diff --git a/drivers/of/base.c b/drivers/of/base.c
index 998d032fcef9..4da1c688995b 100644
--- a/drivers/of/base.c
+++ b/drivers/of/base.c
@@ -123,9 +123,6 @@ int __weak of_node_to_nid(struct device_node *np)
 }
 #endif
 
-static struct device_node **phandle_cache;
-static u32 phandle_cache_mask;
-
 /*
  * Assumptions behind phandle_cache implementation:
  *   - phandle property values are in a contiguous range of 1..n
@@ -134,6 +131,44 @@ static u32 phandle_cache_mask;
  *   - the phandle lookup overhead reduction provided by the cache
  *     will likely be less
  */
+
+static struct device_node **phandle_cache;
+static u32 phandle_cache_mask;
+
+/*
+ * Caller must hold devtree_lock.
+ */
+static void __of_free_phandle_cache(void)
+{
+	u32 cache_entries = phandle_cache_mask + 1;
+	u32 k;
+
+	if (!phandle_cache)
+		return;
+
+	for (k = 0; k < cache_entries; k++)
+		of_node_put(phandle_cache[k]);
+
+	kfree(phandle_cache);
+	phandle_cache = NULL;
+}
+
+int of_free_phandle_cache(void)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&devtree_lock, flags);
+
+	__of_free_phandle_cache();
+
+	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&devtree_lock, flags);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+#if !defined(CONFIG_MODULES)
+late_initcall_sync(of_free_phandle_cache);
+#endif
+
 void of_populate_phandle_cache(void)
 {
 	unsigned long flags;
@@ -143,8 +178,7 @@ void of_populate_phandle_cache(void)
 
 	raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&devtree_lock, flags);
 
-	kfree(phandle_cache);
-	phandle_cache = NULL;
+	__of_free_phandle_cache();
 
 	for_each_of_allnodes(np)
 		if (np->phandle && np->phandle != OF_PHANDLE_ILLEGAL)
@@ -162,30 +196,15 @@ void of_populate_phandle_cache(void)
 		goto out;
 
 	for_each_of_allnodes(np)
-		if (np->phandle && np->phandle != OF_PHANDLE_ILLEGAL)
+		if (np->phandle && np->phandle != OF_PHANDLE_ILLEGAL) {
+			of_node_get(np);
 			phandle_cache[np->phandle & phandle_cache_mask] = np;
+		}
 
 out:
 	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&devtree_lock, flags);
 }
 
-int of_free_phandle_cache(void)
-{
-	unsigned long flags;
-
-	raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&devtree_lock, flags);
-
-	kfree(phandle_cache);
-	phandle_cache = NULL;
-
-	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&devtree_lock, flags);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-#if !defined(CONFIG_MODULES)
-late_initcall_sync(of_free_phandle_cache);
-#endif
-
 void __init of_core_init(void)
 {
 	struct device_node *np;
@@ -1200,8 +1219,11 @@ struct device_node *of_find_node_by_phandle(phandle handle)
 	if (!np) {
 		for_each_of_allnodes(np)
 			if (np->phandle == handle) {
-				if (phandle_cache)
+				if (phandle_cache) {
+					/* will put when removed from cache */
+					of_node_get(np);
 					phandle_cache[masked_handle] = np;
+				}
 				break;
 			}
 	}