diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c b/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c
index 67553e13bd36..992406624b7c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/mdio_bus.c
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static inline void of_mdiobus_link_phydev(struct mii_bus *mdio,
  *
  * Returns 0 on success or < 0 on error.
  */
-int mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus)
+int __mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus, struct module *owner)
 {
 	int i, err;
 
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ int mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus)
 	BUG_ON(bus->state != MDIOBUS_ALLOCATED &&
 	       bus->state != MDIOBUS_UNREGISTERED);
 
+	bus->owner = owner;
 	bus->dev.parent = bus->parent;
 	bus->dev.class = &mdio_bus_class;
 	bus->dev.groups = NULL;
@@ -296,7 +297,7 @@ int mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus)
 	device_del(&bus->dev);
 	return err;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(mdiobus_register);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(__mdiobus_register);
 
 void mdiobus_unregister(struct mii_bus *bus)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index c0f211127274..03adf328f49b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -582,10 +582,15 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_init_hw);
 int phy_attach_direct(struct net_device *dev, struct phy_device *phydev,
 		      u32 flags, phy_interface_t interface)
 {
+	struct mii_bus *bus = phydev->bus;
 	struct device *d = &phydev->dev;
-	struct module *bus_module;
 	int err;
 
+	if (!try_module_get(bus->owner)) {
+		dev_err(&dev->dev, "failed to get the bus module\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
 	/* Assume that if there is no driver, that it doesn't
 	 * exist, and we should use the genphy driver.
 	 */
@@ -600,20 +605,13 @@ int phy_attach_direct(struct net_device *dev, struct phy_device *phydev,
 			err = device_bind_driver(d);
 
 		if (err)
-			return err;
+			goto error;
 	}
 
 	if (phydev->attached_dev) {
 		dev_err(&dev->dev, "PHY already attached\n");
-		return -EBUSY;
-	}
-
-	/* Increment the bus module reference count */
-	bus_module = phydev->bus->dev.driver ?
-		     phydev->bus->dev.driver->owner : NULL;
-	if (!try_module_get(bus_module)) {
-		dev_err(&dev->dev, "failed to get the bus module\n");
-		return -EIO;
+		err = -EBUSY;
+		goto error;
 	}
 
 	phydev->attached_dev = dev;
@@ -636,6 +634,10 @@ int phy_attach_direct(struct net_device *dev, struct phy_device *phydev,
 		phy_resume(phydev);
 
 	return err;
+
+error:
+	module_put(bus->owner);
+	return err;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_attach_direct);
 
@@ -680,11 +682,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_attach);
  */
 void phy_detach(struct phy_device *phydev)
 {
+	struct mii_bus *bus;
 	int i;
 
-	if (phydev->bus->dev.driver)
-		module_put(phydev->bus->dev.driver->owner);
-
 	phydev->attached_dev->phydev = NULL;
 	phydev->attached_dev = NULL;
 	phy_suspend(phydev);
@@ -700,6 +700,10 @@ void phy_detach(struct phy_device *phydev)
 			break;
 		}
 	}
+
+	bus = phydev->bus;
+
+	module_put(bus->owner);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(phy_detach);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/phy.h b/include/linux/phy.h
index 962387a192f1..11bce44f6d65 100644
--- a/include/linux/phy.h
+++ b/include/linux/phy.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <linux/spinlock.h>
 #include <linux/ethtool.h>
 #include <linux/mii.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/timer.h>
 #include <linux/workqueue.h>
 #include <linux/mod_devicetable.h>
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ struct sk_buff;
  * PHYs should register using this structure
  */
 struct mii_bus {
+	struct module *owner;
 	const char *name;
 	char id[MII_BUS_ID_SIZE];
 	void *priv;
@@ -198,7 +200,8 @@ static inline struct mii_bus *mdiobus_alloc(void)
 	return mdiobus_alloc_size(0);
 }
 
-int mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus);
+int __mdiobus_register(struct mii_bus *bus, struct module *owner);
+#define mdiobus_register(bus) __mdiobus_register(bus, THIS_MODULE)
 void mdiobus_unregister(struct mii_bus *bus);
 void mdiobus_free(struct mii_bus *bus);
 struct mii_bus *devm_mdiobus_alloc_size(struct device *dev, int sizeof_priv);