diff --git a/drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c b/drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c
index e60eab7f8a61..61fafe0374ce 100644
--- a/drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c
+++ b/drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c
@@ -166,9 +166,9 @@ static struct posix_clock_operations ptp_clock_ops = {
 	.read		= ptp_read,
 };
 
-static void delete_ptp_clock(struct posix_clock *pc)
+static void ptp_clock_release(struct device *dev)
 {
-	struct ptp_clock *ptp = container_of(pc, struct ptp_clock, clock);
+	struct ptp_clock *ptp = container_of(dev, struct ptp_clock, dev);
 
 	mutex_destroy(&ptp->tsevq_mux);
 	mutex_destroy(&ptp->pincfg_mux);
@@ -213,7 +213,6 @@ struct ptp_clock *ptp_clock_register(struct ptp_clock_info *info,
 	}
 
 	ptp->clock.ops = ptp_clock_ops;
-	ptp->clock.release = delete_ptp_clock;
 	ptp->info = info;
 	ptp->devid = MKDEV(major, index);
 	ptp->index = index;
@@ -236,15 +235,6 @@ struct ptp_clock *ptp_clock_register(struct ptp_clock_info *info,
 	if (err)
 		goto no_pin_groups;
 
-	/* Create a new device in our class. */
-	ptp->dev = device_create_with_groups(ptp_class, parent, ptp->devid,
-					     ptp, ptp->pin_attr_groups,
-					     "ptp%d", ptp->index);
-	if (IS_ERR(ptp->dev)) {
-		err = PTR_ERR(ptp->dev);
-		goto no_device;
-	}
-
 	/* Register a new PPS source. */
 	if (info->pps) {
 		struct pps_source_info pps;
@@ -260,8 +250,18 @@ struct ptp_clock *ptp_clock_register(struct ptp_clock_info *info,
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* Create a posix clock. */
-	err = posix_clock_register(&ptp->clock, ptp->devid);
+	/* Initialize a new device of our class in our clock structure. */
+	device_initialize(&ptp->dev);
+	ptp->dev.devt = ptp->devid;
+	ptp->dev.class = ptp_class;
+	ptp->dev.parent = parent;
+	ptp->dev.groups = ptp->pin_attr_groups;
+	ptp->dev.release = ptp_clock_release;
+	dev_set_drvdata(&ptp->dev, ptp);
+	dev_set_name(&ptp->dev, "ptp%d", ptp->index);
+
+	/* Create a posix clock and link it to the device. */
+	err = posix_clock_register(&ptp->clock, &ptp->dev);
 	if (err) {
 		pr_err("failed to create posix clock\n");
 		goto no_clock;
@@ -273,8 +273,6 @@ no_clock:
 	if (ptp->pps_source)
 		pps_unregister_source(ptp->pps_source);
 no_pps:
-	device_destroy(ptp_class, ptp->devid);
-no_device:
 	ptp_cleanup_pin_groups(ptp);
 no_pin_groups:
 	if (ptp->kworker)
@@ -304,7 +302,6 @@ int ptp_clock_unregister(struct ptp_clock *ptp)
 	if (ptp->pps_source)
 		pps_unregister_source(ptp->pps_source);
 
-	device_destroy(ptp_class, ptp->devid);
 	ptp_cleanup_pin_groups(ptp);
 
 	posix_clock_unregister(&ptp->clock);
diff --git a/drivers/ptp/ptp_private.h b/drivers/ptp/ptp_private.h
index 9171d42468fd..6b97155148f1 100644
--- a/drivers/ptp/ptp_private.h
+++ b/drivers/ptp/ptp_private.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ struct timestamp_event_queue {
 
