diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hnae.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hnae.c
index c54c6fac0d1d..b6ed818f78ff 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hnae.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/hisilicon/hns/hnae.c
@@ -332,8 +332,10 @@ struct hnae_handle *hnae_get_handle(struct device *owner_dev,
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
 
 	handle = dev->ops->get_handle(dev, port_id);
-	if (IS_ERR(handle))
+	if (IS_ERR(handle)) {
+		put_device(&dev->cls_dev);
 		return handle;
+	}
 
 	handle->dev = dev;
 	handle->owner_dev = owner_dev;
@@ -356,6 +358,8 @@ out_when_init_queue:
 	for (j = i - 1; j >= 0; j--)
 		hnae_fini_queue(handle->qs[j]);
 
+	put_device(&dev->cls_dev);
+
 	return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(hnae_get_handle);
@@ -377,6 +381,8 @@ void hnae_put_handle(struct hnae_handle *h)
 		dev->ops->put_handle(h);
 
 	module_put(dev->owner);
+
+	put_device(&dev->cls_dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(hnae_put_handle);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw-phy-sel.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw-phy-sel.c
index 054a8dd23dae..ba1e45ff6aae 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw-phy-sel.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/cpsw-phy-sel.c
@@ -176,9 +176,12 @@ void cpsw_phy_sel(struct device *dev, phy_interface_t phy_mode, int slave)
 	}
 
 	dev = bus_find_device(&platform_bus_type, NULL, node, match);
+	of_node_put(node);
 	priv = dev_get_drvdata(dev);
 
 	priv->cpsw_phy_sel(priv, phy_mode, slave);
+
+	put_device(dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(cpsw_phy_sel);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/davinci_emac.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/davinci_emac.c
index 2fd94a5bc1f3..84fbe5714f8b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/davinci_emac.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/ti/davinci_emac.c
@@ -1410,6 +1410,7 @@ static int emac_dev_open(struct net_device *ndev)
 	int i = 0;
 	struct emac_priv *priv = netdev_priv(ndev);
 	struct phy_device *phydev = NULL;
+	struct device *phy = NULL;
 
 	ret = pm_runtime_get_sync(&priv->pdev->dev);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -1488,19 +1489,20 @@ static int emac_dev_open(struct net_device *ndev)
 
 	/* use the first phy on the bus if pdata did not give us a phy id */
 	if (!phydev && !priv->phy_id) {
-		struct device *phy;
-
 		phy = bus_find_device(&mdio_bus_type, NULL, NULL,
 				      match_first_device);
-		if (phy)
+		if (phy) {
 			priv->phy_id = dev_name(phy);
+			if (!priv->phy_id || !*priv->phy_id)
+				put_device(phy);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (!phydev && priv->phy_id && *priv->phy_id) {
 		phydev = phy_connect(ndev, priv->phy_id,
 				     &emac_adjust_link,
 				     PHY_INTERFACE_MODE_MII);
-
+		put_device(phy);	/* reference taken by bus_find_device */
 		if (IS_ERR(phydev)) {
 			dev_err(emac_dev, "could not connect to phy %s\n",
 				priv->phy_id);
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index e977ba931878..1a4bf8acad78 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -723,6 +723,7 @@ struct phy_device *phy_connect(struct net_device *dev, const char *bus_id,
 	phydev = to_phy_device(d);
 
 	rc = phy_connect_direct(dev, phydev, handler, interface);
+	put_device(d);
 	if (rc)
 		return ERR_PTR(rc);
 
@@ -953,6 +954,7 @@ struct phy_device *phy_attach(struct net_device *dev, const char *bus_id,
 	phydev = to_phy_device(d);
 
 	rc = phy_attach_direct(dev, phydev, phydev->dev_flags, interface);
+	put_device(d);
 	if (rc)
 		return ERR_PTR(rc);