diff --git a/drivers/net/iseries_veth.c b/drivers/net/iseries_veth.c
index ab9fb218d111..5ce9f9348042 100644
--- a/drivers/net/iseries_veth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/iseries_veth.c
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ struct veth_lpar_connection {
 	int num_events;
 	struct VethCapData local_caps;
 
+	struct kobject kobject;
 	struct timer_list ack_timer;
 
 	spinlock_t lock;
@@ -171,6 +172,11 @@ static void veth_recycle_msg(struct veth_lpar_connection *, struct veth_msg *);
 static void veth_flush_pending(struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx);
 static void veth_receive(struct veth_lpar_connection *, struct VethLpEvent *);
 static void veth_timed_ack(unsigned long connectionPtr);
+static void veth_release_connection(struct kobject *kobject);
+
+static struct kobj_type veth_lpar_connection_ktype = {
+	.release	= veth_release_connection
+};
 
 /*
  * Utility functions
@@ -611,7 +617,7 @@ static int veth_init_connection(u8 rlp)
 {
 	struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx;
 	struct veth_msg *msgs;
-	int i;
+	int i, rc;
 
 	if ( (rlp == this_lp)
 	     || ! HvLpConfig_doLpsCommunicateOnVirtualLan(this_lp, rlp) )
@@ -632,6 +638,14 @@ static int veth_init_connection(u8 rlp)
 
 	veth_cnx[rlp] = cnx;
 
+	/* This gets us 1 reference, which is held on behalf of the driver
+	 * infrastructure. It's released at module unload. */
+	kobject_init(&cnx->kobject);
+	cnx->kobject.ktype = &veth_lpar_connection_ktype;
+	rc = kobject_set_name(&cnx->kobject, "cnx%.2d", rlp);
+	if (rc != 0)
+		return rc;
+
 	msgs = kmalloc(VETH_NUMBUFFERS * sizeof(struct veth_msg), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (! msgs) {
 		veth_error("Can't allocate buffers for LPAR %d.\n", rlp);
@@ -660,11 +674,9 @@ static int veth_init_connection(u8 rlp)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void veth_stop_connection(u8 rlp)
+static void veth_stop_connection(struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx)
 {
-	struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx = veth_cnx[rlp];
-
-	if (! cnx)
+	if (!cnx)
 		return;
 
 	spin_lock_irq(&cnx->lock);
@@ -685,11 +697,9 @@ static void veth_stop_connection(u8 rlp)
 	flush_scheduled_work();
 }
 
-static void veth_destroy_connection(u8 rlp)
+static void veth_destroy_connection(struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx)
 {
-	struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx = veth_cnx[rlp];
-
-	if (! cnx)
+	if (!cnx)
 		return;
 
 	if (cnx->num_events > 0)
@@ -704,8 +714,16 @@ static void veth_destroy_connection(u8 rlp)
 				      NULL, NULL);
 
 	kfree(cnx->msgs);
+	veth_cnx[cnx->remote_lp] = NULL;
 	kfree(cnx);
-	veth_cnx[rlp] = NULL;
+}
+
+static void veth_release_connection(struct kobject *kobj)
+{
+	struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx;
+	cnx = container_of(kobj, struct veth_lpar_connection, kobject);
+	veth_stop_connection(cnx);
+	veth_destroy_connection(cnx);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1349,15 +1367,31 @@ static void veth_timed_ack(unsigned long ptr)
 
 static int veth_remove(struct vio_dev *vdev)
 {
-	int i = vdev->unit_address;
+	struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx;
 	struct net_device *dev;
+	struct veth_port *port;
+	int i;
 
-	dev = veth_dev[i];
-	if (dev != NULL) {
-		veth_dev[i] = NULL;
-		unregister_netdev(dev);
-		free_netdev(dev);
+	dev = veth_dev[vdev->unit_address];
+
+	if (! dev)
+		return 0;
+
+	port = netdev_priv(dev);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; i++) {
+		cnx = veth_cnx[i];
+
+		if (cnx && (port->lpar_map & (1 << i))) {
+			/* Drop our reference to connections on our VLAN */
+			kobject_put(&cnx->kobject);
+		}
 	}
+
+	veth_dev[vdev->unit_address] = NULL;
+	unregister_netdev(dev);
+	free_netdev(dev);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1365,6 +1399,7 @@ static int veth_probe(struct vio_dev *vdev, const struct vio_device_id *id)
 {
 	int i = vdev->unit_address;
 	struct net_device *dev;
+	struct veth_port *port;
 
 	dev = veth_probe_one(i, &vdev->dev);
 	if (dev == NULL) {
@@ -1373,11 +1408,23 @@ static int veth_probe(struct vio_dev *vdev, const struct vio_device_id *id)
 	}
 	veth_dev[i] = dev;
 
-	/* Start the state machine on each connection, to commence
-	 * link negotiation */
-	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; i++)
-		if (veth_cnx[i])
-			veth_kick_statemachine(veth_cnx[i]);
+	port = (struct veth_port*)netdev_priv(dev);
+
+	/* Start the state machine on each connection on this vlan. If we're
+	 * the first dev to do so this will commence link negotiation */
+	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; i++) {
+		struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx;
+
+		if (! (port->lpar_map & (1 << i)))
+			continue;
+
+		cnx = veth_cnx[i];
+		if (!cnx)
+			continue;
+
+		kobject_get(&cnx->kobject);
+		veth_kick_statemachine(cnx);
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1406,29 +1453,27 @@ static struct vio_driver veth_driver = {
 void __exit veth_module_cleanup(void)
 {
 	int i;
+	struct veth_lpar_connection *cnx;
 
-	/* Stop the queues first to stop any new packets being sent. */
-	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDVIRTUALLANS; i++)
-		if (veth_dev[i])
-			netif_stop_queue(veth_dev[i]);
-
-	/* Stop the connections before we unregister the driver. This
-	 * ensures there's no skbs lying around holding the device open. */
-	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; ++i)
-		veth_stop_connection(i);
-
+	/* Disconnect our "irq" to stop events coming from the Hypervisor. */
 	HvLpEvent_unregisterHandler(HvLpEvent_Type_VirtualLan);
 
-	/* Hypervisor callbacks may have scheduled more work while we
-	 * were stoping connections. Now that we've disconnected from
-	 * the hypervisor make sure everything's finished. */
+	/* Make sure any work queued from Hypervisor callbacks is finished. */
 	flush_scheduled_work();
 
+	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; ++i) {
+		cnx = veth_cnx[i];
+
+		if (!cnx)
+			continue;
+
+		/* Drop the driver's reference to the connection */
+		kobject_put(&cnx->kobject);
+	}
+
+	/* Unregister the driver, which will close all the netdevs and stop
+	 * the connections when they're no longer referenced. */
 	vio_unregister_driver(&veth_driver);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; ++i)
-		veth_destroy_connection(i);
-
 }
 module_exit(veth_module_cleanup);
 
@@ -1456,7 +1501,7 @@ int __init veth_module_init(void)
 
 error:
 	for (i = 0; i < HVMAXARCHITECTEDLPS; ++i) {
-		veth_destroy_connection(i);
+		veth_destroy_connection(veth_cnx[i]);
 	}
 
 	return rc;