diff --git a/net/rds/af_rds.c b/net/rds/af_rds.c
index 57ef0ec4f03d..8e3886d353b5 100644
--- a/net/rds/af_rds.c
+++ b/net/rds/af_rds.c
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ static int rds_release(struct socket *sock)
 	rds_sock_count--;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rds_sock_lock, flags);
 
+	rds_trans_put(rs->rs_transport);
+
 	sock->sk = NULL;
 	sock_put(sk);
 out:
diff --git a/net/rds/connection.c b/net/rds/connection.c
index 75a1a37d64d3..968b7a798398 100644
--- a/net/rds/connection.c
+++ b/net/rds/connection.c
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ static struct rds_connection *__rds_conn_create(__be32 laddr, __be32 faddr,
 {
 	struct rds_connection *conn, *parent = NULL;
 	struct hlist_head *head = rds_conn_bucket(laddr, faddr);
+	struct rds_transport *loop_trans;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -163,7 +164,9 @@ static struct rds_connection *__rds_conn_create(__be32 laddr, __be32 faddr,
 	 * can bind to the destination address then we'd rather the messages
 	 * flow through loopback rather than either transport.
 	 */
-	if (rds_trans_get_preferred(faddr)) {
+	loop_trans = rds_trans_get_preferred(faddr);
+	if (loop_trans) {
+		rds_trans_put(loop_trans);
 		conn->c_loopback = 1;
 		if (is_outgoing && trans->t_prefer_loopback) {
 			/* "outgoing" connection - and the transport
diff --git a/net/rds/rds.h b/net/rds/rds.h
index 2ff7fc9f0539..aab5e949fa93 100644
--- a/net/rds/rds.h
+++ b/net/rds/rds.h
@@ -798,6 +798,7 @@ void rds_connect_complete(struct rds_connection *conn);
 int rds_trans_register(struct rds_transport *trans);
 void rds_trans_unregister(struct rds_transport *trans);
 struct rds_transport *rds_trans_get_preferred(__be32 addr);
+void rds_trans_put(struct rds_transport *trans);
 unsigned int rds_trans_stats_info_copy(struct rds_info_iterator *iter,
 				       unsigned int avail);
 int rds_trans_init(void);
diff --git a/net/rds/transport.c b/net/rds/transport.c
index 7e1067901353..7f2ac4fec367 100644
--- a/net/rds/transport.c
+++ b/net/rds/transport.c
@@ -71,19 +71,28 @@ void rds_trans_unregister(struct rds_transport *trans)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rds_trans_unregister);
 
+void rds_trans_put(struct rds_transport *trans)
+{
+	if (trans && trans->t_owner)
+		module_put(trans->t_owner);
+}
+
 struct rds_transport *rds_trans_get_preferred(__be32 addr)
 {
 	struct rds_transport *ret = NULL;
-	int i;
+	struct rds_transport *trans;
+	unsigned int i;
 
 	if (IN_LOOPBACK(ntohl(addr)))
 		return &rds_loop_transport;
 
 	down_read(&rds_trans_sem);
-	for (i = 0; i < RDS_TRANS_COUNT; i++)
-	{
-		if (transports[i] && (transports[i]->laddr_check(addr) == 0)) {
-			ret = transports[i];
+	for (i = 0; i < RDS_TRANS_COUNT; i++) {
+		trans = transports[i];
+
+		if (trans && (trans->laddr_check(addr) == 0) &&
+		    (!trans->t_owner || try_module_get(trans->t_owner))) {
+			ret = trans;
 			break;
 		}
 	}