diff --git a/drivers/net/netdevsim/Makefile b/drivers/net/netdevsim/Makefile
index 0e67457156eb..cdf8611d2811 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netdevsim/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/net/netdevsim/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 obj-$(CONFIG_NETDEVSIM) += netdevsim.o
 
 netdevsim-objs := \
-	netdev.o devlink.o fib.o \
+	netdev.o devlink.o fib.o sdev.o \
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL),y)
 netdevsim-objs += \
diff --git a/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c b/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c
index f92c43453ec6..a93aafe87db3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c
+++ b/drivers/net/netdevsim/bpf.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 	bpf_verifier_log_write(env, "[netdevsim] " fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 
 struct nsim_bpf_bound_prog {
-	struct netdevsim *ns;
+	struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev;
 	struct bpf_prog *prog;
 	struct dentry *ddir;
 	const char *state;
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ nsim_bpf_verify_insn(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int insn_idx, int prev_insn)
 	struct nsim_bpf_bound_prog *state;
 
 	state = env->prog->aux->offload->dev_priv;
-	if (state->ns->bpf_bind_verifier_delay && !insn_idx)
-		msleep(state->ns->bpf_bind_verifier_delay);
+	if (state->sdev->bpf_bind_verifier_delay && !insn_idx)
+		msleep(state->sdev->bpf_bind_verifier_delay);
 
 	if (insn_idx == env->prog->len - 1)
 		pr_vlog(env, "Hello from netdevsim!\n");
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ nsim_xdp_set_prog(struct netdevsim *ns, struct netdev_bpf *bpf,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int nsim_bpf_create_prog(struct netdevsim *ns, struct bpf_prog *prog)
+static int nsim_bpf_create_prog(struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev,
+				struct bpf_prog *prog)
 {
 	struct nsim_bpf_bound_prog *state;
 	char name[16];
@@ -222,13 +223,13 @@ static int nsim_bpf_create_prog(struct netdevsim *ns, struct bpf_prog *prog)
 	if (!state)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	state->ns = ns;
+	state->sdev = sdev;
 	state->prog = prog;
 	state->state = "verify";
 
 	/* Program id is not populated yet when we create the state. */
-	sprintf(name, "%u", ns->sdev->prog_id_gen++);
-	state->ddir = debugfs_create_dir(name, ns->sdev->ddir_bpf_bound_progs);
+	sprintf(name, "%u", sdev->prog_id_gen++);
+	state->ddir = debugfs_create_dir(name, sdev->ddir_bpf_bound_progs);
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(state->ddir)) {
 		kfree(state);
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ static int nsim_bpf_create_prog(struct netdevsim *ns, struct bpf_prog *prog)
 			    &state->state, &nsim_bpf_string_fops);
 	debugfs_create_bool("loaded", 0400, state->ddir, &state->is_loaded);
 
-	list_add_tail(&state->l, &ns->sdev->bpf_bound_progs);
+	list_add_tail(&state->l, &sdev->bpf_bound_progs);
 
 	prog->aux->offload->dev_priv = state;
 
@@ -248,12 +249,13 @@ static int nsim_bpf_create_prog(struct netdevsim *ns, struct bpf_prog *prog)
 
 static int nsim_bpf_verifier_prep(struct bpf_prog *prog)
 {
-	struct netdevsim *ns = bpf_offload_dev_priv(prog->aux->offload->offdev);
+	struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev =
+			bpf_offload_dev_priv(prog->aux->offload->offdev);
 
-	if (!ns->bpf_bind_accept)
+	if (!sdev->bpf_bind_accept)
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
-	return nsim_bpf_create_prog(ns, prog);
+	return nsim_bpf_create_prog(sdev, prog);
 }
 
 static int nsim_bpf_translate(struct bpf_prog *prog)
@@ -576,39 +578,55 @@ int nsim_bpf(struct net_device *dev, struct netdev_bpf *bpf)
 	}
 }
 
