diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
index 2aab80e19ae0..3c8a559506e8 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
@@ -448,6 +448,8 @@ enum ipmi_stat_indexes {
 
 #define IPMI_IPMB_NUM_SEQ	64
 struct ipmi_smi {
+	struct module *owner;
+
 	/* What interface number are we? */
 	int intf_num;
 
@@ -1220,6 +1222,11 @@ int ipmi_create_user(unsigned int          if_num,
 	if (rv)
 		goto out_kfree;
 
+	if (!try_module_get(intf->owner)) {
+		rv = -ENODEV;
+		goto out_kfree;
+	}
+
 	/* Note that each existing user holds a refcount to the interface. */
 	kref_get(&intf->refcount);
 
@@ -1349,6 +1356,7 @@ static void _ipmi_destroy_user(struct ipmi_user *user)
 	}
 
 	kref_put(&intf->refcount, intf_free);
+	module_put(intf->owner);
 }
 
 int ipmi_destroy_user(struct ipmi_user *user)
@@ -2459,7 +2467,7 @@ static int __get_device_id(struct ipmi_smi *intf, struct bmc_device *bmc)
  * been recently fetched, this will just use the cached data.  Otherwise
  * it will run a new fetch.
  *
- * Except for the first time this is called (in ipmi_register_smi()),
+ * Except for the first time this is called (in ipmi_add_smi()),
  * this will always return good data;
  */
 static int __bmc_get_device_id(struct ipmi_smi *intf, struct bmc_device *bmc,
@@ -3377,10 +3385,11 @@ static void redo_bmc_reg(struct work_struct *work)
 	kref_put(&intf->refcount, intf_free);
 }
 
-int ipmi_register_smi(const struct ipmi_smi_handlers *handlers,
-		      void		       *send_info,
-		      struct device            *si_dev,
-		      unsigned char            slave_addr)
+int ipmi_add_smi(struct module         *owner,
+		 const struct ipmi_smi_handlers *handlers,
+		 void		       *send_info,
+		 struct device         *si_dev,
+		 unsigned char         slave_addr)
 {
 	int              i, j;
 	int              rv;
@@ -3406,7 +3415,7 @@ int ipmi_register_smi(const struct ipmi_smi_handlers *handlers,
 		return rv;
 	}
 
-
+	intf->owner = owner;
 	intf->bmc = &intf->tmp_bmc;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&intf->bmc->intfs);
 	mutex_init(&intf->bmc->dyn_mutex);
@@ -3514,7 +3523,7 @@ int ipmi_register_smi(const struct ipmi_smi_handlers *handlers,
 
 	return rv;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(ipmi_register_smi);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(ipmi_add_smi);
 
 static void deliver_smi_err_response(struct ipmi_smi *intf,
 				     struct ipmi_smi_msg *msg,
diff --git a/include/linux/ipmi_smi.h b/include/linux/ipmi_smi.h
index 4dc66157d872..deec18b8944a 100644
--- a/include/linux/ipmi_smi.h
+++ b/include/linux/ipmi_smi.h
@@ -224,10 +224,14 @@ static inline int ipmi_demangle_device_id(uint8_t netfn, uint8_t cmd,
  * is called, and the lower layer must get the interface from that
  * call.
  */
-int ipmi_register_smi(const struct ipmi_smi_handlers *handlers,
-		      void                     *send_info,
-		      struct device            *dev,
-		      unsigned char            slave_addr);
+int ipmi_add_smi(struct module            *owner,
+		 const struct ipmi_smi_handlers *handlers,
+		 void                     *send_info,
+		 struct device            *dev,
+		 unsigned char            slave_addr);
+
+#define ipmi_register_smi(handlers, send_info, dev, slave_addr) \
+	ipmi_add_smi(THIS_MODULE, handlers, send_info, dev, slave_addr)
 
 /*
  * Remove a low-level interface from the IPMI driver.  This will