 struct ptp_clock {
 	struct posix_clock clock;
-	struct device *dev;
+	struct device dev;
 	struct ptp_clock_info *info;
 	dev_t devid;
 	int index; /* index into clocks.map */
diff --git a/include/linux/posix-clock.h b/include/linux/posix-clock.h
index fe6cfdcfbc26..468328b1e1dd 100644
--- a/include/linux/posix-clock.h
+++ b/include/linux/posix-clock.h
@@ -69,29 +69,32 @@ struct posix_clock_operations {
  *
  * @ops:     Functional interface to the clock
  * @cdev:    Character device instance for this clock
- * @kref:    Reference count.
+ * @dev:     Pointer to the clock's device.
  * @rwsem:   Protects the 'zombie' field from concurrent access.
  * @zombie:  If 'zombie' is true, then the hardware has disappeared.
- * @release: A function to free the structure when the reference count reaches
- *           zero. May be NULL if structure is statically allocated.
  *
  * Drivers should embed their struct posix_clock within a private
  * structure, obtaining a reference to it during callbacks using
  * container_of().
+ *
+ * Drivers should supply an initialized but not exposed struct device
+ * to posix_clock_register(). It is used to manage lifetime of the
+ * driver's private structure. It's 'release' field should be set to
+ * a release function for this private structure.
  */
 struct posix_clock {
 	struct posix_clock_operations ops;
 	struct cdev cdev;
-	struct kref kref;
+	struct device *dev;
 	struct rw_semaphore rwsem;
 	bool zombie;
-	void (*release)(struct posix_clock *clk);
 };
 
 /**
  * posix_clock_register() - register a new clock
- * @clk:   Pointer to the clock. Caller must provide 'ops' and 'release'
- * @devid: Allocated device id
+ * @clk:   Pointer to the clock. Caller must provide 'ops' field
+ * @dev:   Pointer to the initialized device. Caller must provide
+ *         'release' field
  *
  * A clock driver calls this function to register itself with the
  * clock device subsystem. If 'clk' points to dynamically allocated
@@ -100,7 +103,7 @@ struct posix_clock {
  *
  * Returns zero on success, non-zero otherwise.
  */
-int posix_clock_register(struct posix_clock *clk, dev_t devid);
+int posix_clock_register(struct posix_clock *clk, struct device *dev);
 
 /**
  * posix_clock_unregister() - unregister a clock
diff --git a/kernel/time/posix-clock.c b/kernel/time/posix-clock.c
index ec960bb939fd..200fb2d3be99 100644
--- a/kernel/time/posix-clock.c
+++ b/kernel/time/posix-clock.c
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 
 #include "posix-timers.h"
 
-static void delete_clock(struct kref *kref);
-
 /*
  * Returns NULL if the posix_clock instance attached to 'fp' is old and stale.
  */
@@ -125,7 +123,7 @@ static int posix_clock_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *fp)
 		err = 0;
 
 	if (!err) {
-		kref_get(&clk->kref);
+		get_device(clk->dev);
 		fp->private_data = clk;
 	}
 out:
@@ -141,7 +139,7 @@ static int posix_clock_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *fp)
 	if (clk->ops.release)
 		err = clk->ops.release(clk);
 
-	kref_put(&clk->kref, delete_clock);
+	put_device(clk->dev);
 
 	fp->private_data = NULL;
 
@@ -161,38 +159,35 @@ static const struct file_operations posix_clock_file_operations = {
 #endif
 };
 
-int posix_clock_register(struct posix_clock *clk, dev_t devid)
+int posix_clock_register(struct posix_clock *clk, struct device *dev)
 {
 	int err;
 
-	kref_init(&clk->kref);
 	init_rwsem(&clk->rwsem);
 
 	cdev_init(&clk->cdev, &posix_clock_file_operations);
+	err = cdev_device_add(&clk->cdev, dev);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_err("%s unable to add device %d:%d\n",
+			dev_name(dev), MAJOR(dev->devt), MINOR(dev->devt));
+		return err;
+	}
 	clk->cdev.owner = clk->ops.owner;
-	err = cdev_add(&clk->cdev, devid, 1);
+	clk->dev = dev;
 
-	return err;
+	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(posix_clock_register);
 
-static void delete_clock(struct kref *kref)
-{
-	struct posix_clock *clk = container_of(kref, struct posix_clock, kref);
-
-	if (clk->release)
-		clk->release(clk);
-}
-
 void posix_clock_unregister(struct posix_clock *clk)
 {
-	cdev_del(&clk->cdev);
+	cdev_device_del(&clk->cdev, clk->dev);
 
 	down_write(&clk->rwsem);
 	clk->zombie = true;
 	up_write(&clk->rwsem);
 
-	kref_put(&clk->kref, delete_clock);
+	put_device(clk->dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(posix_clock_unregister);