diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c b/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c
index fc2f0e695a13..c30196d0ad16 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c
@@ -91,9 +91,12 @@ int mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus)
 
 			err = device_register(&phydev->dev);
 
-			if (err)
+			if (err) {
 				printk(KERN_ERR "phy %d failed to register\n",
 						i);
+				phy_device_free(phydev);
+				phydev = NULL;
+			}
 		}
 
 		bus->phy_map[i] = phydev;
@@ -110,10 +113,8 @@ void mdiobus_unregister(struct mii_bus *bus)
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < PHY_MAX_ADDR; i++) {
-		if (bus->phy_map[i]) {
+		if (bus->phy_map[i])
 			device_unregister(&bus->phy_map[i]->dev);
-			kfree(bus->phy_map[i]);
-		}
 	}
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(mdiobus_unregister);
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index f6e484812a98..5b9e1751e1b4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ static struct phy_driver genphy_driver;
 extern int mdio_bus_init(void);
 extern void mdio_bus_exit(void);
 
+void phy_device_free(struct phy_device *phydev)
+{
+	kfree(phydev);
+}
+
+static void phy_device_release(struct device *dev)
+{
+	phy_device_free(to_phy_device(dev));
+}
+
 struct phy_device* phy_device_create(struct mii_bus *bus, int addr, int phy_id)
 {
 	struct phy_device *dev;
@@ -54,6 +64,8 @@ struct phy_device* phy_device_create(struct mii_bus *bus, int addr, int phy_id)
 	if (NULL == dev)
 		return (struct phy_device*) PTR_ERR((void*)-ENOMEM);
 
+	dev->dev.release = phy_device_release;
+
 	dev->speed = 0;
 	dev->duplex = -1;
 	dev->pause = dev->asym_pause = 0;
diff --git a/include/linux/phy.h b/include/linux/phy.h
index e10763d79181..554836edd915 100644
--- a/include/linux/phy.h
+++ b/include/linux/phy.h
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ int phy_mii_ioctl(struct phy_device *phydev,
 int phy_start_interrupts(struct phy_device *phydev);
 void phy_print_status(struct phy_device *phydev);
 struct phy_device* phy_device_create(struct mii_bus *bus, int addr, int phy_id);
+void phy_device_free(struct phy_device *phydev);
 
 extern struct bus_type mdio_bus_type;
 #endif /* __PHY_H */