diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_main.c
index 8aea707a65a7..7e4c4980ced7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/freescale/fec_main.c
@@ -3843,13 +3843,13 @@ fec_drv_remove(struct platform_device *pdev)
 	if (of_phy_is_fixed_link(np))
 		of_phy_deregister_fixed_link(np);
 	of_node_put(fep->phy_node);
-	free_netdev(ndev);
 
 	clk_disable_unprepare(fep->clk_ahb);
 	clk_disable_unprepare(fep->clk_ipg);
 	pm_runtime_put_noidle(&pdev->dev);
 	pm_runtime_disable(&pdev->dev);
 
+	free_netdev(ndev);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c
index 82eef4c72f01..7abd13e69471 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/neterion/vxge/vxge-main.c
@@ -3512,13 +3512,13 @@ static void vxge_device_unregister(struct __vxge_hw_device *hldev)
 
 	kfree(vdev->vpaths);
 
-	/* we are safe to free it now */
-	free_netdev(dev);
-
 	vxge_debug_init(vdev->level_trace, "%s: ethernet device unregistered",
 			buf);
 	vxge_debug_entryexit(vdev->level_trace,	"%s: %s:%d  Exiting...", buf,
 			     __func__, __LINE__);
+
+	/* we are safe to free it now */
+	free_netdev(dev);
 }
 
 /*