diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index 882920b7327b..b7293fe66540 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -3903,6 +3903,11 @@ static int nvme_subsys_check_duplicate_ids(struct nvme_subsystem *subsys,
 static void nvme_cdev_rel(struct device *dev)
 {
 	ida_free(&nvme_ns_chr_minor_ida, MINOR(dev->devt));
+	if (dev->parent->class == &nvme_class)
+		nvme_put_ns(container_of(dev, struct nvme_ns, cdev_device));
+	else
+		nvme_put_ns_head(container_of(dev, struct nvme_ns_head,
+				cdev_device));
 }
 
 void nvme_cdev_del(struct cdev *cdev, struct device *cdev_device)
@@ -3968,10 +3973,12 @@ static void nvme_add_ns_cdev(struct nvme_ns *ns)
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "ng%dn%d", ns->ctrl->instance,
 		 ns->head->instance);
 
+	nvme_get_ns(ns); /* Undone in nvme_cdev_rel() */
 	if (nvme_cdev_add(name, &ns->cdev, &ns->cdev_device,
 			&nvme_ns_chr_fops, ns->ctrl->ops->module)) {
 		dev_err(ns->ctrl->device, "Unable to create the %s device\n",
 			name);
+		nvme_put_ns(ns);
 		return;
 	}
 	set_bit(NVME_NS_CDEV_LIVE, &ns->flags);
diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c b/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c
index 8cb417036fe1..c850a4bf7380 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c
@@ -630,28 +630,8 @@ const struct block_device_operations nvme_ns_head_ops = {
 	.pr_ops		= &nvme_pr_ops,
 };
 
-static inline struct nvme_ns_head *cdev_to_ns_head(struct cdev *cdev)
-{
-	return container_of(cdev, struct nvme_ns_head, cdev);
-}
-
-static int nvme_ns_head_chr_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
-{
-	if (!nvme_tryget_ns_head(cdev_to_ns_head(inode->i_cdev)))
-		return -ENXIO;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int nvme_ns_head_chr_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
-{
-	nvme_put_ns_head(cdev_to_ns_head(inode->i_cdev));
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static const struct file_operations nvme_ns_head_chr_fops = {
 	.owner		= THIS_MODULE,
-	.open		= nvme_ns_head_chr_open,
-	.release	= nvme_ns_head_chr_release,
 	.unlocked_ioctl	= nvme_ns_head_chr_ioctl,
 	.compat_ioctl	= compat_ptr_ioctl,
 	.uring_cmd	= nvme_ns_head_chr_uring_cmd,
@@ -666,10 +646,12 @@ static void nvme_add_ns_head_cdev(struct nvme_ns_head *head)
 	snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "ng%dn%d", head->subsys->instance,
 		 head->instance);
 
+	nvme_get_ns_head(head); /* Undone in nvme_cdev_rel() */
 	if (nvme_cdev_add(name, &head->cdev, &head->cdev_device,
 			&nvme_ns_head_chr_fops, THIS_MODULE)) {
 		dev_err(disk_to_dev(head->disk),
 			"Unable to create the %s device\n", name);
+		nvme_put_ns_head(head);
 		return;
 	}
 	set_bit(NVME_NSHEAD_CDEV_LIVE, &head->flags);