diff --git a/drivers/acpi/nfit/core.c b/drivers/acpi/nfit/core.c
index 5143e11e3b0f..c1fb06654749 100644
--- a/drivers/acpi/nfit/core.c
+++ b/drivers/acpi/nfit/core.c
@@ -2042,11 +2042,6 @@ static int acpi_nfit_register_dimms(struct acpi_nfit_desc *acpi_desc)
 		if (!nvdimm)
 			continue;
 
-		rc = nvdimm_security_setup_events(nvdimm);
-		if (rc < 0)
-			dev_warn(acpi_desc->dev,
-				"security event setup failed: %d\n", rc);
-
 		nfit_kernfs = sysfs_get_dirent(nvdimm_kobj(nvdimm)->sd, "nfit");
 		if (nfit_kernfs)
 			nfit_mem->flags_attr = sysfs_get_dirent(nfit_kernfs,
diff --git a/drivers/nvdimm/dimm.c b/drivers/nvdimm/dimm.c
index 0cf58cabc9ed..3cf50274fadb 100644
--- a/drivers/nvdimm/dimm.c
+++ b/drivers/nvdimm/dimm.c
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ static int nvdimm_probe(struct device *dev)
 	struct nvdimm_drvdata *ndd;
 	int rc;
 
+	rc = nvdimm_security_setup_events(dev);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		dev_err(dev, "security event setup failed: %d\n", rc);
+		return rc;
+	}
+
 	rc = nvdimm_check_config_data(dev);
 	if (rc) {
 		/* not required for non-aliased nvdimm, ex. NVDIMM-N */
diff --git a/drivers/nvdimm/dimm_devs.c b/drivers/nvdimm/dimm_devs.c
index 4890310df874..efe412a6b5b9 100644
--- a/drivers/nvdimm/dimm_devs.c
+++ b/drivers/nvdimm/dimm_devs.c
@@ -578,13 +578,25 @@ struct nvdimm *__nvdimm_create(struct nvdimm_bus *nvdimm_bus,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__nvdimm_create);
 
-int nvdimm_security_setup_events(struct nvdimm *nvdimm)
+static void shutdown_security_notify(void *data)
 {
-	nvdimm->sec.overwrite_state = sysfs_get_dirent(nvdimm->dev.kobj.sd,
-			"security");
+	struct nvdimm *nvdimm = data;
+
+	sysfs_put(nvdimm->sec.overwrite_state);
+}
+
+int nvdimm_security_setup_events(struct device *dev)
+{
+	struct nvdimm *nvdimm = to_nvdimm(dev);
+
+	if (nvdimm->sec.state < 0 || !nvdimm->sec.ops
+			|| !nvdimm->sec.ops->overwrite)
+		return 0;
+	nvdimm->sec.overwrite_state = sysfs_get_dirent(dev->kobj.sd, "security");
 	if (!nvdimm->sec.overwrite_state)
-		return -ENODEV;
-	return 0;
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	return devm_add_action_or_reset(dev, shutdown_security_notify, nvdimm);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvdimm_security_setup_events);
 
diff --git a/drivers/nvdimm/nd.h b/drivers/nvdimm/nd.h
index cfde992684e7..379bf4305e61 100644
--- a/drivers/nvdimm/nd.h
+++ b/drivers/nvdimm/nd.h
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ long nvdimm_clear_poison(struct device *dev, phys_addr_t phys,
 void nvdimm_set_aliasing(struct device *dev);
 void nvdimm_set_locked(struct device *dev);
 void nvdimm_clear_locked(struct device *dev);
+int nvdimm_security_setup_events(struct device *dev);
 #if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NVDIMM_KEYS)
 int nvdimm_security_unlock(struct device *dev);
 #else
diff --git a/include/linux/libnvdimm.h b/include/linux/libnvdimm.h
index 7315977b64da..ad609617aeb8 100644
--- a/include/linux/libnvdimm.h
+++ b/include/linux/libnvdimm.h
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@ static inline struct nvdimm *nvdimm_create(struct nvdimm_bus *nvdimm_bus,
 			cmd_mask, num_flush, flush_wpq, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
-int nvdimm_security_setup_events(struct nvdimm *nvdimm);
 const struct nd_cmd_desc *nd_cmd_dimm_desc(int cmd);
 const struct nd_cmd_desc *nd_cmd_bus_desc(int cmd);
 u32 nd_cmd_in_size(struct nvdimm *nvdimm, int cmd,