diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/amthif.c b/drivers/misc/mei/amthif.c
index 226c3f3cd3e8..4f259d411a2c 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/amthif.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/amthif.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ void mei_amthif_reset_params(struct mei_device *dev)
 	dev->iamthif_state = MEI_IAMTHIF_IDLE;
 	dev->iamthif_timer = 0;
 	dev->iamthif_stall_timer = 0;
+	dev->iamthif_open_count = 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -731,8 +732,8 @@ static bool mei_clear_lists(struct mei_device *dev, struct file *file)
 */
 int mei_amthif_release(struct mei_device *dev, struct file *file)
 {
-	if (dev->open_handle_count > 0)
-		dev->open_handle_count--;
+	if (dev->iamthif_open_count > 0)
+		dev->iamthif_open_count--;
 
 	if (dev->iamthif_file_object == file &&
 	    dev->iamthif_state != MEI_IAMTHIF_IDLE) {
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/client.c b/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
index 88770e040dd1..a48c0e71e69d 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/client.c
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ struct mei_cl_cb *mei_cl_find_read_cb(struct mei_cl *cl)
 int mei_cl_link(struct mei_cl *cl, int id)
 {
 	struct mei_device *dev;
+	long open_handle_count;
 
 	if (WARN_ON(!cl || !cl->dev))
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -291,7 +292,8 @@ int mei_cl_link(struct mei_cl *cl, int id)
 		return -EMFILE;
 	}
 
-	if (dev->open_handle_count >= MEI_MAX_OPEN_HANDLE_COUNT) {
+	open_handle_count = dev->open_handle_count + dev->iamthif_open_count;
+	if (open_handle_count >= MEI_MAX_OPEN_HANDLE_COUNT) {
 		dev_err(&dev->pdev->dev, "open_handle_count exceded %d",
 			MEI_MAX_OPEN_HANDLE_COUNT);
 		return -EMFILE;
@@ -337,6 +339,17 @@ int mei_cl_unlink(struct mei_cl *cl)
 
 	cl_dbg(dev, cl, "unlink client");
 
+	if (dev->open_handle_count > 0)
+		dev->open_handle_count--;
+
+	/* never clear the 0 bit */
+	if (cl->host_client_id)
+		clear_bit(cl->host_client_id, dev->host_clients_map);
+
+	list_del_init(&cl->link);
+
+	cl->state = MEI_FILE_INITIALIZING;
+
 	list_del_init(&cl->link);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -358,10 +371,8 @@ void mei_host_client_init(struct work_struct *work)
 	/*
 	 * Reserving the first three client IDs
 	 * 0: Reserved for MEI Bus Message communications
-	 * 1: Reserved for Watchdog
-	 * 2: Reserved for AMTHI
 	 */
-	bitmap_set(dev->host_clients_map, 0, 3);
+	bitmap_set(dev->host_clients_map, 0, 1);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < dev->me_clients_num; i++) {
 		client_props = &dev->me_clients[i].props;
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/init.c b/drivers/misc/mei/init.c
index 6197018e2f16..a7d29a7dcab2 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/init.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/init.c
@@ -165,12 +165,7 @@ void mei_reset(struct mei_device *dev, int interrupts_enabled)
 		/* remove entry if already in list */
 		dev_dbg(&dev->pdev->dev, "remove iamthif and wd from the file list.\n");
 		mei_cl_unlink(&dev->wd_cl);
-		if (dev->open_handle_count > 0)
-			dev->open_handle_count--;
 		mei_cl_unlink(&dev->iamthif_cl);
-		if (dev->open_handle_count > 0)
-			dev->open_handle_count--;
-
 		mei_amthif_reset_params(dev);
 		memset(&dev->wr_ext_msg, 0, sizeof(dev->wr_ext_msg));
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/main.c b/drivers/misc/mei/main.c
index 87ab5ca1d633..9661a812f550 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/main.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/main.c
@@ -141,10 +141,6 @@ static int mei_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	    cl->host_client_id,
 	    cl->me_client_id);
 
-	if (dev->open_handle_count > 0) {
-		clear_bit(cl->host_client_id, dev->host_clients_map);
-		dev->open_handle_count--;
-	}
 	mei_cl_unlink(cl);
 
 
@@ -498,11 +494,11 @@ static int mei_ioctl_connect_client(struct file *file,
 			rets = -ENODEV;
 			goto end;
 		}
-		clear_bit(cl->host_client_id, dev->host_clients_map);
 		mei_cl_unlink(cl);
 
 		kfree(cl);
 		cl = NULL;
+		dev->iamthif_open_count++;
 		file->private_data = &dev->iamthif_cl;
 
 		client = &data->out_client_properties;
diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h b/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h
index 456b322013e2..406f68e05b4e 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ struct mei_device {
 	struct file *iamthif_file_object;
 	struct mei_cl iamthif_cl;
 	struct mei_cl_cb *iamthif_current_cb;
+	long iamthif_open_count;
 	int iamthif_mtu;
 	unsigned long iamthif_timer;
 	u32 iamthif_stall_timer;