diff --git a/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c b/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c
index f16ee5c09d07..52ccc37d5687 100644
--- a/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c
+++ b/net/ax25/ax25_dev.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ ax25_dev *ax25_addr_ax25dev(ax25_address *addr)
 		if (ax25cmp(addr, (const ax25_address *)ax25_dev->dev->dev_addr) == 0) {
 			res = ax25_dev;
 			ax25_dev_hold(ax25_dev);
+			break;
 		}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
 
@@ -88,7 +89,6 @@ void ax25_dev_device_up(struct net_device *dev)
 	list_add(&ax25_dev->list, &ax25_dev_list);
 	dev->ax25_ptr     = ax25_dev;
 	spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
-	ax25_dev_hold(ax25_dev);
 
 	ax25_register_dev_sysctl(ax25_dev);
 }
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ void ax25_dev_device_down(struct net_device *dev)
 unlock_put:
 	dev->ax25_ptr = NULL;
 	spin_unlock_bh(&ax25_dev_lock);
-	ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
 	netdev_put(dev, &ax25_dev->dev_tracker);
 	ax25_dev_put(ax25_dev);
 }