diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
index d98ff688b2f1..bdf1f280ae39 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
@@ -2031,7 +2031,6 @@ static int cpufreq_init_governor(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 		}
 	}
 
-	policy->governor->initialized++;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2045,7 +2044,6 @@ static void cpufreq_exit_governor(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 	if (policy->governor->exit)
 		policy->governor->exit(policy);
 
-	policy->governor->initialized--;
 	module_put(policy->governor->owner);
 }
 
@@ -2110,7 +2108,6 @@ int cpufreq_register_governor(struct cpufreq_governor *governor)
 
 	mutex_lock(&cpufreq_governor_mutex);
 
-	governor->initialized = 0;
 	err = -EBUSY;
 	if (!find_governor(governor->name)) {
 		err = 0;
diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_conservative.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_conservative.c
index 78faa9fbc384..f967ec6c5720 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_conservative.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_conservative.c
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ static struct notifier_block cs_cpufreq_notifier_block = {
 };
 
 /************************** sysfs interface ************************/
-static struct dbs_governor cs_dbs_gov;
 
 static ssize_t store_sampling_down_factor(struct gov_attr_set *attr_set,
 					  const char *buf, size_t count)
@@ -255,6 +254,13 @@ static struct attribute *cs_attributes[] = {
 
 /************************** sysfs end ************************/
 
+struct cs_governor {
+	struct dbs_governor dbs_gov;
+	unsigned int usage_count;
+};
+
+static struct cs_governor cs_gov;
+
 static struct policy_dbs_info *cs_alloc(void)
 {
 	struct cs_policy_dbs_info *dbs_info;
@@ -268,7 +274,7 @@ static void cs_free(struct policy_dbs_info *policy_dbs)
 	kfree(to_dbs_info(policy_dbs));
 }
 
-static int cs_init(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify)
+static int cs_init(struct dbs_data *dbs_data)
 {
 	struct cs_dbs_tuners *tuners;
 
@@ -286,16 +292,22 @@ static int cs_init(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify)
 	dbs_data->min_sampling_rate = MIN_SAMPLING_RATE_RATIO *
 		jiffies_to_usecs(10);
 
-	if (notify)
+	/*
+	 * This function and cs_exit() are only called under gov_dbs_data_mutex
+	 * which is global, so the cs_gov.usage_count accesses are guaranteed
+	 * to be serialized.
+	 */
+	if (!cs_gov.usage_count++)
 		cpufreq_register_notifier(&cs_cpufreq_notifier_block,
 					  CPUFREQ_TRANSITION_NOTIFIER);
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void cs_exit(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify)
+static void cs_exit(struct dbs_data *dbs_data)
 {
-	if (notify)
+	/* Protected by gov_dbs_data_mutex - see the comment in cs_init(). */
+	if (!--cs_gov.usage_count)
 		cpufreq_unregister_notifier(&cs_cpufreq_notifier_block,
 					    CPUFREQ_TRANSITION_NOTIFIER);
 
@@ -310,18 +322,20 @@ static void cs_start(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 	dbs_info->requested_freq = policy->cur;
 }
 
-static struct dbs_governor cs_dbs_gov = {
-	.gov = CPUFREQ_DBS_GOVERNOR_INITIALIZER("conservative"),
-	.kobj_type = { .default_attrs = cs_attributes },
-	.gov_dbs_timer = cs_dbs_timer,
-	.alloc = cs_alloc,
-	.free = cs_free,
-	.init = cs_init,
-	.exit = cs_exit,
-	.start = cs_start,
+static struct cs_governor cs_gov = {
+	.dbs_gov = {
+		.gov = CPUFREQ_DBS_GOVERNOR_INITIALIZER("conservative"),
+		.kobj_type = { .default_attrs = cs_attributes },
+		.gov_dbs_timer = cs_dbs_timer,
+		.alloc = cs_alloc,
+		.free = cs_free,
+		.init = cs_init,
+		.exit = cs_exit,
+		.start = cs_start,
+	},
 };
 
-#define CPU_FREQ_GOV_CONSERVATIVE	(&cs_dbs_gov.gov)
+#define CPU_FREQ_GOV_CONSERVATIVE	(&cs_gov.dbs_gov.gov)
 
 static int dbs_cpufreq_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long val,
 				void *data)
diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
index 4b88b5bec4ef..31369e247192 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ int cpufreq_dbs_governor_init(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 
 	gov_attr_set_init(&dbs_data->attr_set, &policy_dbs->list);
 
-	ret = gov->init(dbs_data, !policy->governor->initialized);
+	ret = gov->init(dbs_data);
 	if (ret)
 		goto free_policy_dbs_info;
 
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ int cpufreq_dbs_governor_init(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 
 	if (!have_governor_per_policy())
 		gov->gdbs_data = NULL;
-	gov->exit(dbs_data, !policy->governor->initialized);
+	gov->exit(dbs_data);
 	kfree(dbs_data);
 
 free_policy_dbs_info:
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ void cpufreq_dbs_governor_exit(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 		if (!have_governor_per_policy())
 			gov->gdbs_data = NULL;
 
-		gov->exit(dbs_data, policy->governor->initialized == 1);
+		gov->exit(dbs_data);
 		kfree(dbs_data);
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.h b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.h
index 36f0d19dd869..ef1037e9c92b 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.h
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.h
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ struct dbs_governor {
 	unsigned int (*gov_dbs_timer)(struct cpufreq_policy *policy);
 	struct policy_dbs_info *(*alloc)(void);
 	void (*free)(struct policy_dbs_info *policy_dbs);
-	int (*init)(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify);
-	void (*exit)(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify);
+	int (*init)(struct dbs_data *dbs_data);
+	void (*exit)(struct dbs_data *dbs_data);
 	void (*start)(struct cpufreq_policy *policy);
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_ondemand.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_ondemand.c
index 4441a11139f1..c84fc2240d49 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_ondemand.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_ondemand.c
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ static void od_free(struct policy_dbs_info *policy_dbs)
 	kfree(to_dbs_info(policy_dbs));
 }
 
-static int od_init(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify)
+static int od_init(struct dbs_data *dbs_data)
 {
 	struct od_dbs_tuners *tuners;
 	u64 idle_time;
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ static int od_init(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void od_exit(struct dbs_data *dbs_data, bool notify)
+static void od_exit(struct dbs_data *dbs_data)
 {
 	kfree(dbs_data->tuners);
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/cpufreq.h b/include/linux/cpufreq.h
index 3be54a0b4373..fbd696edf5bd 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpufreq.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpufreq.h
@@ -457,7 +457,6 @@ static inline unsigned long cpufreq_scale(unsigned long old, u_int div,
 
 struct cpufreq_governor {
 	char	name[CPUFREQ_NAME_LEN];
-	int	initialized;
 	int	(*init)(struct cpufreq_policy *policy);
 	void	(*exit)(struct cpufreq_policy *policy);
 	int	(*start)(struct cpufreq_policy *policy);