diff --git a/drivers/ntb/core.c b/drivers/ntb/core.c
index 27dd93deff6e..d702bee78082 100644
--- a/drivers/ntb/core.c
+++ b/drivers/ntb/core.c
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(ntb_unregister_client);
 
 int ntb_register_device(struct ntb_dev *ntb)
 {
+	int ret;
+
 	if (!ntb)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	if (!ntb->pdev)
@@ -120,7 +122,11 @@ int ntb_register_device(struct ntb_dev *ntb)
 	ntb->ctx_ops = NULL;
 	spin_lock_init(&ntb->ctx_lock);
 
-	return device_register(&ntb->dev);
+	ret = device_register(&ntb->dev);
+	if (ret)
+		put_device(&ntb->dev);
+
+	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ntb_register_device);
 
diff --git a/drivers/pci/endpoint/functions/pci-epf-vntb.c b/drivers/pci/endpoint/functions/pci-epf-vntb.c
index 138742af5170..d4cd4bd4a088 100644
--- a/drivers/pci/endpoint/functions/pci-epf-vntb.c
+++ b/drivers/pci/endpoint/functions/pci-epf-vntb.c
@@ -1242,15 +1242,11 @@ static int pci_vntb_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev, const struct pci_device_id *id)
 	ret = ntb_register_device(&ndev->ntb);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev_err(dev, "Failed to register NTB device\n");
-		goto err_register_dev;
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	dev_dbg(dev, "PCI Virtual NTB driver loaded\n");
 	return 0;
-
-err_register_dev:
-	put_device(&ndev->ntb.dev);
-	return -EINVAL;
 }
 
 static struct pci_device_id pci_vntb_table[] = {