diff --git a/drivers/net/can/usb/gs_usb.c b/drivers/net/can/usb/gs_usb.c
index 3f759fae81fe..e023c401f4f7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/can/usb/gs_usb.c
+++ b/drivers/net/can/usb/gs_usb.c
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@ struct gs_can {
 struct gs_usb {
 	struct gs_can *canch[GS_MAX_INTF];
 	struct usb_anchor rx_submitted;
-	atomic_t active_channels;
 	struct usb_device *udev;
+	u8 active_channels;
 };
 
 /* 'allocate' a tx context.
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ static int gs_can_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 	if (rc)
 		return rc;
 
-	if (atomic_add_return(1, &parent->active_channels) == 1) {
+	if (!parent->active_channels) {
 		for (i = 0; i < GS_MAX_RX_URBS; i++) {
 			struct urb *urb;
 			u8 *buf;
@@ -689,6 +689,7 @@ static int gs_can_open(struct net_device *netdev)
 
 	dev->can.state = CAN_STATE_ERROR_ACTIVE;
 
+	parent->active_channels++;
 	if (!(dev->can.ctrlmode & CAN_CTRLMODE_LISTENONLY))
 		netif_start_queue(netdev);
 
@@ -704,7 +705,8 @@ static int gs_can_close(struct net_device *netdev)
 	netif_stop_queue(netdev);
 
 	/* Stop polling */
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&parent->active_channels))
+	parent->active_channels--;
+	if (!parent->active_channels)
 		usb_kill_anchored_urbs(&parent->rx_submitted);
 
 	/* Stop sending URBs */
@@ -983,8 +985,6 @@ static int gs_usb_probe(struct usb_interface *intf,
 
 	init_usb_anchor(&dev->rx_submitted);
 
-	atomic_set(&dev->active_channels, 0);
-
 	usb_set_intfdata(intf, dev);
 	dev->udev = interface_to_usbdev(intf);