diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c b/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
index 2a7d54794ee3..bf2a215d94dd 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/core/device.c
@@ -803,6 +803,12 @@ static int enable_device_and_get(struct ib_device *device)
 	 */
 	downgrade_write(&devices_rwsem);
 
+	if (device->ops.enable_driver) {
+		ret = device->ops.enable_driver(device);
+		if (ret)
+			goto out;
+	}
+
 	down_read(&clients_rwsem);
 	xa_for_each_marked (&clients, index, client, CLIENT_REGISTERED) {
 		ret = add_client_context(device, client);
@@ -810,6 +816,8 @@ static int enable_device_and_get(struct ib_device *device)
 			break;
 	}
 	up_read(&clients_rwsem);
+
+out:
 	up_read(&devices_rwsem);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -1775,6 +1783,7 @@ void ib_set_device_ops(struct ib_device *dev, const struct ib_device_ops *ops)
 	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, disassociate_ucontext);
 	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, drain_rq);
 	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, drain_sq);
+	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, enable_driver);
 	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, fill_res_entry);
 	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, get_dev_fw_str);
 	SET_DEVICE_OP(dev_ops, get_dma_mr);
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.c b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.c
index d6dfbcf6a47e..fb792f5bc0b7 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.c
@@ -517,24 +517,24 @@ enum rdma_link_layer rxe_link_layer(struct rxe_dev *rxe, unsigned int port_num)
 	return IB_LINK_LAYER_ETHERNET;
 }
 
-struct rxe_dev *rxe_net_add(struct net_device *ndev)
+int rxe_net_add(struct net_device *ndev)
 {
 	int err;
 	struct rxe_dev *rxe = NULL;
 
 	rxe = ib_alloc_device(rxe_dev, ib_dev);
 	if (!rxe)
-		return NULL;
+		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	rxe->ndev = ndev;
 
 	err = rxe_add(rxe, ndev->mtu);
 	if (err) {
 		ib_dealloc_device(&rxe->ib_dev);
-		return NULL;
+		return err;
 	}
 
-	return rxe;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void rxe_port_event(struct rxe_dev *rxe,
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.h b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.h
index 106c586dbb26..ad79514191bb 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.h
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ struct rxe_recv_sockets {
 	struct socket *sk6;
 };
 
-struct rxe_dev *rxe_net_add(struct net_device *ndev);
+int rxe_net_add(struct net_device *ndev);
 
 int rxe_net_init(void);
 void rxe_net_exit(void);
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_sysfs.c b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_sysfs.c
index d51b55b0a311..46587eb0da0e 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_sysfs.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ static int rxe_param_set_add(const char *val, const struct kernel_param *kp)
 	char intf[32];
 	struct net_device *ndev;
 	struct rxe_dev *exists;
-	struct rxe_dev *rxe;
 
 	len = sanitize_arg(val, intf, sizeof(intf));
 	if (!len) {
@@ -82,16 +81,12 @@ static int rxe_param_set_add(const char *val, const struct kernel_param *kp)
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	rxe = rxe_net_add(ndev);
-	if (!rxe) {
+	err = rxe_net_add(ndev);
+	if (err) {
 		pr_err("failed to add %s\n", intf);
-		err = -EINVAL;
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	rxe_set_port_state(rxe);
-	dev_info(&rxe->ib_dev.dev, "added %s\n", intf);
-
 err:
 	dev_put(ndev);
 	return err;
diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_verbs.c b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_verbs.c
index 76da8a142bf7..79ad93b4140c 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_verbs.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_verbs.c
@@ -1125,6 +1125,15 @@ static const struct attribute_group rxe_attr_group = {
 	.attrs = rxe_dev_attributes,
 };
 
+static int rxe_enable_driver(struct ib_device *ib_dev)
+{
+	struct rxe_dev *rxe = container_of(ib_dev, struct rxe_dev, ib_dev);
+
+	rxe_set_port_state(rxe);
+	dev_info(&rxe->ib_dev.dev, "added %s\n", netdev_name(rxe->ndev));
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static const struct ib_device_ops rxe_dev_ops = {
 	.alloc_hw_stats = rxe_ib_alloc_hw_stats,
 	.alloc_mr = rxe_alloc_mr,
@@ -1144,6 +1153,7 @@ static const struct ib_device_ops rxe_dev_ops = {
 	.destroy_qp = rxe_destroy_qp,
 	.destroy_srq = rxe_destroy_srq,
 	.detach_mcast = rxe_detach_mcast,
+	.enable_driver = rxe_enable_driver,
 	.get_dma_mr = rxe_get_dma_mr,
 	.get_hw_stats = rxe_ib_get_hw_stats,
 	.get_link_layer = rxe_get_link_layer,
@@ -1245,5 +1255,9 @@ int rxe_register_device(struct rxe_dev *rxe)
 	if (err)
 		pr_warn("%s failed with error %d\n", __func__, err);
 
+	/*
+	 * Note that rxe may be invalid at this point if another thread
+	 * unregistered it.
+	 */
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h b/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h
index ad83f8c38dc8..640263289ab9 100644
--- a/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h
+++ b/include/rdma/ib_verbs.h
@@ -2539,6 +2539,11 @@ struct ib_device_ops {
 			      struct rdma_restrack_entry *entry);
 
 	/* Device lifecycle callbacks */
+	/*
+	 * Called after the device becomes registered, before clients are
+	 * attached
+	 */
+	int (*enable_driver)(struct ib_device *dev);
 	/*
 	 * This is called as part of ib_dealloc_device().
 	 */