+static int nsim_bpf_sdev_init(struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sdev->bpf_bound_progs);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sdev->bpf_bound_maps);
+
+	sdev->ddir_bpf_bound_progs =
+		debugfs_create_dir("bpf_bound_progs", sdev->ddir);
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(sdev->ddir_bpf_bound_progs))
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	sdev->bpf_dev = bpf_offload_dev_create(&nsim_bpf_dev_ops, sdev);
+	err = PTR_ERR_OR_ZERO(sdev->bpf_dev);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
+	sdev->bpf_bind_accept = true;
+	debugfs_create_bool("bpf_bind_accept", 0600, sdev->ddir,
+			    &sdev->bpf_bind_accept);
+	debugfs_create_u32("bpf_bind_verifier_delay", 0600, sdev->ddir,
+			   &sdev->bpf_bind_verifier_delay);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void nsim_bpf_sdev_uninit(struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev)
+{
+	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&sdev->bpf_bound_progs));
+	WARN_ON(!list_empty(&sdev->bpf_bound_maps));
+	bpf_offload_dev_destroy(sdev->bpf_dev);
+}
+
 int nsim_bpf_init(struct netdevsim *ns)
 {
 	int err;
 
 	if (ns->sdev->refcnt == 1) {
-		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ns->sdev->bpf_bound_progs);
-		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ns->sdev->bpf_bound_maps);
-
-		ns->sdev->ddir_bpf_bound_progs =
-			debugfs_create_dir("bpf_bound_progs", ns->sdev->ddir);
-		if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(ns->sdev->ddir_bpf_bound_progs))
-			return -ENOMEM;
-
-		ns->sdev->bpf_dev = bpf_offload_dev_create(&nsim_bpf_dev_ops,
-							   ns);
-		err = PTR_ERR_OR_ZERO(ns->sdev->bpf_dev);
+		err = nsim_bpf_sdev_init(ns->sdev);
 		if (err)
 			return err;
 	}
 
 	err = bpf_offload_dev_netdev_register(ns->sdev->bpf_dev, ns->netdev);
 	if (err)
-		goto err_destroy_bdev;
+		goto err_bpf_sdev_uninit;
 
 	debugfs_create_u32("bpf_offloaded_id", 0400, ns->ddir,
 			   &ns->bpf_offloaded_id);
 
-	ns->bpf_bind_accept = true;
-	debugfs_create_bool("bpf_bind_accept", 0600, ns->ddir,
-			    &ns->bpf_bind_accept);
-	debugfs_create_u32("bpf_bind_verifier_delay", 0600, ns->ddir,
-			   &ns->bpf_bind_verifier_delay);
-
 	ns->bpf_tc_accept = true;
 	debugfs_create_bool("bpf_tc_accept", 0600, ns->ddir,
 			    &ns->bpf_tc_accept);
@@ -627,9 +645,9 @@ int nsim_bpf_init(struct netdevsim *ns)
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_destroy_bdev:
+err_bpf_sdev_uninit:
 	if (ns->sdev->refcnt == 1)
-		bpf_offload_dev_destroy(ns->sdev->bpf_dev);
+		nsim_bpf_sdev_uninit(ns->sdev);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -640,9 +658,6 @@ void nsim_bpf_uninit(struct netdevsim *ns)
 	WARN_ON(ns->bpf_offloaded);
 	bpf_offload_dev_netdev_unregister(ns->sdev->bpf_dev, ns->netdev);
 
-	if (ns->sdev->refcnt == 1) {
-		WARN_ON(!list_empty(&ns->sdev->bpf_bound_progs));
-		WARN_ON(!list_empty(&ns->sdev->bpf_bound_maps));
-		bpf_offload_dev_destroy(ns->sdev->bpf_dev);
-	}
+	if (ns->sdev->refcnt == 1)
+		nsim_bpf_sdev_uninit(ns->sdev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdev.c b/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdev.c
index 0af38bc6d98c..7805fa840383 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdev.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 #include "netdevsim.h"
 
+static u32 nsim_dev_id;
+
 struct nsim_vf_config {
 	int link_state;
 	u16 min_tx_rate;
@@ -38,10 +40,7 @@ struct nsim_vf_config {
 	bool rss_query_enabled;
 };
 
-static u32 nsim_dev_id;
-
 static struct dentry *nsim_ddir;
-static struct dentry *nsim_sdev_ddir;
 
 static int nsim_num_vf(struct device *dev)
 {
@@ -158,8 +157,8 @@ static int nsim_get_port_parent_id(struct net_device *dev,
 
 static int nsim_init(struct net_device *dev)
 {
-	char sdev_ddir_name[10], sdev_link_name[32];
 	struct netdevsim *ns = netdev_priv(dev);
+	char sdev_link_name[32];
 	int err;
 
