diff --git a/drivers/char/virtio_console.c b/drivers/char/virtio_console.c
index cbdc497f5160..74599ba9160e 100644
--- a/drivers/char/virtio_console.c
+++ b/drivers/char/virtio_console.c
@@ -304,6 +304,12 @@ static struct port *find_port_by_id(struct ports_device *portdev, u32 id)
 	return port;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Finds a port by the virtqueue and returns a pointer to struct port
+ * with the reference count incremented.
+ *
+ * Callers MUST decrement it when finished.
+ */
 static struct port *find_port_by_vq(struct ports_device *portdev,
 				    struct virtqueue *vq)
 {
@@ -312,8 +318,10 @@ static struct port *find_port_by_vq(struct ports_device *portdev,
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&portdev->ports_lock, flags);
 	list_for_each_entry(port, &portdev->ports, list)
-		if (port->in_vq == vq || port->out_vq == vq)
+		if (port->in_vq == vq || port->out_vq == vq) {
+			kref_get(&port->kref);
 			goto out;
+		}
 	port = NULL;
 out:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&portdev->ports_lock, flags);
@@ -1708,6 +1716,7 @@ static void out_intr(struct virtqueue *vq)
 	}
 
 	wake_up_interruptible(&port->waitqueue);
+	kref_put(&port->kref, remove_port);
 }
 
 static void in_intr(struct virtqueue *vq)
@@ -1753,6 +1762,8 @@ static void in_intr(struct virtqueue *vq)
 
 	if (is_console_port(port) && hvc_poll(port->cons.hvc))
 		hvc_kick();
+
+	kref_put(&port->kref, remove_port);
 }
 
 static void control_intr(struct virtqueue *vq)