STATS_ARRAY_SIZE \
 	(__DEVLINK_RELOAD_LIMIT_MAX * __DEVLINK_RELOAD_ACTION_MAX)
@@ -52,7 +51,6 @@ struct devlink {
 	struct lock_class_key lock_key;
 	u8 reload_failed:1;
 	refcount_t refcount;
-	struct completion comp;
 	struct rcu_head rcu;
 	struct notifier_block netdevice_nb;
 	char priv[] __aligned(NETDEV_ALIGN);