diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index 8b75f6ca0b611..c013eb52fdc88 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -3261,10 +3261,24 @@ static int nvme_dev_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		return -EWOULDBLOCK;
 	}
 
+	nvme_get_ctrl(ctrl);
+	if (!try_module_get(ctrl->ops->module))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	file->private_data = ctrl;
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int nvme_dev_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
+{
+	struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl =
+		container_of(inode->i_cdev, struct nvme_ctrl, cdev);
+
+	module_put(ctrl->ops->module);
+	nvme_put_ctrl(ctrl);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int nvme_dev_user_cmd(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, void __user *argp)
 {
 	struct nvme_ns *ns;
@@ -3327,6 +3341,7 @@ static long nvme_dev_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
 static const struct file_operations nvme_dev_fops = {
 	.owner		= THIS_MODULE,
 	.open		= nvme_dev_open,
+	.release	= nvme_dev_release,
 	.unlocked_ioctl	= nvme_dev_ioctl,
 	.compat_ioctl	= compat_ptr_ioctl,
 };