diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
index 7fc186c6927d..a03e18f5e562 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
@@ -800,6 +800,7 @@ static struct class gpio_class = {
  */
 int gpiod_export(struct gpio_desc *desc, bool direction_may_change)
 {
+	struct gpio_chip	*chip;
 	unsigned long		flags;
 	int			status;
 	const char		*ioname = NULL;
@@ -817,8 +818,16 @@ int gpiod_export(struct gpio_desc *desc, bool direction_may_change)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
+	chip = desc->chip;
+
 	mutex_lock(&sysfs_lock);
 
+	/* check if chip is being removed */
+	if (!chip || !chip->exported) {
+		status = -ENODEV;
+		goto fail_unlock;
+	}
+
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&gpio_lock, flags);
 	if (!test_bit(FLAG_REQUESTED, &desc->flags) ||
 	     test_bit(FLAG_EXPORT, &desc->flags)) {
@@ -1057,12 +1066,15 @@ static void gpiochip_unexport(struct gpio_chip *chip)
 {
 	int			status;
 	struct device		*dev;
+	struct gpio_desc *desc;
+	unsigned int i;
 
 	mutex_lock(&sysfs_lock);
 	dev = class_find_device(&gpio_class, NULL, chip, match_export);
 	if (dev) {
 		put_device(dev);
 		device_unregister(dev);
+		/* prevent further gpiod exports */
 		chip->exported = false;
 		status = 0;
 	} else
@@ -1071,6 +1083,13 @@ static void gpiochip_unexport(struct gpio_chip *chip)
 
 	if (status)
 		chip_dbg(chip, "%s: status %d\n", __func__, status);
+
+	/* unregister gpiod class devices owned by sysfs */
+	for (i = 0; i < chip->ngpio; i++) {
+		desc = &chip->desc[i];
+		if (test_and_clear_bit(FLAG_SYSFS, &desc->flags))
+			gpiod_free(desc);
+	}
 }
 
 static int __init gpiolib_sysfs_init(void)