diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-card.c b/drivers/firewire/fw-card.c
index e6395b298508..a03462750b95 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-card.c
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-card.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/errno.h>
+#include <linux/delay.h>
 #include <linux/device.h>
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
 #include <linux/crc-itu-t.h>
@@ -398,6 +399,7 @@ fw_card_initialize(struct fw_card *card, const struct fw_card_driver *driver,
 	static atomic_t index = ATOMIC_INIT(-1);
 
 	kref_init(&card->kref);
+	atomic_set(&card->device_count, 0);
 	card->index = atomic_inc_return(&index);
 	card->driver = driver;
 	card->device = device;
@@ -528,8 +530,14 @@ fw_core_remove_card(struct fw_card *card)
 	card->driver = &dummy_driver;
 
 	fw_destroy_nodes(card);
-	flush_scheduled_work();
+	/*
+	 * Wait for all device workqueue jobs to finish.  Otherwise the
+	 * firewire-core module could be unloaded before the jobs ran.
+	 */
+	while (atomic_read(&card->device_count) > 0)
+		msleep(100);
 
+	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&card->work);
 	fw_flush_transactions(card);
 	del_timer_sync(&card->flush_timer);
 
diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-device.c b/drivers/firewire/fw-device.c
index 2ab13e0f3469..870125a3638e 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-device.c
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-device.c
@@ -150,21 +150,10 @@ struct bus_type fw_bus_type = {
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(fw_bus_type);
 
-struct fw_device *fw_device_get(struct fw_device *device)
-{
-	get_device(&device->device);
-
-	return device;
-}
-
-void fw_device_put(struct fw_device *device)
-{
-	put_device(&device->device);
-}
-
 static void fw_device_release(struct device *dev)
 {
 	struct fw_device *device = fw_device(dev);
+	struct fw_card *card = device->card;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	/*
@@ -176,9 +165,9 @@ static void fw_device_release(struct device *dev)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&device->card->lock, flags);
 
 	fw_node_put(device->node);
-	fw_card_put(device->card);
 	kfree(device->config_rom);
 	kfree(device);
+	atomic_dec(&card->device_count);
 }
 
 int fw_device_enable_phys_dma(struct fw_device *device)
@@ -668,7 +657,8 @@ static void fw_device_init(struct work_struct *work)
 	 */
 
 	if (read_bus_info_block(device, device->generation) < 0) {
-		if (device->config_rom_retries < MAX_RETRIES) {
+		if (device->config_rom_retries < MAX_RETRIES &&
+		    atomic_read(&device->state) == FW_DEVICE_INITIALIZING) {
 			device->config_rom_retries++;
 			schedule_delayed_work(&device->work, RETRY_DELAY);
 		} else {
@@ -805,7 +795,8 @@ void fw_node_event(struct fw_card *card, struct fw_node *node, int event)
 		 */
 		device_initialize(&device->device);
 		atomic_set(&device->state, FW_DEVICE_INITIALIZING);
-		device->card = fw_card_get(card);
+		atomic_inc(&card->device_count);
+		device->card = card;
 		device->node = fw_node_get(node);
 		device->node_id = node->node_id;
 		device->generation = card->generation;
diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-device.h b/drivers/firewire/fw-device.h
index 43808c02793e..78ecd3991b7f 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-device.h
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-device.h
@@ -76,9 +76,21 @@ fw_device_is_shutdown(struct fw_device *device)
 	return atomic_read(&device->state) == FW_DEVICE_SHUTDOWN;
 }
 
-struct fw_device *fw_device_get(struct fw_device *device);
+static inline struct fw_device *
+fw_device_get(struct fw_device *device)
+{
+	get_device(&device->device);
+
+	return device;
+}
+
+static inline void
+fw_device_put(struct fw_device *device)
+{
+	put_device(&device->device);
+}
+
 struct fw_device *fw_device_get_by_devt(dev_t devt);
-void fw_device_put(struct fw_device *device);
 int fw_device_enable_phys_dma(struct fw_device *device);
 
 void fw_device_cdev_update(struct fw_device *device);
diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c b/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c
index a093ac329db7..03069a454c07 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-sbp2.c
@@ -769,6 +769,7 @@ static void sbp2_release_target(struct kref *kref)
 	struct Scsi_Host *shost =
 		container_of((void *)tgt, struct Scsi_Host, hostdata[0]);
 	struct scsi_device *sdev;
+	struct fw_device *device = fw_device(tgt->unit->device.parent);
 
 	/* prevent deadlocks */
 	sbp2_unblock(tgt);
@@ -791,6 +792,7 @@ static void sbp2_release_target(struct kref *kref)
 
 	put_device(&tgt->unit->device);
 	scsi_host_put(shost);
+	fw_device_put(device);
 }
 
 static struct workqueue_struct *sbp2_wq;
@@ -1088,6 +1090,8 @@ static int sbp2_probe(struct device *dev)
 	if (scsi_add_host(shost, &unit->device) < 0)
 		goto fail_shost_put;
 
+	fw_device_get(device);
+
 	/* Initialize to values that won't match anything in our table. */
 	firmware_revision = 0xff000000;
 	model = 0xff000000;
diff --git a/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h b/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h
index fa7967b57408..09cb72870454 100644
--- a/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h
+++ b/drivers/firewire/fw-transaction.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <linux/fs.h>
 #include <linux/dma-mapping.h>
 #include <linux/firewire-constants.h>
+#include <asm/atomic.h>
 
 #define TCODE_IS_READ_REQUEST(tcode)	(((tcode) & ~1) == 4)
 #define TCODE_IS_BLOCK_PACKET(tcode)	(((tcode) &  1) != 0)
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ extern struct bus_type fw_bus_type;
 struct fw_card {
 	const struct fw_card_driver *driver;
 	struct device *device;
+	atomic_t device_count;
 	struct kref kref;
 
 	int node_id;