 	ns->netdev = dev;
@@ -167,32 +166,13 @@ static int nsim_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(ns->ddir))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	if (!ns->sdev) {
-		ns->sdev = kzalloc(sizeof(*ns->sdev), GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (!ns->sdev) {
-			err = -ENOMEM;
-			goto err_debugfs_destroy;
-		}
-		ns->sdev->refcnt = 1;
-		ns->sdev->switch_id = nsim_dev_id;
-		sprintf(sdev_ddir_name, "%u", ns->sdev->switch_id);
-		ns->sdev->ddir = debugfs_create_dir(sdev_ddir_name,
-						    nsim_sdev_ddir);
-		if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(ns->sdev->ddir)) {
-			err = PTR_ERR_OR_ZERO(ns->sdev->ddir) ?: -EINVAL;
-			goto err_sdev_free;
-		}
-	} else {
-		sprintf(sdev_ddir_name, "%u", ns->sdev->switch_id);
-		ns->sdev->refcnt++;
-	}
-
-	sprintf(sdev_link_name, "../../" DRV_NAME "_sdev/%s", sdev_ddir_name);
+	sprintf(sdev_link_name, "../../" DRV_NAME "_sdev/%u",
+		ns->sdev->switch_id);
 	debugfs_create_symlink("sdev", ns->ddir, sdev_link_name);
 
 	err = nsim_bpf_init(ns);
 	if (err)
-		goto err_sdev_destroy;
+		goto err_debugfs_destroy;
 
 	ns->dev.id = nsim_dev_id++;
 	ns->dev.bus = &nsim_bus;
@@ -215,12 +195,6 @@ err_unreg_dev:
 	device_unregister(&ns->dev);
 err_bpf_uninit:
 	nsim_bpf_uninit(ns);
-err_sdev_destroy:
-	if (!--ns->sdev->refcnt) {
-		debugfs_remove_recursive(ns->sdev->ddir);
-err_sdev_free:
-		kfree(ns->sdev);
-	}
 err_debugfs_destroy:
 	debugfs_remove_recursive(ns->ddir);
 	return err;
@@ -234,10 +208,6 @@ static void nsim_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
 	nsim_devlink_teardown(ns);
 	debugfs_remove_recursive(ns->ddir);
 	nsim_bpf_uninit(ns);
-	if (!--ns->sdev->refcnt) {
-		debugfs_remove_recursive(ns->sdev->ddir);
-		kfree(ns->sdev);
-	}
 }
 
 static void nsim_free(struct net_device *dev)
@@ -246,6 +216,7 @@ static void nsim_free(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	device_unregister(&ns->dev);
 	/* netdev and vf state will be freed out of device_release() */
+	nsim_sdev_put(ns->sdev);
 }
 
 static netdev_tx_t nsim_start_xmit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
@@ -523,10 +494,11 @@ static int nsim_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 			struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	struct netdevsim *ns = netdev_priv(dev);
+	struct netdevsim *joinns = NULL;
+	int err;
 
 	if (tb[IFLA_LINK]) {
 		struct net_device *joindev;
-		struct netdevsim *joinns;
 
 		joindev = __dev_get_by_index(src_net,
 					     nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_LINK]));
@@ -536,12 +508,20 @@ static int nsim_newlink(struct net *src_net, struct net_device *dev,
 			return -EINVAL;
 
 		joinns = netdev_priv(joindev);
-		if (!joinns->sdev || !joinns->sdev->refcnt)
-			return -EINVAL;
-		ns->sdev = joinns->sdev;
 	}
 
-	return register_netdevice(dev);
+	ns->sdev = nsim_sdev_get(joinns);
+	if (IS_ERR(ns->sdev))
+		return PTR_ERR(ns->sdev);
+
+	err = register_netdevice(dev);
+	if (err)
+		goto err_sdev_put;
+	return 0;
+
+err_sdev_put:
+	nsim_sdev_put(ns->sdev);
+	return err;
 }
 
 static struct rtnl_link_ops nsim_link_ops __read_mostly = {
@@ -560,15 +540,13 @@ static int __init nsim_module_init(void)
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(nsim_ddir))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	nsim_sdev_ddir = debugfs_create_dir(DRV_NAME "_sdev", NULL);
-	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(nsim_sdev_ddir)) {
-		err = -ENOMEM;
+	err = nsim_sdev_init();
+	if (err)
 		goto err_debugfs_destroy;
-	}
 
 	err = bus_register(&nsim_bus);
 	if (err)
-		goto err_sdir_destroy;
+		goto err_sdev_exit;
 
