diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
index 2d5d575e889d519866a90c5e9abcafda16164770..75d293eeb3ee01de3cd3a742ce0f26ac0dbe4000 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
@@ -1113,6 +1113,8 @@ static int __cpufreq_remove_dev(struct sys_device *sys_dev)
 	unsigned int cpu = sys_dev->id;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	struct cpufreq_policy *data;
+	struct kobject *kobj;
+	struct completion *cmp;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 	struct sys_device *cpu_sys_dev;
 	unsigned int j;
@@ -1141,10 +1143,11 @@ static int __cpufreq_remove_dev(struct sys_device *sys_dev)
 		dprintk("removing link\n");
 		cpumask_clear_cpu(cpu, data->cpus);
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cpufreq_driver_lock, flags);
-		sysfs_remove_link(&sys_dev->kobj, "cpufreq");
+		kobj = &sys_dev->kobj;
 		cpufreq_cpu_put(data);
 		cpufreq_debug_enable_ratelimit();
 		unlock_policy_rwsem_write(cpu);
+		sysfs_remove_link(kobj, "cpufreq");
 		return 0;
 	}
 #endif
@@ -1181,7 +1184,10 @@ static int __cpufreq_remove_dev(struct sys_device *sys_dev)
 				data->governor->name, CPUFREQ_NAME_LEN);
 #endif
 			cpu_sys_dev = get_cpu_sysdev(j);
-			sysfs_remove_link(&cpu_sys_dev->kobj, "cpufreq");
+			kobj = &cpu_sys_dev->kobj;
+			unlock_policy_rwsem_write(cpu);
+			sysfs_remove_link(kobj, "cpufreq");
+			lock_policy_rwsem_write(cpu);
 			cpufreq_cpu_put(data);
 		}
 	}
@@ -1192,19 +1198,22 @@ static int __cpufreq_remove_dev(struct sys_device *sys_dev)
 	if (cpufreq_driver->target)
 		__cpufreq_governor(data, CPUFREQ_GOV_STOP);
 
-	kobject_put(&data->kobj);
+	kobj = &data->kobj;
+	cmp = &data->kobj_unregister;
+	unlock_policy_rwsem_write(cpu);
+	kobject_put(kobj);
 
 	/* we need to make sure that the underlying kobj is actually
 	 * not referenced anymore by anybody before we proceed with
 	 * unloading.
 	 */
 	dprintk("waiting for dropping of refcount\n");
-	wait_for_completion(&data->kobj_unregister);
+	wait_for_completion(cmp);
 	dprintk("wait complete\n");
 
+	lock_policy_rwsem_write(cpu);
 	if (cpufreq_driver->exit)
 		cpufreq_driver->exit(data);
-
 	unlock_policy_rwsem_write(cpu);
 
 	free_cpumask_var(data->related_cpus);