diff --git a/drivers/regulator/core.c b/drivers/regulator/core.c
index 538a2779986a..196e344a84d3 100644
--- a/drivers/regulator/core.c
+++ b/drivers/regulator/core.c
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ static int regulator_balance_voltage(struct regulator_dev *rdev,
 static struct regulator *create_regulator(struct regulator_dev *rdev,
 					  struct device *dev,
 					  const char *supply_name);
+static void destroy_regulator(struct regulator *regulator);
 static void _regulator_put(struct regulator *regulator);
 
 const char *rdev_get_name(struct regulator_dev *rdev)
@@ -2034,20 +2035,9 @@ struct regulator *regulator_get_optional(struct device *dev, const char *id)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(regulator_get_optional);
 
-/* regulator_list_mutex lock held by regulator_put() */
-static void _regulator_put(struct regulator *regulator)
+static void destroy_regulator(struct regulator *regulator)
 {
-	struct regulator_dev *rdev;
-
-	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(regulator))
-		return;
-
-	lockdep_assert_held_once(&regulator_list_mutex);
-
-	/* Docs say you must disable before calling regulator_put() */
-	WARN_ON(regulator->enable_count);
-
-	rdev = regulator->rdev;
+	struct regulator_dev *rdev = regulator->rdev;
 
 	debugfs_remove_recursive(regulator->debugfs);
 
@@ -2068,6 +2058,24 @@ static void _regulator_put(struct regulator *regulator)
 
 	kfree_const(regulator->supply_name);
 	kfree(regulator);
+}
+
+/* regulator_list_mutex lock held by regulator_put() */
+static void _regulator_put(struct regulator *regulator)
+{
+	struct regulator_dev *rdev;
+
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(regulator))
+		return;
+
+	lockdep_assert_held_once(&regulator_list_mutex);
+
+	/* Docs say you must disable before calling regulator_put() */
+	WARN_ON(regulator->enable_count);
+
+	rdev = regulator->rdev;
+
+	destroy_regulator(regulator);
 
 	module_put(rdev->owner);
 	put_device(&rdev->dev);