 	err = nsim_devlink_init();
 	if (err)
@@ -584,8 +562,8 @@ err_dl_fini:
 	nsim_devlink_exit();
 err_unreg_bus:
 	bus_unregister(&nsim_bus);
-err_sdir_destroy:
-	debugfs_remove_recursive(nsim_sdev_ddir);
+err_sdev_exit:
+	nsim_sdev_exit();
 err_debugfs_destroy:
 	debugfs_remove_recursive(nsim_ddir);
 	return err;
@@ -596,7 +574,7 @@ static void __exit nsim_module_exit(void)
 	rtnl_link_unregister(&nsim_link_ops);
 	nsim_devlink_exit();
 	bus_unregister(&nsim_bus);
-	debugfs_remove_recursive(nsim_sdev_ddir);
+	nsim_sdev_exit();
 	debugfs_remove_recursive(nsim_ddir);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdevsim.h b/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdevsim.h
index f04050bcb177..2667f9b0e1f9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdevsim.h
+++ b/drivers/net/netdevsim/netdevsim.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ struct netdevsim_shared_dev {
 
 	struct bpf_offload_dev *bpf_dev;
 
+	bool bpf_bind_accept;
+	u32 bpf_bind_verifier_delay;
+
 	struct dentry *ddir_bpf_bound_progs;
 	u32 prog_id_gen;
 
@@ -46,6 +49,13 @@ struct netdevsim_shared_dev {
 	struct list_head bpf_bound_maps;
 };
 
+struct netdevsim;
+
+struct netdevsim_shared_dev *nsim_sdev_get(struct netdevsim *joinns);
+void nsim_sdev_put(struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev);
+int nsim_sdev_init(void);
+void nsim_sdev_exit(void);
+
 #define NSIM_IPSEC_MAX_SA_COUNT		33
 #define NSIM_IPSEC_VALID		BIT(31)
 
@@ -88,9 +98,6 @@ struct netdevsim {
 	struct xdp_attachment_info xdp;
 	struct xdp_attachment_info xdp_hw;
 
-	bool bpf_bind_accept;
-	u32 bpf_bind_verifier_delay;
-
 	bool bpf_tc_accept;
 	bool bpf_tc_non_bound_accept;
 	bool bpf_xdpdrv_accept;
diff --git a/drivers/net/netdevsim/sdev.c b/drivers/net/netdevsim/sdev.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6712da3340d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/net/netdevsim/sdev.c
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+/* Copyright (c) 2019 Mellanox Technologies. All rights reserved */
+
+#include <linux/debugfs.h>
+#include <linux/err.h>
+#include <linux/kernel.h>
+#include <linux/slab.h>
+
+#include "netdevsim.h"
+
+static struct dentry *nsim_sdev_ddir;
+
+static u32 nsim_sdev_id;
+
+struct netdevsim_shared_dev *nsim_sdev_get(struct netdevsim *joinns)
+{
+	struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev;
+	char sdev_ddir_name[10];
+	int err;
+
+	if (joinns) {
+		if (WARN_ON(!joinns->sdev))
+			return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+		sdev = joinns->sdev;
+		sdev->refcnt++;
+		return sdev;
+	}
+
+	sdev = kzalloc(sizeof(*sdev), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!sdev)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	sdev->refcnt = 1;
+	sdev->switch_id = nsim_sdev_id++;
+
+	sprintf(sdev_ddir_name, "%u", sdev->switch_id);
+	sdev->ddir = debugfs_create_dir(sdev_ddir_name, nsim_sdev_ddir);
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(sdev->ddir)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR_OR_ZERO(sdev->ddir) ?: -EINVAL;
+		goto err_sdev_free;
+	}
+
+	return sdev;
+
+err_sdev_free:
+	nsim_sdev_id--;
+	kfree(sdev);
+	return ERR_PTR(err);
+}
+
+void nsim_sdev_put(struct netdevsim_shared_dev *sdev)
+{
+	if (--sdev->refcnt)
+		return;
+	debugfs_remove_recursive(sdev->ddir);
+	kfree(sdev);
+}
+
+int nsim_sdev_init(void)
+{
+	nsim_sdev_ddir = debugfs_create_dir(DRV_NAME "_sdev", NULL);
+	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(nsim_sdev_ddir))
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void nsim_sdev_exit(void)
+{
+	debugfs_remove_recursive(nsim_sdev_ddir);
+}
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_offload.py b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_offload.py
index 84bea3985d64..a7f95106119f 100755
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_offload.py
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/test_offload.py
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ try:
 
     start_test("Test if netdev removal waits for translation...")
     delay_msec = 500
-    sim.dfs["bpf_bind_verifier_delay"] = delay_msec
+    sim.dfs["sdev/bpf_bind_verifier_delay"] = delay_msec
     start = time.time()
     cmd_line = "tc filter add dev %s ingress bpf %s da skip_sw" % \
                (sim['ifname'], obj)