diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
index 60746652fd52..7f30bcceebae 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
@@ -931,8 +931,9 @@ int i2c_dev_irq_from_resources(const struct resource *resources,
 struct i2c_client *
 i2c_new_client_device(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_board_info const *info)
 {
-	struct i2c_client	*client;
-	int			status;
+	struct i2c_client *client;
+	bool need_put = false;
+	int status;
 
 	client = kzalloc(sizeof *client, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!client)
@@ -970,7 +971,6 @@ i2c_new_client_device(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_board_info const *inf
 	client->dev.fwnode = info->fwnode;
 
 	device_enable_async_suspend(&client->dev);
-	i2c_dev_set_name(adap, client, info);
 
 	if (info->swnode) {
 		status = device_add_software_node(&client->dev, info->swnode);
@@ -982,6 +982,7 @@ i2c_new_client_device(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_board_info const *inf
 		}
 	}
 
+	i2c_dev_set_name(adap, client, info);
 	status = device_register(&client->dev);
 	if (status)
 		goto out_remove_swnode;
@@ -993,6 +994,7 @@ i2c_new_client_device(struct i2c_adapter *adap, struct i2c_board_info const *inf
 
 out_remove_swnode:
 	device_remove_software_node(&client->dev);
+	need_put = true;
 out_err_put_of_node:
 	of_node_put(info->of_node);
 out_err:
@@ -1000,7 +1002,10 @@ out_err:
 		"Failed to register i2c client %s at 0x%02x (%d)\n",
 		client->name, client->addr, status);
 out_err_silent:
-	kfree(client);
+	if (need_put)
+		put_device(&client->dev);
+	else
+		kfree(client);
 	return ERR_PTR(status);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(i2c_new_client_device);